Tamar
This short documentary follows 10-year-old Tamar, a resident of Jerusalem, as she recounts the experiences of her daily life in Israel. She practices her baritone tuba and attends school, the local market, and a religious youth camp. She welcomes cousins who have emigrated from Russia, and expresses her desire for peace between Jews and Arabs.
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Children of Jerusalem1991 7 filmsChildren of Jerusalem (1991–1996) is a collection of seven films by multi-award-winning filmmaker Beverly Shaffer. The series offers portraits of life in Jerusalem as experienced by seven children from diverse social, cultural and religious backgrounds.
This short documentary follows 10-year-old Tamar, a resident of Jerusalem, as she recounts the experiences of her daily life in Israel. She practices her baritone tuba and attends school, the local market, and a religious youth camp. She welcomes cousins who have emigrated from Russia, and expresses her desire for peace between Jews and Arabs.
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directorBeverly Shaffer
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producerBeverly ShafferColin Neale
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executive producerColin Neale
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cameraKent Nason
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soundJacques Drouin
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editingSidonie Kerr
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sound editingDanuta Klis
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re-recordingJean-Pierre JoutelShelley Craig
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musicFran Avni
Warning: Mentions of the Holocaust, refugee camps, killings reported on the radio
Brief “lesson launcher type” activity or a series of inquiry questions with a bit of context:
- Documentary profiling the day-to-day life of Tamar, a Grade 5 student in Jerusalem. How is Tamar’s life similar to that of a Grade 5 student in Canada? What differences do you notice?
- How do Tamar and her mother feel as they pass the refugee camps?
- Research the Bedouin people. Was Tamar’s description of them accurate?
- How many languages do Tamar and her family speak? Is this typical of all families in the world to know so many languages? What would be the benefits of this?
- Why do Tamar and her family encounter the military/police so often when they are outside? How would you feel if you had similar experiences? How might growing up in this type of environment affect how a child develops?
- Tamar was 10 years old in 1991. How old would she be now? What do you imagine she would be doing?
Tamar, Beverly Shaffer, provided by the National Film Board of Canada