Nicky Larkin in Ottawa tonight on Israel...

Don't miss Irish Filmmaker Nicky Larkin in Ottawa tonight presenting his film, "Forty Shades of Grey", and talking about why he changed his mind on Israel.

He has an op-ed in today's Ottawa Citizen"


How I became an Irish Zionist

My opinions didn’t change overnight. I spent seven weeks in the area, the time divided equally between Israel and the West Bank. Then I spent several months trawling through hundreds of hours of the interviews we’d filmed. I’d spoken to everyone from Ultra-Orthodox Settlers to Marxist Palestinians. Everybody had an opinion, and everybody was sure that their opinion was right.

The problem began when I resolved to come back with a film that showed both sides of the coin. Actually there are many more than two. Which is why my film is called Forty Shades of Grey.

But only one side was wanted back in Dublin. My peers expected me to come back with an attack on Israel. No grey areas were acceptable.

Beginning in March I published a series of articles in The Sunday Independent, Ireland’s most widely circulated Sunday paper, detailing my political shift.

The fallout from the articles has been quite spectacular. I’ve been called everything from a Protestant to an agent of Mossad. Letters to the editor have been flying in every Sunday since, like rockets from the Strip.

Nicky will be at the Library & Archives tonight at 7 PM, 395 Wellington Street in Ottawa.  Admission is $15 ($10 for students) and there will be a reception after the film and speech and Q&A where you can get a chance to speak with Nicky privately.

Nicky will be in Montreal on Tuesday (Chabad on the Town) and in Toronto on Wednesday (B'nai Brith Headquarters on Hove Steet).