Synopsis

‘The Island’ is an intimate glimpse into the rich human mosaic of terminally ill patients who end their lives inside the St. Louis French Hospital, run by nuns this historical building is situated on the tense border between East and West Jerusalem across from the walls of the Old City.

The delicate portraits of patients and staff are crafted to convey the LIFE that pulsates within the hospital walls. Simon, a Tunisian Jew, decides that in the weeks remaining to him he will learn how to paint for the first time. David, an Italian monk who is one of the most beloved caretakers, confronts his own mortality. Yigal, a lifelong Jerusalemite, is sustained by his son’s promise to take him to hear his favorite piece of music – Beethoven’s Ninth Symphony. Jawaher, an East Jerusalem Muslim, spends her time painting the horrors of the outside world that she sees on TV. These are but a few of the captivating individuals portrayed through the camera’s moving encounters.

The hospital windows look out on one of the most contentious areas in the world and there is strong dissonance between Jerusalem’s streets, with their ever-present possibility of erupting into violence, and the grace and compassion that fill the hospital.