On March 14, 2016 – The Jerusalem Press Club hosted an exclusive screening of “Jihad Now”, a TV series on the rise and dangers of the radical Muslim terrorist assault. The creators of the series, Director Henrique Cymerman, Director Anna Somershaf , Producer Gidi Avivi and Aviv Oreg, a specialist on Jihad who was the film’s consultant, were present. Mr. Cymerman, who conducted for the series some exclusive interviews with counter-terrorism experts, informers of MI5 and others, said that it was the dismantling of Iraq that boosted current Jihad, and that this is the biggest threat the free world is facing today.
The film Synopsis:
Focusing on the dynamic story of Global Jihad, from the formation of Al Qaeda in the late 1980s through the 2003 Iraq War, the Arab Spring and the rise of ISIS since 2004, JIHAD NOW, a four-part series, explores crucial events and decisions that have led to one of the biggest challenges of our times.
Embarking on a geographical and historical journey worldwide, JIHAD NOW offers a contemporary perspective into the inner logic of Global Jihad and its mix of radical ideas, religion and politics.
During the course of the 4-hour series, award-winning journalist Henrique Cymerman meets high ranking political leaders, intelligence officers, international experts, and family members of Islamic terrorist groups, who were all personally involved in formative events of Global Jihad.
JIHAD NOW provides an investigation of an unresolved conflict based on these interviews, rare archival footage, and commentary by leading international experts on Global Jihad.
JIHAD NOW, presented by Henrique Cymerman, directed by Anna Somershaf and Henrique Cymerman, based on original research by Aviv Oreg, produced by GidiAvivi / Vice Versa Films for Channel 1, Israel.
About the Creators:
Henrique Cymerman is the award-winnig Middle East correspondent for Portuguese, Spanish and Brazilian TV channels and newspapers (La Vanguardia, Spanish TV network Antena 3 Televisión, Portuguese TV network SiC, American UNIVISION network, GLOBONEWS Brazil, Chinese TV CCTV, BBC, Expresso newspaper). He contributes regularly the Israeli and Palestinian television and has made several appearances for the BBC. Among the many interviews and testimonies of political and religious leaders, he conducted what was Yitzhak Rabin’s last interview, 24 hours before the Israeli president was assassinated. Cymerman was the recipient of the Conde de Godó Award in 2009 and the winner of the 2012 Daniel Pearl Award by the Anti-Defamation League (ADL) for investigative reporting. He is the author of Voices from the Center of the World: The Arab-Israeli Conflict told by its Protagonists based on a series of interviews with the many players from both sides of the conflict. The book was published in 5 languages: Portuguese, Spanish, Hebrew, Arabic and English. Pope Francis named him his “Angel of Peace” in enabling His Holiness’ Pilgrimage to Middle East, and assisting in the Prayer for Peace event which took place in the Vatican last June. He also wrote the book “Francis, From Rome to Jerusalem”, depicting the behind the scenes of the Papal visit to Israel.
Anna Somershaf is an Israeli documentary filmmaker and producer. She is the director of “Jihad Now” (2016) – a 4-hour series about the evolution of Global Jihad, produced for the Israeli channel 1. Her thesis film “Holyland” (documentary, 54 min.) which she directed and produced, was screened in many international festivals and won several awards. She also produced several documentaries, including a co-production with Norway and an American documentary filmed in Israel.
Aviv Oreg a veteran of the Israeli intelligence community, headed (1997-2007) the al-Qaeda and global jihad desk in the Analysis and Research Division of the IDF Intelligence Branch. Following his discharge from the military, he founded (2007) CeifiT (Civil Effort in Fighting International Terrorism), which advises international- governmental, institutional and private – entities on issues relating to confronting the global jihad threat. Oreg is a member of the advisory council of the terrorism and insurgency project of Imperial College Press in London and serves as a guest lecturer in academic and security institutions around the world.
Mr. Oreg has published several publications in recent years among them the book “The Global Jihad movement” (Rowman and Littlefield New York 2015 – Co Authored with PhD Rohan Gunaratna); and the Memorandum “Al Qaeda odyssey to Global Jihad” (co-authored with Yoram Schweitzer – Israeli institution for national security studies INSS – 2014).
Gidi Avivi is the Founder and CEO of Vice Versa Films (www.viceversa.co.il), an independent production house for narrative films, TV series, and documentary projects. Gidi produces award-winning films since 2004, including EAST JERUSALEM / WEST JERUSALEM (2014), NEVER TURN YOUR BACK ON SPARKS (2014), NOT YOUR LIFE (2013), CHICKEN SOUP WITH KNIVES (2012), RUNNING MOVIE (2011), LOOKING FOR MOSHE GUEZ (2011), ON THE MOVE (2008), THE CAHANA SISTERS (2006), and BEKUMMERNIS (2006). Gidi holds an MA degree in Cinema Studies from New York University and a BFA degree in Film and Television from Tel Aviv University.
