The Israelis and Palestinians are about to join forces in arare alliance, on a project entitled Greenhouse, whose purpose is to train andcoach promising documentary filmmakers in the Mediterranean region. Originally initiated by David Fisher at theNew Foundation for Cinema and Television (NFCT) in Tel Aviv, and Adam Zouabi, the head of the RamallahFilm Institute, Greenhouse partners also include the Association of DocumentaryFilmmakers in Turkey,the Czech Institute for Documentary Filmmaking in Pragueand Parallel 40, an audio-visual production and management company from Barcelona, Spain. The European Unionhas already pledged a grant of $1.8m (1.5m Euros) over a period of three yearsfrom 2006-8.

Greenhouse intends to offer a series of tuition seminars,due to take place around the Mediterranean in placessuch as Israel,Turkey, Palestine, Morocco and Jordan.Greenhouse will initially focus on 10-12 projects for feature-lengthdocumentaries that will be selected from proposals collected in theparticipating countries. A team of international experts will provide guidanceon topics from story-telling techniques and financial planning to pitching. Tutors will stay in touch with the seminarattendees through the Greenhouse website.

Among the first to be drafted as members of the HonoraryBoard of Directors are film directors Theo Angelopoulos, IstvanSzabo and Michael Radford, documentaristNick Broomfield and producer Nik Powell, the head ofthe NFTS London. Greenhouse will be officially unveiled at a press conferencedue to take place on February 15, at the Berlin Film Festival.