Paradise Now

After watching a movie with your children or students, we encourage parents and teachers to look for education opportunities to teach with movies. Here are a few discussion topics that can help with lesson plans or teaching in the home.

During filming, the cast and crew endured military attacks and sparked controversy in the community. To read an interview with the movie’s director, go to http://wip.warnerbros.com/paradisenow/. Click on About the Production and follow the link to A Conversation with Hany Abu-Assad.

What is the difference between fanaticism and dedicated commitment? What motivates these men to make the choices they do? What kinds of circumstances lend themselves to promoting this type of behavior? What effects do their choices have on the overall conflict and on the others around them?

One character says, “If there is no security for us, there will be none for them [the Israelis].” How does this attitude affect peace efforts? How do people adapt to living in a military zone? Why do the organizers send others to carry out the bombings rather than undertake the mission themselves? How do they exploit the weaknesses of the recruits? What does that say about their approach to the cause?