Which do you think is more noble? A middle-aged heterosexual female politician pounding the streets of her city gathering signatures for a petition protesting against a peaceful, celebratory march or a young gay woman enduring regular death threats and fighting constant legal battles in order to ensure people have the right to take part in such a demonstration.

'Jerusalem is Proud to Present' — a documentary about a bid to hold the 2006 WorldPride gay march in the Israeli city — presents both scenarios, showing viewers two outspoken women equally committed to their beliefs.

Noa Sattath, chairwoman of Jerusalem's Open House resource centre for the gay, lesbian, bi and trans community, seems to have endless reserves of patience, sanguinity and good humour when faced with what can only be described as a tidal wave of hate from Jerusalem's religious leaders over the WorldPride plans.

Explaining why she continues struggling to ensure the international event can take place in the face of such enmity, she says simply and inspiringly: "You've got to do what you've got to do to live an honourable life."

Perhaps Mina Fenton, the city councillor hell bent on stopping the march taking place, has a similar motive. If so, she and her supporters have trouble expressing it.

Their reasons for exerting so much time and effort into preventing the celebration on the streets of Jerusalem seem to be based around ill-informed moral outrage and vague fears about what it is that gay people actually do. One woman talks in frantic tones about their countless sexual partners and diseases.

Her ridiculous comments might be funny if the daily difficulties facing gays in Jerusalem weren't so serious. In a country notorious for violence and religious extremism, being a homosexual is no laughing matter.

Jerusalem's Orthodox Jew, Muslim and Christian leaders view gays as enough of a threat to put aside their religious differences and band together to try to stop the "homosexualisation" of the Middle East.

One rabbi, Yehuda Levin, actually travels to the city from Brooklyn to join the protest, quipping at one point: "It's the Holy City, not the homo city." Later, he looks less chipper when Orthodox Jews begin rampaging violently around Jerusalem.

He denies vehemently during an interview that they hurt anybody — despite official reports to the contrary.

It's hard for the blood pressure not to rise watching this illuminating movie as so many supposedly "spiritual" people spill out sickening bile better suited to medieval times.

But there are many heart-warming moments in director Nitzan Gilady's film, such as when gay left wing city councillor Sa'ar Netanel visits his elderly mother, who recounts the death threats levelled at him and reminds him how she kissed him after one incident and it made him feel better.

Hopefully those "religious" people who tried to stop the march will watch that poignant scene and come away with a better understanding of acceptance and love in all its manifestations.

** Jerusalem is Proud to Present will be screened today at 3.45 p.m. at Liberty Theatre and Friday at 9.15 p.m. at Little Theatre. It is competing at BIFF 11 in the documentary category.