Description: Hotel Everest is a documentary about individuals who have the courage to overcome ancient hatreds, fear and mistrust to strive for self determination and peace. It follows the story of Israelis and Palestinians who come together to understand the humanity in “the other,” forge connections that promote empathy, understanding and, in their wildest hopes, peace. Our film is not a historical account of the Israeli/Palestinian conflict but a contemporary, experiential film about living within it.
Biography:
Claudia Sobral is a cultural anthropologist and a documentary filmmaker. She is particularly interested in the stories of individuals who live within a context of war and conflict yet are willing to risk and to connect with the humanity of the “other.” Sobral worked on several documentary film projects at SD cinematografica as a researcher including the Sinking of the Andrea Doria, the Battle of Monte Cassino and the Fall of Benito Mussolini. A trip to Berlin ignited her curiosity about the life experiences of descendants of the Nazis. As a third generation in a (extended) family of Holocaust survivors, this topic is of personal interest to her. The results of her research and several interviews provided her with materials to produce and co-direct her first documentary titled The Ghosts of the Third Reich which was broadcast on National Geographic Channel in Asia, South America, Europe and Australia and on History Channel Italy. It had screenings in Brazil, Uruguay, Monaco, South Africa, China and Israel. As well it has been screened both nationally and internationally at countless film festivals, schools and cultural institutions. Along with her film work, Sobral has over fifteen years of experience in the museum field and community arts both in New York and Los Angeles. Most of the projects she has curated or been involved with have celebrated diversity and fostered greater interaction and understanding among people of diverse racial, ethnic and religious backgrounds.
