There Is Another Way follows activists of Combatants for Peace, a bi-national movement founded by former Israeli soldiers and Palestinian fighters who, in 2006, chose to lay down their arms and co-resist the system of oppression they were living under through nonviolent means. These include education and art, partially inspired by Augusto Boal’s Theatre of the Oppressed, alongside grassroots actions such as joint olive harvests, protests and protective presence for Palestinian communities threatened by settler and military violence in the West Bank. Through personal stories, they create space for dialogue and empathy by drawing on their own journeys of personal transformation.
The film follows the group as they try to make sense of the devastating consequences of the October 7 massacre and the genocide in Gaza, while working on an alternative to the hawkish narratives from both sides. “In the midst of darkness we discover who we really are,” the makers write on their website. The film shows that peace is not only an abstract ideal but a daily choice requiring courage in times of fear, loss, and division. It opens space for reflection, empathy, and dialogue, inviting us to look beyond the boundaries of conflict to rediscover our shared humanity. There Is Another Way courageously navigates grief and suffering to reveal what lies on the other side: hope.
Content warning: The film contains intense and violent documentary footage.
Post-screening discussion
After the screening, there will be a conversation with the founders of Combatants for Peace, reflecting together on the themes of peace, reconciliation, and solidarity, and exploring what it means to choose another way, both in conflict situations and in our daily lives.
A Reconsider Film, Stephen Apkon | Film | Palestine & Israel