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Below, an overview of Jerusalem . |
The city of Jerusalem is one of the most holy sites in the world. At the same time, it is a site of great turmoil and unrest. Documentary filmmaker Dave Banks set out to capture this paradox in his film “Hidden Jerusalem.”
Mr. Banks, an Emmy Award-winning photojournalist, will personally present the film on Saturday, March 27 at 7:30 p.m. in King Concert Hall at the State University of New York at Fredonia. The event is part of the World Travel Series at Rockefeller Arts Center.
As a professional photojournalist and documentarian, Mr. Banks has spent 30 years in the field chronicling the human condition. He has worked with Mark Burnett Productions, the Discovery Channel, ABC, CBS, NBC, FOX Networks, Warner Bros, the History Channel and PBS.
From trekking across the Sahara Desert to hanging from cliffs in Australia to being hunted by the Turkish Army, Mr. Banks has encountered numerous risks in his career.
With “Hidden Jerusalem,” Mr. Banks again faced risks – although not the kind one might expect in a turbulent setting like the Middle East.
In this case, the risk to the filmmaker came in the form of ancient spores and bacteria encountered as he captured scenes of the underground waterworks known as Warren’s Shaft in the City of David.
Above ground, Mr. Banks set out to experience “tourism for the soul” as he traveled the storied city of Jerusalem, which is home to more than 600,000 people of various religions.
“It doesn’t get any holier than this,” he said. “This is Jerusalem.”
As a holy city to three of the world’s major religions (Christianity, Islam and Judism), Jerusalem is the home to some of the world’s most sacred sites including the Temple Mount, the Western Wall, the Church of the Holy Sepulcher and the Dome of the Rock.
The Dome of the Rock is among the first stops in the film, with rarely seen footage of the interior of the shrine. Mr. Banks said the site is sacred to both Christians and Muslims and it was difficult to gain permission to film the interior.
For Christians, it is believed the rock inside the dome is where Jacob saw the ladder to heaven. Muslims believe one of the foundation stones in the dome includes a footprint made by Mohammed.
Heading to the Western Wall, with its massive section of exposed stone towering skyward, Mr. Banks captured powerful images of Jews engaged in prayer. Thousands come to the wall to do so each day, as it is the most holy site that is accessible to those of the Jewish faith. Openings in the wall are filled with letters to God, written by the faithful who come there to pray.
There are an abundance of holy sites in the city for Christians, as well. Mr. Banks noted Christians are able to “walk the paths Christ took” during his time on Earth and visit the tomb where his body was placed after his Crucifixion.
For all of its holy elements, Jerusalem remains a city of paradoxes. The film captures this by juxtaposing the breathtaking footage of holy sites with drivers expressing themselves in the “international language” of road rage, teenagers strolling around talking on cell phones and centuries-old buildings displaying advertising signs for products like Coca-Cola.
And then there is the turmoil between nations and religions. Mr. Banks notes that Jerusalem “remains the fiery heart of the conflict between Israelis and Palestinians.”
In perhaps the greatest irony of all, Mr. Banks finds that peace is hard to come by in this most holy city – even among those of the same faith.
Evidence is captured when Mr. Banks films a ceremony at the Church of the Holy Sepulcher, which is shared among five sects of the Christian faith. As the camera rolled, passions spilled over between two of the Christian groups as they crossed paths while conducting separate events. This led to dozens of people shoving, kicking and punching in a scene that looked like something one might find outside of a soccer match or a rock concert.
“Watching monks do battle outside Christ’s Tomb is a surreal experience,” Mr. Banks said.
The surreal, the holy and the historical are all captured on film in “Hidden Jerusalem,” creating a vivid portrait of the city.
This is the final film in the 2009-10 World Travel Series, sponsored by Fredonia Place as part of the Lake Shore Savings Season. Tickets are available at the door. One child 12 and under is admitted free with each adult ticket purchased.
