The documentary “We are all born here” was presented to show the reality of Bethlehem today: “the old protagonists of the history of Bethlehem, their beauty and strength”.
(CMC) An old African proverb says: “Every senior who dies … is a library that burns.”
And it is on this note that a documentary was created: “We are all born here” – the old protagonists of the history of Bethlehem, their beauty and strength” – The Christian Media Center and Association Pro Terra Sancta joined efforts to show the reality of Bethlehem today.
“The documentary offers a real vision of Bethlehem today. The film was not to reflect a reality that we like or not, but to present a true picture of society here: what people think, what they fear, and how they would like the future to be.”
For this reason, on Saturday November 7, the documentary was shown to the local community who gathered for the occasion in the hall of the Catholic Action of Bethlehem, in presence of the Mayor of the city, Vera Baboun.
A documentary that through the eyes of its people retraced the milestones that led the Christian community to a slow and gradual migration.
“Today we have a nice community with an ancient history: these people have experienced hardships and challenges and therefore have much to tell, they are the ones who stayed here; about 80% of the population has emigrated. We want people to stay here. But, to ensure that people remain here, we must tell the truth. To be honest, we will finally say that this is who we are today: we are a minority, a strong minority.”
The images of Bethlehem between past and modernity resurface and come alive in the memories of those who took part in this documentary: one way to preserve the memory of these living stones.
“The documentary is very important because it presents a vivid image of the city. In order to know the past we have to talk to people who have lived before us, talk to the generations that have lived through the wars and problems; talk to those who have helped to preserve Bethlehem. We are grateful to them. The presence of a good number of members of the community is very important today, because it shows that people are aware of the importance of staying here and continuing to live here, especially here where Christ was born; Christians must continue to live where He was born.”
A short film with a strong cultural and historical heritage and with a well-defined purpose.
“It is an important message for everyone, big and small. The message is to maintain the presence of the people here, and discourage them to emigrate. I know that the situation here is very difficult: we face the wall issue, the economic and political situation, as well as work problems…everything is difficult, but we all together will be able to fight all this as long as we remain here. “