amy: i want to thank you for being with us, shimon dotan, the award-winning film maker. his latest film is called, "the settlers," which had its world premiere at the 2016 sundance film festival. he teaches political cinema at nyu graduate school of journalism and film directing at new school university. when we come back, the story of jim. that is james foley. the first american to be killed by isis. stay with us. ♪ [music break] amy: this is democracy now!, democracynow.org, the war and peace report. i'm amy goodman. we are broadcasting from the sundance film festival in park city, utah. as we turn now to a new documentary about james foley, the american journalist beheaded by the islamic state in august 2014. the film is titled, "jim: the james foley story." believe front-line journalism is important. without these photos and videos and first-hand experience, you can't really tell the world how bad it might be. >> the event was a second-most recognition in recent american history after 9/11. jim would have been horrified by that. >> i think i was in denial about how d

for more, we're joined now by the film's director, shimon dotan, an award-winning filmmaker. dotan teaches political cinema at nyu graduate school of journalism and film directing at new school university. welcome to democracy now! talk about the history of the settlements. while we hear about what is happening every day, how 400,000 jews can to settle in these jewish only committed these in the occupied west bank is critical to understand today. heated and such a often discussed topic, but i find it so little is known and it isthe discussion about misinformed. i started the film as an attempt to explore the present reality in the west bank that soon understood it is to go back to the beginning of the settlement. what i found out, which is not a secret, but i think it is relevant to put it up front, no point in time in the israel government decided it is the best interest of the state of israel to keep settlements in the west bank will stop it all -- there was an initiative from the settlers that were driven often by their religious, ideological political reasons and facing a