A still from the film. (Photo courtesy of the Peres Centre for Peace)

Film premiere tackles issues of interfaith dialogue

The Canberra premiere of Tackling Peace, an inspirational story of Israeli and Palestinian youths who unite over Australian Rules football, was screened at ACU's Canberra Campus this week.

More than 60 guests attended the premiere, hosted by the Asia-Pacific Centre for Inter-religious Dialogue (APCID) at ACU and the Peres Centre for Peace,  who came up with the concept of the Peace Team.

The documentary, narrated by Hugo Weaving, goes behind the scenes as  young men from different sides of a bloody political conflict set aside a lifetime of prejudice and hostility to compete as a team in the Australian Football League's International Cup.

Professor Raymond Canning, Director of APCID, said the event was an important initiative for both the Centre and ACU.

"The Centre's mission is to promote dialogue, mutual understanding, respect and cooperation between Christians and other religious communities, and hosting this premiere is an important step in this process," he said.

The Hon Laurie Ferguson MP, Parliamentary Secretary for Multicultural Affairs and Settlement Services opened and introduced the premiere. Robert DiPierdomenico, former footballer and coach of the Peace Team, also attended.

If you are interested in purchasing a copy of Tackling Peace, contact Jacqui Stone (National Sales Manager, Screen Australia) on jacqui.stone@screenaustralia.gov.au or call +612 8113 1074'.