Back Door Channels: The Price of Peace
Encyclopedia
Back Door Channels: The Price of Peace, directed by Harry Hunkele
,and produced by Arick Wierson
, Donald Tanselle, and Matthew Tollin, is an American documentary film
about the interplay between the official government channels and the men who acted largely behind the scenes during the course of peace process between Israel and Egypt. It was pre-released in June 2009, and later official bowed in October, 2010. Its mainstream theatrical release in the United States is scheduled for Sept., 2011.
The film contains songs by Moby
and his album Wait For Me
.
(CGI) to set the historical stage for the story. The segment was co-produced by Hunkele, executive producer Arick Wierson and the film's artistic director, Rolan LeBreton. Critic Michael O'Regan hails the animated sequence as "an exceptionally accomplished opening sequence (which inventively surmises millennia of enmity between Jews and Muslims in the Middle East in a mere 4 minutes)" Jay Weissberg, writing for Variety, dismisses the sequence as "a ridiculous potted history of Israel from Genesis to the state's foundation in 1948 (all in five minutes)." Vanessa McMahton, filing for Fest21, thought the effects were one of the film's strong suits: "The film is both poetic and informative interlacing art and CGI effects which add to the story aesthetically and descriptively." The sequence can be viewed here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R5cwi315fpY
in Monaco in the presence of His Serene Highness Albert II, Prince of Monaco
.
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Harry Hunkele
Harry Hunkele is an American Film and Television Director, Producer and Editor. He is a ten-time Emmy Award winning television director and producer and is the director of the feature documentary "Back Door Channels: The Price of Peace" . -Biography:Hunkele was born in rural Vermont, and came to...
,and produced by Arick Wierson
Arick Wierson
Arick Wierson is an American-born media executive and entrepreneur. His has business interests that span television and film production, political consultancy, and a variety of business interests in the Middle East, Latin America, Europe and Africa...
, Donald Tanselle, and Matthew Tollin, is an American documentary film
Documentary film
Documentary films constitute a broad category of nonfictional motion pictures intended to document some aspect of reality, primarily for the purposes of instruction or maintaining a historical record...
about the interplay between the official government channels and the men who acted largely behind the scenes during the course of peace process between Israel and Egypt. It was pre-released in June 2009, and later official bowed in October, 2010. Its mainstream theatrical release in the United States is scheduled for Sept., 2011.
Synopsis
The film traces the confluence of factors that made the 1979 Peace Treaty between Israel and Egypt possible. It reveals that while some, such as Carter, Begin and Sadat, were driven by deeply held ideas of faith and conviction, while others were military hawks who in their later years came to see peace as the only viable option, and still others saw peace and stability in business terms. Regardless of their motives, these heroes found a way to come together and drive the peace process. The term 'back door channels' has been in use since the early 1950s and used by government and foreign policy officials as well as intelligence operatives in referring to alternative methods for communicating across borders, using lines of communication not available to traditional official governmental and diplomatic entities nor to covert international intelligence agents.The film contains songs by Moby
Moby
Richard Melville Hall , better known by his stage name Moby, is an American musician, DJ, and photographer. He is known mainly for his sample-based electronic music and his outspoken liberal political views, including his support of veganism and animal rights.Moby gained attention in the early...
and his album Wait For Me
Wait for Me (Moby album)
Wait for Me is the ninth studio album by American electronica musician Moby, released on June 29, 2009. Moby announced the title, track listing, and release date of the album on his website on April 14, 2009....
.
Opening Sequence
The film begins with a sequence that combines historical footage with computer-generated imageryComputer-generated imagery
Computer-generated imagery is the application of the field of computer graphics or, more specifically, 3D computer graphics to special effects in art, video games, films, television programs, commercials, simulators and simulation generally, and printed media...
(CGI) to set the historical stage for the story. The segment was co-produced by Hunkele, executive producer Arick Wierson and the film's artistic director, Rolan LeBreton. Critic Michael O'Regan hails the animated sequence as "an exceptionally accomplished opening sequence (which inventively surmises millennia of enmity between Jews and Muslims in the Middle East in a mere 4 minutes)" Jay Weissberg, writing for Variety, dismisses the sequence as "a ridiculous potted history of Israel from Genesis to the state's foundation in 1948 (all in five minutes)." Vanessa McMahton, filing for Fest21, thought the effects were one of the film's strong suits: "The film is both poetic and informative interlacing art and CGI effects which add to the story aesthetically and descriptively." The sequence can be viewed here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R5cwi315fpY
Reviews
After announcing that the film would officially debut in Abu Dhabi in late 2010, only weeks after President Obama's historic speech in Cairo, there was much anticipation surrounding the film. Reviews were mixed. Variety hailed the film as an "enthralling dissection of the unlikely path to the groundbreaking treaty" but later conceded that director the films Emmy-award winning director, Harry Hunkele, "bites off more than he can chew." Film critic Michael O’Regan called the film "an original addition to the political documentary canon", although he goes on to say that its popular (i.e. commercial) appeal may be limited: "its greatest audience may well be found amongst academics."Premiers and Releases
Back Door Channels: the Price of Peace has has an unusually long release schedule.Royal screening
An early-cut version of Back Door Channels was selected to open the 2009 Monte-Carlo Television Festival in an invitation-only royal screening on June 7, 2009 at the Grimaldi ForumGrimaldi Forum
Grimaldi Forum, Monaco is a conference & congress centre located on the seafront of Monaco's eastern beach quartier, Larvotto. Les Ballets de Monte Carlo and the Monte-Carlo Philharmonic Orchestra regularly perform here...
in Monaco in the presence of His Serene Highness Albert II, Prince of Monaco
Albert II, Prince of Monaco
Albert II, Sovereign Prince of Monaco is the head of the House of Grimaldi and the ruler of the Principality of Monaco. He is the son of Rainier III, Prince of Monaco, and the American actress Grace Kelly...
.
Official World Premiere
The film made its official World Premiere at the Abu Dhabi Film Festival, otherwise known as the Middle Eastern International Film Festival in October 2010. It was chosen to screen at the 2011 Cannes Film Festival2011 Cannes Film Festival
The 64th annual Cannes Film Festival was held from May 11 to May 22, 2011. American actor Robert De Niro served as the president of the jury for the main competition and French filmmaker Michel Gondry headed the jury for the short film competition...
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U.S. Premier and U.S. Theatrical Release Schedule
On June 21, 2011, Fisher Klingenstein Films announced that it had bought up world-wide rights to Back Door Channels for an undisclosed sum. It also announced a US theatrical in select cities, following its premier in New York City on Sept. 16, 2011. Other cities with theaters scheduled include: Los Angeles, San Francisco, Chicago, Cleveland, Boston and Philadelphia.External links
- http://www.channelproductionfilms.com
- http://www.backdoorchannels.com/
- http://www.4rfv.co.uk/industrynews.asp?id=90091
- http://www.tvfestival.net/content/Opening-Film/openUK.php