awarded by UNESCO

Thomas' movie "Noa and Ahlam - Two Girls From Israel" was awarded the boundless Media Contest 2007 of UNESCO, the COPEAM and EBU. The documentary was shot in the end of 2006 and shows the Jewish girl Noa and the Muslim girl Ahlam, who spend one year together in Germany.

In tense dialogues they describe their lives at home and in the foreign country. They did not know each other before, but - unnecessarily to say - they get along fine. They are opposite to the puppets-in-suits in political talkshows, they are bright and authentic characters in a very strange play, which is their life.

A bombing in your favorite fast-food restaurant, rockets blasting beside your father's car, dreams of travelling far far away and the first thougts on a long road to become a great philosopher - Ahlam and Noa are full of ideas and feelings, hopefully this movie gives a glimpse on those two amazing girls.

The awarding ceremony was held on 22nd of November 2007 in Paris. Saskia and I took the chance to stroll around Champs-Elysees, Quartier Latin and all the other fancy districts of the city of love. The first night we spend in a luxurios hotel paid by France Television, with a view on Eiffel Tower (the second night we moved into a sweet little hostel fitting our budget). We were invited with the other winners from all over Europe to a reception at the foreign office of France, which resembles a palace and made it possible to us to save the entrance fee to Versaille. We spend the night slurping Champagne and having cocktails to the feet of Tour Eiffel. We did enjoy these moments of pride, yes. Next year there will be an academy in Cologne for all the winners. We will discuss the subjects of immigration and integration in Europe and we are then going to travel around Europe to shoot a new documentary. It will be shown on German television (WDR).

After we did move to a slightly less comfortable ho(s)tel, we did not stop enjoying Paris. This glorious city is that huge, not in square meters, but in elegance. You could never soak up everything in just four days. We came to love european cities, because they have everything and more. And Paris has it all: The metropolitan lifestyle, the neverending smell of spring, mystic backstreets, colossal buildings, stunning views, fairy-tale corners and marvelous food... is there any more colorful word? If yes, place it here, Paris is worth it.


http://www.shalom-munich.de/