About this Project
When We Meet: Stories from the West Bank documents several trips I made to the Israeli occupied West Bank with footage of the ordinary lives of Palestinians and interviews with women and their children about their hopes and struggles. My first trip in 2005 was with Women in Black, an international women’s peace group. On subsequent visits in 2008 and 2010, I lived with both Arab Christian and Muslim families and shot many hours video of video of my experiences and travels. I have now been working on a short documentary "When We Meet: Stories from the West Bank" about the era and hope that this film will add insight into the lives of the Palestinian people and depth to understanding the current crisis. - Jane Toby
Meet our Team
Jane Toby, Videographer, Director
Jane (b. 1940), has been an activist for Palestinian rights through her allegiance with International Women in Black. From 2005-2010, she traveled from the States to the West Bank to volunteer with the Arab Education Center’s Sumud Story House in Bethlehem. She lived with and interviewed Christian and Muslim Arab women and their families. “When We Meet,” based on her experiences there, is her first venture into documentary film-making.
Brian Drolet, Producer
Brian is an Independent producer and long-time Community activist based in New York and former Executive Director of Deep Dish TV. He was the co-coordinator of the 12-part documentary series “Shocking and Awful: A Grassroots Response to War and Occupation” on the US invasion of Iraq in 2003. He produced “Where Should the Birds Fly” (2013) a compelling film about the future of the Palestinian people, directed by Fida Qishta.
Peggy Ahwesh, Associate Producer
Peggy is an experimental film and video artist who has been active in film since the 1970s. She is represented by Microscope Gallery. Ahwesh is Professor Emeritus of Film & Electronic Media, Bard College. She taught media production and was a media consultant for many years at the Bard-Al Quds College Program in Abu Dis, Occupied West Bank.
Issa Alqam, Translator.
Issa, a 25 year old Palestinian from the village of Beit Ummar, north of Hebron, teaches and translates Arabic. Issa has been involved in the peace activism movement through the Roots Foundation, an organization that promotes understanding, non-violence and transformation among people in the West Bank.
Taha Awadallah, Film-maker.
Taha, a graduate in Documentary Film Production from Dar al-Kalima College, Bethlehem, is a film-maker, writer and director of documentaries, short films and television shows. Taha gained early recognition for his work with Simsin Palestinian Sesame Street and “The Thyme Seller” (2009) that toured the US Palestinian film festivals. Taha’s films bridge social, cultural and political themes, and bring to the fore under-represented communities, like his own Al Walaja.
Otto Ohle, Editor and Web Designer
Otto is a photographer and artist from Upstate New York. He organizes community art events via nonchalant.website. He has made short films and video artworks, such as The Llama Man.
Devin Tanchum, Consulting Editor
Devin, born in Johannesburg, South Africa, now resides in the Hudson Valley, New York. His edited films have won major awards at the Sundance Film Festival and premiered on HBO and Amazon Prime. Most recently he edited and produced “The Invisible Shield,” a four-part documentary series about public health produced by Radical Media, released by PBS in March 2024.
Bella Ries, Editor
Bella, a fourth-year student graduating in Film & Electronic Arts at Bard College, digitized the analogue videos for “When We Meet” and organized an online grid for viewing, notating and working with more than 40 hours of footage.