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EST 1917

Jerusalem, in IMAX

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You’ve never seen Israel like this.

In the new IMAX film Jerusalem, lush forests and emerald coastlines go up against miraculously jagged mountains and deserts all filmed in a soaring panorama. It’s packed with the kind of visuals you can’t help but describe with superlatives. Sure, it doesn’t limit itself to just the city of Jerusalem–but with a country with vistas like these, it’s hard to complain.

The video’s focus is on architecture and natural wonders rather than people (or ethnic and religious conflict). At some points, it definitely sounds like an advertisement for tourism: the video spotlights Masada, the desert fortress where a group of Jews made their last stand against Rome, and the Old City of Jerusalem, with the Western Wall and Dome of the Rock.

If this is propaganda (and, one way or another, it is), it’s still probably the most beautiful propaganda we’re ever likely to see. Jerusalem is scheduled for a full-length release in 2013, but you can watch a 7-minute preview on YouTube right now.

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