December 15, 2005
Intertwining Cultural Festivals
The Peace Tree
CELEBRATING ACCEPTANCE AND DIVERSITY
AIRS SUNDAY DECEMBER 18 AT 4 P.M. ON CBC-TV
THE PEACE TREE is a one-hour dramatic film that shares the story of two young girls - one Muslim and one Christian - who dream of celebrating each other's holiday festivals but are met with distrust and misunderstanding at home. Through their struggles to celebrate each other's holiday traditions, they create a unique symbol, the Peace Tree, that shares the voices of the children who try to enlighten their parents to the importance of celebrating diversity together. By the end of the film, the young girls succeed in helping the grown-ups understand the true meaning of the season.
The film has triggered the creation of Peace Trees by children in schools around the world from Canada to Lebanon, and was recently awarded the special jury Liv Ullman Peace Prize at the 22nd Chicago International Children's Film Festival. It has also been invited to 14 film festivals including Fici Children's Film festival in Spain, San Diego Children's Film Festival, Taiwan International Film Festival for Children, Tribeca Film Festival in New York, Melbourne Children's Film Festival and Mill Valley Film Festival in California.
THE PEACE TREE is produced, written and directed by award winning Canadian filmmaker Mitra Sen, who is also a teacher with the Toronto District School Board. It is produced in association with the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation, the Harmony Movement, Canadian Heritage Multicultural Programs, the Ontario Arts Council, National Film Board of Canada, Sony Professional Media, and Sandalwood Productions Inc.
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