Black to the Promised Land

African American filmmaker Madeleine Ali gives us a compelling documentary that records the meeting and subsequent transformation of two completely different worlds. She follows 11 African-American teenagers who are taken by their Jewish high school teacher to live and work for ten weeks on a kibbutz in Israel. The students come from Bedford-Stuyvesant, one of the toughest and poorest neighborhoods in Brooklyn. Initially the teens are bored with the lifestyle and resentful of the regimen. The Israeli kibbutz members also have their own stereotypes and prejudices about black urban America. Gradually the teens come to appreciate the atmosphere, camaraderie and sense of purpose while the Israelis are changed by the energy, enthusiasm and openness that is shared with them. The film succeeds in challenging many myths and stereotypes of both communities. It is a moving portrayal of both the potential and the limitations of cross-cultural exchange and dialogue, and is especially relevant given the current state of race relations. Voted "Audience Favorite" at the 1993 San Francisco International Film Festival.