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There were factors to consider. The meeting took place in 2006, right after the Lebanon War. A time of war, it's always more tense there. If the meeting happened at a different time, I'm sure it would have been different.

Avigail was very brave to initiate the meeting, but I also think that Ayat's mother Um Samir was brave to come, knowing that her daughter killed Avigail's daughter. The meeting took four hours and none of them stood up and left. So to me that's encouraging.

The meeting was so intense, but with all the intensity all of them stayed. Somewhere, somehow they were really hoping to get to an understanding. The problem is that each of them was trying to achieve something else from the meeting.

What do you most hope viewers take away from watching the film?

The important thing is that after every screening there is a very interesting, moving, emotional discussion. That's the big picture. It makes people talk and discuss and hopefully understand each other. It makes people see the other side.

How does the situation in the Middle East now compare to 2002?

It's terrible. Now there are missiles in Israel and there are problems in Gaza. There are all these different things happening. We have weak leaders on both sides. When you take the majority of Israelis and majority of Palestinians, we agree on most things. But the problem is that the voice you hear is the voice of the extreme.

When we see the film, and we're moved, how do we respond? How can we make a difference?

There are many organizations that are helping. There are many apolitical movements, not just presenting a party. They are trying to create dialogue and move politicians and leaders to actually take action. I put some of them on my website. There are organizations that create meetings between parents. There are organizations that educate.

Even if you do a little, it's a lot. I mean, I just made a film … but we must think that it makes a difference.

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