A friend of ours, who has organized two Palestinian film festivals in Arizona, came up with a way to show a documentary film about the plight of the Palestinians to local theater goers using a new “Theatrical On Demand” service by Gathr.  Gathr will arrange with a local theater to show a film if a specified number of tickets are reserved in advance.  With this service, anyone in the US could become a local activist for Palestine.  Here’s the email that was sent out to generate interest in, and, reservations for the film, “The Wanted 18“:

Dear Palestinian Peace Pals, as you know, Americans are sadly uninformed and misinformed about the Israel/Palestine conflict.  Our friend Dina with the Arizona Palestine Film & Arts Festival has organized the showing of a unique, Palestinian made, documentary, “The Wanted !8” about “…the true story of a Palestinian committee in the town of Beit Sahour, near Bethlehem, that purchased a herd of cows from a friendly kibbutz owner and used them in a bid to undermine Israeli control. It was a step towards self-sufficiency beset by problems: Palestinians are not a cow-rearing people, which accounts for some agricultural hiccups along the way, and the Israeli authorities did not look kindly even on the smallest gestures of independence – the cows were declared ‘dangerous for the security of the state of Israel’ and became fugitives from the law” (see full review in the Guardian.com). Check out the trailer:  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hlKZ8daLtOo

The film will be shown at the Harkins Shea 14 theaters (7354 E. Shea Blvd., Scottsdale, on Thursday, Sept. 17, 2015 at 7:30 pm, IF there are 58 tickets sold. The good news is that 47 reservations have already been made to date.  So, only 11 more reservations are needed for Dina to say, “On with the Show!”  If you can’t make the show, would you please consider reserving some tickets (they are only $11 ($10 + $1 handling) and giving them to friends.  It’s easy to make a reservation.  If the goal of 58 is not reached, you won’t be charged anything.  To reserve you tickets go to: http://gathr.us/screening/12875 [You can check the url link to see if the show will go on]

Who knows, if enough people show up for the 9/17 showing, Harkins Theater might hold the film over so more people can see it and be educated about Palestinians living under a brutal military occupation. 
 


Just consider this quote by the 19th century Scottish journalist, Charles MacKay, in his book, Extraordinary Popular Delusions and the Madness of Crowds, written in 1841, that applies to modern day Americans:  “Men, it has been well said, think in herds; it will be seen that they go mad in herds, while they only recover their senses slowly, and one by one.”
 
Please do your part to help some of our fellow Americans regain their sanity and sense of true peace and justice toward the Israel/Palestine issue!
  
Yours for Peace and Justice in Palestine,