A trip to the Middle East was an eye-opener for a leftist filmmaker who set out to make a pro-PLO documentary. Nicky Larkin is an Irish filmmaker and had heard nothing but leftist anti-Israeli propaganda. Naively he went to the Middle East to interview both sides and return with a justification for Ireland's pro-PLO policies. However, the Jews didn't turn out to be the devil incarnate and the PLO wasn't a pacifist movement as portrayed by his leftist friends:

"After all, the Palestinian mantra was one of 'non-violent resistance'. It was their motto, repeated over and over like responses at a Catholic mass. Yet when I interviewed Hind Khoury, a former Palestinian government member, she sat forward angrily in her chair as she refused to condemn the actions of the suicide bombers. She was all aggression."

Larkin had never heard the Israeli side before his visit to Israel. He was an honest victim of left-wing propaganda. But he was honest. It changed his whole worldview. And he had the courage to tell his story. The results are as expected:

"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."

Needless to say this hasn't made it easy for Mr. Larkin back home in Ireland. The man's courage is inspiring. Read the whole story in the Independent here.

Jason Pappas is retired and writes on cultural issues at his blog www.libertyandculture.blogspot.com