Successes and failures in a nearly 20-year quest for Israeli-Palestinian peace are the focus of “The Human Factor,” a documentary opening June 11 at the University of Nebraska–Lincoln’s Mary Riepma Ross Media Arts Center. Also continuing to show is “Undine.”
Directed by Dror Moreh, “The Human Factory” is a behind-the-scenes documentary that features six United States envoys interviewed about negotiations that stretched from the 1980s to failure at Camp David in 2000. The production shows how the talks drew within reach of peace, only to be dashed by an all-or-nothing deal presented to Yasser Arafat, then chairman of the Palestinian Liberation Organization, by both U.S. President Bill Clinton and Ehud Barak, then Israel’s prime minister.
“The Human Factor,” which shows through June 24, is rated PG 13 for some violence and bloody images.
Also showing at the Ross is “Undine,” a dark European fable centered on romance and betrayal with a modern twist.
In the myth, Undine (also spelled Ondine) is a water nymph who becomes human when she falls in love with a man. However, the transformation comes with a cost, as Undine will die if her beau is unfaithful.
Directed by Germany’s Christian Petzold, “Undine” features Paula Beer as the title character. She is a historian, happily focused on Berlin’s urban development. As in the fable, Undine’s fate pivots when the man she loves departs. She then faces a decision — kill her former lover and return to the water or defy fate and pursue new love in a diver recently met.
“Undine,” which is not rated, plays at the Ross through June 17.
For more information about films playing at the Ross, including show times and ticket pricing, click here or call 402-472-5353.
