Screen Encounter Point in full or use the 60 minute version.

Discussion Topics for High School

• What are common images of Israelis and Palestinians in the media (other films, television, news, etc)? Do the stories and main characters in Encounter Point reflect or challenge those images?
• Why do you think the filmmakers chose to tell these stories?
• Were there images to which you reacted strongly? Why do you think the filmmakers chose to include these images?
• Why did Just Vision choose to tell this story through film and not some other medium?
• How do you think being filmed might have affected these people’s lives and work?
• If you thought people you didn’t know would be watching your actions, would you make different choices?

Activities for High School

• At home: prior to watching the film, have students research a week’s worth of news about the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. In class, discuss the effect of the mainstream media’s coverage of the region, versus that of the stories told in Encounter Point.
• In class: prior to watching the film, have students brainstorm their own perceptions of the conflict, of Palestinians, of Israelis.  After watching the film, ask how the stories told in Encounter Point challenged those perceptions. Ask students to think about where their own perceptions come from.
• At home or in a wired classroom: have students explore “Media” in the Thematic Quotes on the Just Vision website.  Have a class discussion or assign a written reflection about the media’s role in the conflict.