Silent Night
Jonathan Schaller & Philipp Schaeffer / Germany / 2024 / World Premiere / 14 min
An intelligent and acute reflection on the absurdity of religious tourism during a bus trip to Bethlehem.
A group of international tourists are on a half-day trip to Bethlehem to visit religious sites. But the city is on strike, lunch can’t be delivered as planned and the souvenir shops are closed. Their two guides – one Israeli, the other Palestinian – each have their own reasons for not telling their guests what’s going on. As the tourists visit what is said to be the birthplace of Jesus, there is a rumour among the street traders about a violent incident the day before. The town name Bethlehem brings Christmas cheer to two billion Christians, and images of a baby in a manger come to mind. But what is there to see today and what remains unseen?