"P.S. Jerusalem" is more of a video diary than a straightforward documentary, It records the return to Jerusalem of film-maker Danae Elon and is a deeply political film which is only to be expected since Elon is the only child of the Jewish journalist and author Amos Elon and his influence is felt in his daughter's words and images. However, it is less of a portrait of a city, and a city we seldom see in this light, as it is a portrait of a family and that family's place in the world. While the Israel/Palestine conflict has been going on for centuries and with no apparent end in sight, Elon tries to be optimistic, (not always successfully). She is a Jew with strong Arab sympathies and she is not afraid to let her feelings show. This doesn't always prove to be to her advantage. Filming in the city at night she is attacked, not just by a crowd of young Jewish thugs, but also by an elderly man. Nevertheless, she persists and her choice to come back to Jerusalem and make this film seems to me a testament, not just to Elon, but to right-thinking people everywhere.
Yes, it is depressing. Making this film, living in Jerusalem with her political ideology, takes its toll on her marriage and her family. At times you ask yourself, was it worth it? Is any film or any cause worth this kind of pain? The conflict continues without resolution and Elon certainly provides no answers. The only hope the film offers is that there are people like Elon out there clinging to their beliefs no matter what. I wasn't in anyway comforted by it and I am still torn by Elon's choice in moving to Jerusalem in the first place. Still, I thank God for her and for people like her and I am happy to honor her mistakes. This is a remarkable piece of reportage.
