The Road to Bethlehem is now completed and Tipping Point Film Fund is helping to raise the campaign outreach budget for Leila Sansour’s film,  to be released Christmas 2011. Click to donate to the campaign outreach and mark your donation ‘The Road to Bethlehem’.

We are delighted that the Dubai International Film Festival selected the film for screenings at their 2010 festival and that the Dubai Entertainment and Media Organization also awarded the film a grant.

I am delighted that Tipping Point has become the home of my film in the UK. I couldn’t have a better partner in my journey to bring the story of Bethlehem to the world.

- Leila Sansour – The Road to Bethlehem

What would you do to save Bethlehem?

In 2004 director Leila Sansour set out to find the answer for herself.  Four years later, she found it.

This documentary is a personal story filmed over four critical years in the life of Bethlehem. This most famous little town also happens to be Leila Sansour’s hometown. She left it as a teenager, pledging never to return. But in 2004 she went home for Christmas. The journey changed her life.

The film is shot over four Christmases in the life of Bethlehem as, piece-by-piece, hundreds of slabs of concrete are lowered into place to build a wall that will seal the city from the outside world. The story is told through the eyes of the film’s director. It is her own very personal story.

To hear the latest news from Leila read her blog, or for a small taster of the film watch the clip below.

Raising the completion budget

Tipping Point Film Fund has helped raise finishing funds of £85,000 to support the editing and completion of the film, as well as the international outreach plan for the film.

The film mobilised a fund-raising base that raised more than £70,000 towards this final sum – from individual donations,  collective group contributions, dedicated fund-raising events and appeals. Supporting donor organisations include Trocaire (Ireland), Development and Peace (Canada) CBA Dfid (UK), and most recently McCabe Educational Trust.

Leila has a proven track record as a feature documentary director – her first film was the internationally acclaimed Jeremy Hardy versus the Israeli Army. Find out what the Radio 4 comedian had to say about ‘The Road to Bethlehem’:

Completion and campaign outreach fundraising

A thank-you to all supporters to date from Leila Sansour and a new appeal

The film is now in its very final stages – read here - this personal appeal from Leila to the many donors who have supported the film to date. We are seeking the final £15k to complete the film and the first stage of outreach campaign funding of £25k.

The campaign accompanying the film on its release will be a 2-3 year long international effort to engage the public and decision-makers on the critical issues affecting Bethlehem and Palestine more widely, and inspire audiences around the world to get involved and really help make a difference. The following clip is a message from Leila Sansour about why you should support her film:

To find out more about how you can help ‘The Road to Bethlehem’ make a big political impact on its release, go to The Road to Bethlehem fundraiser page.

Open Bethlehem

At the heart of the film and the campaign, founded by the director herself in 2005, is Open Bethlehem, an international campaign set up to address the state of emergency in Bethlehem. It has secured widespread attention and endorsement from world figures such as Archbishop Desmond Tutu and Jimmy Carter and is a campaign that will enhance the film’s international impact with the intention  of creating a positive impact for her home town.

Dubai International Film Festival

We are delighted that Leila Sansour’s feature documentary film was selected for prestigious Dubai International Film Festival 2010 (DIFF). Additionally, the film received an award from the Dubai Entertainment and Media Organization, which is now a co-producer on the film.

Timescale

The film is near to completion for a release sometime in 2012. Integral to this will be a international outreach campaign at the heart of which will be Open Bethlehem.

More information:

• Open Bethlehem
• Leila’s work referenced in the Church Times
• The Open Bethlehem campaign signs up to a faith leaders letter

Tags: Bethlehem, Film Premiere, power of film, Project