The California Times is committed to reviewing theatrical film releases during the
COVID-19 pandemic. Because moviegoing carries risks during this time, we remind readers to follow health and safety guidelines as
An engrossing peek inside the Mideast peace talks during the Clinton administration, Dror Moreh’s “The Human Factor” demonstrates some of the key reasons the task has been so daunting. The documentary, which features such boldface names as Yitzhak Rabin, Yasser Arafat, Bill Clinton and Benjamin Netanyahu, focuses on a lesser-known corps of career U.S. diplomats tasked with mediating the negotiations.
The primary voices here are Clinton’s point man Dennis Ross, who Moreh interviewed for a reported 40 hours, Daniel Kurtzer, Martin Indyk, Aaron David Miller, Gamal Helal and Robert Malley. Together they recount the achievements and failings, biases and regrets that occurred during what many believe was the best chance for peace among Israel, the Palestinian Authorit
Messenger
Ready for a documentary about three decades of agonizing fits and starts of the Mideast peace process, from the perspective of US negotiators? You’re probably thinking that doesn’t sound too enticing right about now. But there’s a reason “The Human Factor,” by Israeli filmmaker Dror Moreh, escapes what would seem a likely fate of being interesting only to policy wonks and those with a direct stake in the issue, and it has something to do with the title. It’s a reference to a line from Dennis Ross, the best-known negotiator of the bunch. “You can’t ignore the human factor,” he says at the beginning. “Someone who has a human touch treats someone else with respect. Someone who has a human touch doesn’t think they’re going to outsmart anybody.”
Review: Human Factor gets personal about Mideast peace
by Jocelyn Noveck, The Associated Press
Posted May 3, 2021 4:54 pm EDT
Last Updated May 3, 2021 at 4:58 pm EDT
FILE - President Bill Clinton, center, Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Barak, left, and Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat walk on the grounds of Camp David, Md., at the start of the Mideast summit on July 11, 2000. The documentary The Human Factor shows the behind-the-scenes story of the U.S. s effort to secure peace in the Middle East. (AP Photo/Ron Edmonds, File)
Ready for a documentary about three decades of agonizing fits and starts of the Mideast peace process, from the perspective of U.S. negotiators? You’re probably thinking that doesn’t sound too enticing right about now.
Review: Human Factor gets personal about Mideast peace mymotherlode.com - get the latest breaking news, showbiz & celebrity photos, sport news & rumours, viral videos and top stories from mymotherlode.com Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday newspapers.