Dancing in Jaffa

A documentary that doesn't force-feed its message of hope but genuinely earns it.

Dancing in Jaffa is a wonderfully insightful documentary that explores a side of geopolitical tensions in a completely new light. Like Dulaine's teachings, the feeling of hope, the promise of light at the end of the tunnel, never diminishes.

A surprising, well-crafted documentary.

“So how are you going to get them to dance together?” Dancing never explains how. Instead, as in similar films such as “Hoop Dreams,” it focuses on the contest, reducing the participants to a handful of representative kids who end up learning something about themselves and others.

Predictably, the film culminates in a dance competition, irresistible to behold and leading to an ending just about too pat to believe.

Exasperatingly trite, but also rather sweet.

When the grade-school kids are Israelis and Palestinians, the initially reluctant, moving duets they finally perform make you feel like, yes, dancing.