Performance in the Eibenhof culture barn

How does peace succeed? The documentary provides insights into four of the most complex conflicts of our time: Colombia, South Africa, Afghanistan and Israel-Palestine. It tells of negotiations between enemies, of the failure of great hopes - and of small steps that open up paths to peace.

The focus is on people who were involved in historic turning points: Nobel Peace Prize winners, diplomats, negotiators and former guerrillas - including Juan Manuel Santos, Cyril Ramaphosa, Fatima Gailani, Schlomo Ben-Ami and Federica Mogherini. They report on successes and setbacks, on the staying power of diplomacy - and on the fact that peace is neither self-evident nor easy.

The film makes it clear that peace is not a state, but a process. It begins with political will, requires the courage to engage in dialog, coming to terms with guilt - and a lot of patience. Making peace is both an art and hard, persistent work.

This will be followed by a panel discussion with director Jobst Knigge and expert Daniel Gerlach:

In times of war, peace - at least in theory - is highly prized. „The Art of Peace - A Different History of the Middle East“ is the title of the new book by Germany's leading Middle East expert and editor of the Orient magazine ZENITH, Daniel Gerlach. Afterwards, TV producer Katrin Sandmann joins him and the film's author, Jobst Knigge, to discuss new ideas for silencing weapons and the role of optimism, empathy and humanity.