Sweeping panoramic vistas of the ancient city of Jerusalem captured on film are hard to come by. Decades of war and conflict have resulted in no fly zones, severe security restrictions and trepidation for anyone trying to characterize this culturally rich and deeply mythological city on film. A place that has been and continues to be the spiritual seat of the three great world religions, Islam, Christianity and Judaism remains enigmatic: all claim it to be theirs and all have a blood stained history to stake their claim. With ‘Jerusalem: The Heart of the World’, Canadian writer, director, producer Daniel Ferguson has, in a relatively brief 45 minutes, given us an intimate portrait that tells of a Jerusalem that is not only the great symbolic place of ‘covenant and redemption’, a ‘stairway of light to Heaven’, the subject of great pilgrimage and spiritual renewal, and recognized as such in every corner of the world; it is also ‘home’ to a diverse community of citizens who intersect under the most extraordinary circumstances.

Ferguson’s ‘Jerusalem’ gives us plenty of IMAX ‘wow’: stupendous aerials of the River Jordan, Masada, the Dead Sea and most particularly the ‘Dome of the Rock’. His camera keeps returning here, and understandably so since the Rock is the foundation of the city. As we learn early in the doc, this is where the ancient precursors to the Hebrews, the Cananites worshipped their god of the setting sun (SALEM) from this foundation rock (JERU); this is where the Prophet Mohammed climbed a ‘stairway of light’ to God; and where today we still see the Dome of the Rock at the center of King Herod’s magnificent Palace. But where Ferguson excels is with the visually powerful portrait of Jerusalem’s rituals, both sacred and profane. We witness with an acute perspective the Christian Orthodox ritual of the Holy Fire in the Church of the Holy Sepulchre, a typically forbidden view of daily prayer in the great Al-aqsa Mosque, the somber but intense trek through the Via Dolorossa following Jesus’ path to crucifixion, and the symbolically charged significance of Hebrew prayer at the Wailing Wall. This is cleverly interwoven with intimate portraits of three teenage girls, Islamic, Orthodox Christian and Hebrew respectively. They individually take us through their most cherished locations in the city, opening their hearts to Ferguson’s camera as only teens with a strong sense of who they are can. Each in turn relates to us their personal sense of what Jerusalem means to them, and this roots the city in its colorful, yet everyday life. IMAX films often lack narrative punch but thanks to these three young women, this film has it in spades.

Given the countless pieces of literature, scholarship and film on the subject of Jerusalem, this is a unique and fresh effort to understand what the city is. Intersecting three continents, Europe, Asia and Africa, found, built, destroyed and rebuilt many, many times over the past 4,000 years. It is like no other place where a spiritual and cultural convergence of three traditions has remained its timeless and defining characteristic. At one point in the 13th century, the Jewish philosopher Nachmanides fleeing from Spain came to Jerusalem and found only two Jewish families within its walls. When the great Saladin re-conquered the Holy City in 1187, every last Christian who could not pay a ransom was escorted out. Interestingly, Saladin invited thousands of previously expelled Jews to resettle in the city. For one or the other of the traditions, this story has repeated itself in almost every century since the city’s beginning.

While we are aware of the context of conflict, Ferguson’s film points us in the opposite direction. Our teenaged protagonists show us by example in this poignant and inspiring film portrait that Jerusalem remains first and foremost a city of hope for all faiths. SALEM shares the same etymological root as SHALOM (peace) and so we have much to learn, aspire to and pray for. The film is certainly an eye opener, especially for those who have never had the opportunity to visit the holy city, but also for those who seek to better understand its mysterious and poetic hold over our individual and collective imaginations. This is a must see.

Alfredo Romano

Check out our interview with the director here.
Canadian Premiere was at the Museum of Civilization in Ottawa, Canada hosted by the National Geographic Entertainment and the Hebrew University of Jerusalem CFHU. Jerusalem: The Heart of The World is an IMAX documentary film narrated by Benedict Cumberbatch.

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