Israeli Documentary Storm of Emotions Chronicles the 2005 Disengagement from the Gaza Strip

(San Francisco, CA) – The 1982 peace agreement between Israel and Egypt forced thousands of Israelis to abandon their homes in the Sinai desert. From the options given to them by their government, many chose Gush Katif in the Gaza Strip as the location where they would rebuild their homes and lives. But as part of the ever-evolving peace process, 23 years later, in 2005, the Israeli government led by Ariel Sharon ordered the evacuation of the Gaza Strip. In STORM OF EMOTIONS, we follow the Israeli police as they mobilize to enforce this controversial order with compassion and dignity. Directed by Yael Klopmann, STORM OF EMOTIONS will be broadcast on the Emmy®Award-winning PBS series, Independent Lens, hosted by Terrence Howard, on Tuesday, October 30, 2007 at 10pm. 

Filmed during the course of two months and told in a cinema verite style, STORM OF EMOTIONS follows the plight of the men and women charged with the complicated and thankless task of uprooting their fellow citizens. We watch as they go through weeks of detailed simulation training, in which they try to find peaceful, non-violent responses to any protests or situations that might arise. We meet Major General Uri Bar Lev, the commander of the operation, a former army officer whose sensitivity and respectfulness was key to the operation’s success; Brigadier General Hagai Dotan, who was given the task of assembling the force, drawn from the police and the army, that would carry out the mission; Chief Inspector Asaf Walfisch, a devout Jew forced to balance his emotions and personal beliefs with his duty; Nofar Cohen, a young female recruit entrusted with leading a group of other young women in the Border Police Unit to help with the extraction process; and several other young policemen and women faced with one of the most difficult tasks of any civil law enforcement career. 

STORM OF EMOTIONS is part of Independent Lens’s commitment to showcasing international documentaries; also airing this season are ABDUCTION: The Megumi Yokota Story from Japan, IRON LADIES OF LIBERIA, SISTERS IN LAW from Cameroon, and STRANDED: The Andes Lane Crash Survivors. 

To learn more about the film and the issues, visit the STORM OF EMOTIONS companion website (pbs.org/independentlens/stormofemotions/) which features detailed information on the film, including an interview with the filmmaker, and links and resources pertaining to the film’s subject matter. The site also features a Talkback section for viewers to share their ideas and opinions, preview clips of the film and more. 

About the Filmmaker 
STORM OF EMOTIONS is Yael Klopmann’s first feature documentary. Her previous work includes several behind the scenes shorts about various feature films and television shows. Nine months pregnant during the filming, her husband, Micky Rabinovitz, and Americans, Jim Abrams and Aldric Porter produced the film.

 About Independent Lens 
Independent Lens is an Emmy® Award-winning weekly series airing Tuesday nights at 10pm on PBS. The acclaimed anthology series features documentaries and a limited number of fiction films united by the creative freedom, artistic achievement and unflinching visions of their independent producers. Independent Lens features unforgettable stories about a unique individual, community or moment in history. Presented by ITVS, the series is supported by interactive companion websites and national publicity and community engagement campaigns. Independent Lens is jointly curated by ITVS and PBS, and is funded by the Corporation for Public Broadcasting (CPB), a private corporation funded by the American people, with additional funding provided by PBS and the National Endowment for the Arts. The series producer is Lois Vossen. 

About the Independent Television Service (ITVS) 
Celebrating its 15th anniversary, the Independent Television Service (ITVS) funds and presents award-winning documentaries and dramas on public television, innovative new media projects on the Web and the Emmy® Award-winning weekly series Independent Lens on Tuesday nights at 10pm on PBS. ITVS is a miracle of public policy created by media activists, citizens and politicians seeking to foster plurality and diversity in public television. ITVS was established by a historic mandate of Congress to champion independently produced programs that take creative risks, spark public dialogue and serve underserved audiences. Since its inception in 1991, ITVS programs have revitalized the relationship between the public and public television, bringing TV audiences face-to-face with the lives and concerns of their fellow Americans. ITVS is funded by the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, a private corporation funded by the American people. For more information, visit itvs.org. 

About PBS 
PBS is a media enterprise that serves 354 public noncommercial television stations and reaches almost 90 million people each week through on-air and online content. Bringing diverse viewpoints to television and the Internet, PBS provides high-quality documentary and dramatic entertainment, and consistently dominates the most prestigious award competitions. PBS is a leading provider of educational materials for K-12 teachers, and offers a broad array of other educational services. PBS' premier kids TV programming and Web site, PBS KIDS Online (pbskids.org), continue to be parents' and teachers' most trusted learning environments for children. More information about PBS is available at pbs.org, one of the leading dot-org Web sites on the Internet. 

CONTACT

Voleine Amilcar, ITVS, 415-356-8383 x 244, voleine_amilcar@itvs.org
Mary Lugo, 770-623-8190, lugo@negia.net
Cara White, 843-881-1480, cara.white@mac.com