The Peace Tree
Encyclopedia
The Peace Tree is a 2005
family film
written and directed by Mitra Sen, produced by Sandalwood Productions in association with Harmony Movement and CBC
.
and one Christian
, who dream of celebrating each other’s festivals, Christmas
and Eid
. But when they share their dreams, they are met with resistance from their parents who express their concerns. Through their struggles, they create a unique symbol
-- The Peace Tree, a tree that highlights the symbols from all our cultures and faiths to reflect the beauty of "diversity in unity". The Peace Tree shares the voices of the children who try to enlighten their parents to the importance of sharing and celebrating diversity
together.
The Peace Tree has been invited to over 50 film festivals including Tribeca Film Festival and received twelve international awards.
on June 1, 2006 by Mayor David Miller
in the City of Toronto. In 2007, York Region, York Regional Police
, York Region District School Board
and the City of Windsor proclaimed Peace Tree Day
.
2005 in film
- Highest-grossing films :Please note that following the tradition of the English-language film industry, these are the top-grossing films that were first released in the United States in 2005...
family film
Family film
A family film is a film genre that is designed to appeal to a variety of age groups and, thus, families.In December 2005, Steven Spielberg's 1982 film E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial came first in a poll of the 100 Greatest Family Films. The genre today generates billions of dollars per annum.Family...
written and directed by Mitra Sen, produced by Sandalwood Productions in association with Harmony Movement and CBC
Canadian Broadcasting Corporation
The Canadian Broadcasting Corporation, commonly known as CBC and officially as CBC/Radio-Canada, is a Canadian crown corporation that serves as the national public radio and television broadcaster...
.
Plot
The Peace Tree tells the story of two little girls, one MuslimMuslim
A Muslim, also spelled Moslem, is an adherent of Islam, a monotheistic, Abrahamic religion based on the Quran, which Muslims consider the verbatim word of God as revealed to prophet Muhammad. "Muslim" is the Arabic term for "submitter" .Muslims believe that God is one and incomparable...
and one Christian
Christian
A Christian is a person who adheres to Christianity, an Abrahamic, monotheistic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus of Nazareth as recorded in the Canonical gospels and the letters of the New Testament...
, who dream of celebrating each other’s festivals, Christmas
Christmas
Christmas or Christmas Day is an annual holiday generally celebrated on December 25 by billions of people around the world. It is a Christian feast that commemorates the birth of Jesus Christ, liturgically closing the Advent season and initiating the season of Christmastide, which lasts twelve days...
and Eid
Eid ul-Fitr
Eid ul-Fitr, Eid al-Fitr, Id-ul-Fitr, or Id al-Fitr , often abbreviated to Eid, is a Muslim holiday that marks the end of Ramadan, the Islamic holy month of fasting . Eid is an Arabic word meaning "festivity," while Fiṭr means "breaking the fast"...
. But when they share their dreams, they are met with resistance from their parents who express their concerns. Through their struggles, they create a unique symbol
Symbol
A symbol is something which represents an idea, a physical entity or a process but is distinct from it. The purpose of a symbol is to communicate meaning. For example, a red octagon may be a symbol for "STOP". On a map, a picture of a tent might represent a campsite. Numerals are symbols for...
-- The Peace Tree, a tree that highlights the symbols from all our cultures and faiths to reflect the beauty of "diversity in unity". The Peace Tree shares the voices of the children who try to enlighten their parents to the importance of sharing and celebrating diversity
Multiculturalism
Multiculturalism is the appreciation, acceptance or promotion of multiple cultures, applied to the demographic make-up of a specific place, usually at the organizational level, e.g...
together.
The Peace Tree has been invited to over 50 film festivals including Tribeca Film Festival and received twelve international awards.
Beyond the Film
The film has triggered the creation of Peace Trees internationally and the proclamation of Peace Tree DayPeace Tree Day
Peace Tree Day is an annual festival for children and families of every culture and faith to share and celebrate peace and diversity together. It was founded by educator/filmmaker Mitra Sen, the producer/director of the award-winning film The Peace Tree....
on June 1, 2006 by Mayor David Miller
David Miller (Canadian politician)
David Raymond Miller is a Canadian politician. He was the 63rd Mayor of Toronto and the second since the 1998 amalgamation. He was elected to the position in 2003 for a three-year term and re-elected in 2006 for a four-year term...
in the City of Toronto. In 2007, York Region, York Regional Police
York Regional Police
York Regional Police is a law enforcement organization that serves over 1.1 million residents in the York Region, Ontario, Canada, located north of Toronto...
, York Region District School Board
York Region District School Board
The York Region District School Board, also known as YRDSB, is the English-language public school board for York Regional Municipality located in Ontario, Canada. The York Region District School Board is currently the province's third largest school board, with an enrollment of over 115,000 students...
and the City of Windsor proclaimed Peace Tree Day
Peace Tree Day
Peace Tree Day is an annual festival for children and families of every culture and faith to share and celebrate peace and diversity together. It was founded by educator/filmmaker Mitra Sen, the producer/director of the award-winning film The Peace Tree....
.
Awards and recognition
- Liv Ullmann Peace Prize, 22nd Chicago Int’l.
- Children’s Film Festival for promoting peace and harmony
- Audience Award, Taiwan International Children’s Film and Television Film Festival 2006
- Nominated Best Feature, Taiwan International Children’s Film and Television Festival 2006
- Silver Cairo for Short Film, Cairo International Film Festival for Children 2006
- Children’s International Jury Prize, Cairo
- International Film Festival for Children 2006
- Best Short Fiction, Lamatatena Cine por Ninos et Ninas, Mexico, 2006
- Best Short Family Film, Sarasota Film FestivalSarasota Film FestivalThe Sarasota Film Festival has been held annually since 1999 in Sarasota, Florida. The festival is held in April and has become one of the top ten independent festivals in North America...
2006 - Best Children’s Film, Sun Valley Spiritual Film Festival 2006
- Gold Statue, Best Direction, Roshd International Film FestivalRoshd International Film FestivalRoshd International Film Festival is the oldest Film Festival in Iran. It is centered around the films with educational and pedagogical themes and is staged every year by the Supplying Educational Media Center, a sub-branch of the Ministry of Education of the I.R.Iran...
, Iran, 2006 - Gold Statue, Best Script, Roshd International Film FestivalRoshd International Film FestivalRoshd International Film Festival is the oldest Film Festival in Iran. It is centered around the films with educational and pedagogical themes and is staged every year by the Supplying Educational Media Center, a sub-branch of the Ministry of Education of the I.R.Iran...
, Iran, 2006 - Gold Statue, Best Acting, Roshd International Film FestivalRoshd International Film FestivalRoshd International Film Festival is the oldest Film Festival in Iran. It is centered around the films with educational and pedagogical themes and is staged every year by the Supplying Educational Media Center, a sub-branch of the Ministry of Education of the I.R.Iran...
, Iran, 2006 - S-VOX (Vision TV)/ReelWorld Film Festival, Spiritual Film Award, 2007
- Golden Minbar Festival, Kazan, Russia, President of the Republic of Tartasan, Award for Humanity in Film Art, 2007