Horst in Translation (filmreviews@web.de) "Strangers No More" is a 40-minute documentary from 2010 that after some unsuccessful attempts brought directors Goodman and Simon (also spouses) eventually their Oscar. You don't see it too often though that a film wins an Oscar, but does not have another award or nomination just like this one here. Anyway, this is about an Israeli school, in which many many young children from all over the world are united, mostly from crisis countries, and the film mostly elaborates on how these children manage to learn a common language that helps them not only communicate verbally with their teachers, but also with each other obviously. A nice title reference in fact. And an interesting subject too. But I found the execution in detail so disappointing here. The film loses itself in random sequences many times that feel slightly staged and scripted when we see the school employees talk to parents of these kids for examply, of new comer kids. Or the music scenes near the end, which added absolutely nothing positive. The consequence is that this film which could have been a quality documentary at 90 minutes too never really gets under the surface and really never manages to make the statement or provide the insight that it could have. The subject, i.e. this school, definitely deserved better in my opinion. Quite a pity and I must say I cannot agree with the Oscar win here really. I would even say there's a good chance I'd eventually call it the weakest Best Documentary Short nominee from its year and it was so sad how this film really wanted to make an emotional statement at times, but came oh so short. Thumbs down. Watch something else instead.

Michael_Elliott Strangers No More (2010) *** (out of 4) Oscar-winning documentary short takes a look at a school in Tel Aviv that is the home to students from more than forty-eight different countries. Throughout the forty-minute running time we see the struggles that the teachers must go through to teach them as well as see the issues these kids have coming to school. STRANGERS NO MORE is a very good movie, although I'm not quite certain I'd call it Oscar-worthy. Either way, I think film buffs (and fans of the genre) should find it entertaining because it's a pretty wild story and the difficulties in doing what these teachers do just seem to be so challenging that not many people would even attempt it. Some of the most heartbreaking scenes deals with a student who recalls seeing his father and grandmother murdered. This here leads to some scenes where students come to the school for the very first time, are running from dangers or perhaps they have their own fears that must be dealt with while at the same time trying to teach them. The film is certainly very uplifting and gives one hope that if you do try for something, no matter the odds, with a lot of work you can pull it off.

TaliaCarner It is hard to imagine the challenge facing a school that serves over 800 children from forty-eight countries, children who've known wars and strife, who saw their parents killed in front of their eyes, or children who had walked the desert, or who come to school hungry and whose parents live under the radar screen of the authorities as foreign workers fearful of being caught and deported.Yet Bialik-Rogozin school in Tel-Aviv, Israel not only educates them, but gives them love, compassion, and hope. In the open and accepting environment created by an outstanding principal Karen Tal and a team of exceptional teachers, students support one another, play together and chat in the new common language, Hebrew. Racial and color divides drop completely in a place where each child is "different" yet none is made to feel anything less than unique. Each child learns to put his or her hauntingly traumatic past behind, adjust to the present, and look to the future. Unlike other public schools in the city that close at 1 or 2 PM, Bialik-Rogozin is open late, until these children's parents are back from work. Furthermore, as in the case of Johannes, a war refugee who speaks only Tigrit, freedom acquires a new meaning when the boy is taken to the doctor where he is fitted with glasses, and his teacher gives him bicycles so he can ride around the neighborhood and connect with his new world. At a home visit, when the teacher learns of the father's visa problems, the school takes on the task of navigating the bureaucratic maze for the family. It is heart-warming to see that merely a few months after Johannes's arrival, he is an eager and engaged student who now translates and helps a new Tigrit-speaking child find his way around the school.And Esther, whose mother was killed in South Africa (yet who still believes that she will return,) is surprised when her new white-skinned friends admire her tightly braided hair, hug her, and seek her friendship. Soon, the articulate girl, now clothed and fed by the school, is helped to accept the finality of her mother's death, flourishes and becomes a leader.Nothing testifies to the success of the school as when the charming and determined Mohammed, who arrived from Darfur at age sixteen, not only catches up on a lifetime of lack of schooling, but upon graduation plans to return to his village and open a school there.The film avoids the underlining political questions about a vulnerable country opening its borders to refugees or a public school that supports illegal immigrants by integrating their children into the new culture. Instead, the film teaches the most humane lesson as it demonstrates how far compassion, goodwill, and enormous patience can help change the life of children from utter despair to a world of possibilities offered by a sense of self, security and education.It is easy to draw from the cliché of superlatives when describing an environment in which ethnic definitions and cultural differences—that all too often breed hatred—simply melt and fall away. Even the word "tolerance" is too trivial for the place that Lin Arison, the philanthropist who financed the documentary, calls "a miracle." The tight throat and tear-filled eyes of the audience provide a better sense of the emotional power of the film.And if "Strangers No More" fails to show Israel's detractors her true face, then they ought to turn their critical eyes toward themselves.# # # Author Talia Carner's next novel, JERUSALEM MAIDEN, will be published by HarperCollins June 2011. Please check www.TaliaCarner.com

MartinHafer Today is the day the Oscars are announced and it's also one of the days that the Documentary Short nominees are being shown in theaters across the country. This is the first year such a show was shown and I must say that all the nominees were exceptional...though generally rather depressing as well. I didn't mind that, as the films were intended to point out societal problems--and that is not what I'd consider 'fun'.Of the five films nominated, "Strangers No More" is the most enjoyable and uplifting. It's also the least controversial and film most likely to be enjoyed by the public. In some ways making such a film was easy--the logistics of making it were pretty easy and the message is easy to make and will be widely accepted. Other than total idiots and vile people, everyone would like the idea of a school that is accepting and cares so much for kids who have experienced so much pain.The school in question is located in Tel Aviv. Yet, despite being in Israel, the school is open to all religions, ethnicities and nations. It caters mostly to the immigrant populations--people who often have come to the country to get away from repression and murder. Many of the kids have had their families persecuted or even murdered--and your heart really goes out to them. Seeing the love and acceptance the staff at the school gave the kids was very uplifting and inspirational.Of the many kids in this k-12 school, three kids were chosen to explore in depth during one particular school year. Why they were chosen never was explained, though I assume it was mostly because these kids in particular had prior lives that were just dreadful. One was from Ethiopia (specifically Eritrea) and, luckily, had this family intact--though he was brand-new to the school and none of his family spoke Hebrew. He was truly like a little lost lamb. Another was a teenager from Darfur (Sudan) who had witnessed the murder of his father and grandmother and who lost track of the rest of his family. To make things worse, apart from being an orphan, he never had any schooling and the plan was to try to concentrate 12 years of schooling into only 3! The final was a girl from South Africa who lived with her father--her mother having been murdered due to gang violence. All three of the kids are adorable--easy to care for and easy to shed tears for as well.Fortunately, it all ends very well for these kids--and this makes it unique among the documentaries. Unlike the bleak outlook in the other films, this is uplifting and speaks for, perhaps, a better future. Lets pray that this message continues to spread and other such wonderful programs could begin as well. Uplifting, well made and thoroughly enjoyable.UPDATE: The Oscar winner was "Strangers No More". I wouldn't have picked it since it was a rather tame and non-controversial film but it was uplifting and nice.