Death in GazaProduct Description
This poignant and powerful documentary takes a shocking first-hand look at the culture of hate that permeates the West Bank and Gaza and which continues to escalate the perennial violence pitting Palestinians against Israelis. Starting out in the city of Nablus (where as many as 80 percent of suicide bombing plots are planned) James Miller and Saira Shah ended up in the Gaza town of Rafah one of the most dangerous cities in this volatile region. There they spent several weeks focusing on the activities of three Palestinian children - two 12-year-old boys and a 16-year-old girl - who have grown up surrounded by messages of hate against Israel (whose military presence in their town is a constant) and taught that the greatest glory is to die a martyr. The film ends on a day like many other days in Rafah with death - except that on this day the fallen victim happens to be the man making this film.Running Time: 80 min.Format: DVD MOVIE Genre:DOCUMENTARIES/MISC. UPC:026359266720
Rate Points :4.5
Binding :DVD
Brand :Warner Brothers
Label :Hbo Home Video
Manufacturer :Hbo Home Video
MPN :D92667D
ProductGroup :DVD
Studio :Hbo Home Video
Publisher :Hbo Home Video
UPC :026359266720
EAN :0026359266720
Price :$19.98USD
Lowest Price :$3.98USD
Customer Reviewsfair Rating Point :4 Helpful Point :2 There were some scenes in here I was glad I saw. Nothing was quite so powerful was watching boys throwing stones at tanks and seeing tanks fire back. Stones versus tanks. To those that say the movie is biased because it doesnt cover the Israeli point of view, I will reiterate what has been said over and over--he was killed before he got a chance. The crew seemed rightly appalled at the way Palestinian miltants used children--this is no blind propaganda for the Palestinian cause. But you know, if ever anyone had a good reason to be biased, it would certainly be one who was killed by the mighty while weilding only a white flag
My review of the most striking moments/images in the film Rating Point :5 Helpful Point :0 Context: The film and thus these comments are a snapshot of the situation "on the ground" in the West Bank and Gaza in 2003.
The film opens in Nablus (West Bank), where the Israelis are known to conduct many targeted assassinations. The rationale? Since the second Palestinian intifada (uprising) began in 2000, 80% of all suicide bombings are planned here. In addition to the assassinations of leaders, there has been a general military crackdown, as we experience firsthand by observing Israeli tanks rolling down Palestinian streets. As we observe the tanks threatening manuevers (including a chase after stone-throwing children), co-director Saira Shah tells us that 800 Israelis and 2000 Palestinians have been killed in the three years since the second intifada began.
The directors then move to the Gaza strip, where most of the film is shot (in Rafah). We meet three Palestinian youth who are central to the narrative: Ahmed (12), his loyal friend Mohammed (12), and Najla (16).
At the beginning of the film, Saira asks: "How do children learn to hate? To die in order to kill?" We are meant to understand this documentary as an investigation into these issues. Almost right away we begin to learn to learn what these children believe, and what has led them to see things as they do. Mohammad says that his Mom has told him that the Israelis "shoot... They dont know Islam. Theyre criminals." Perhaps worried that hes creating the wrong impression, Mohammed adds: "I want to be nice to everyone, apart from the Jews."
We see that the Israelis are creating a "security zone" between Rafah and Egypt by bulldozing Palestinian houses.
On the stone walls, we see many posters of suicide bombers and innocent victims--all celebrated as martyrs in the struggle. Saira tells us that this is an effort to use the dead as propaganda to recruit more militants.
Then we meet Abdul Sattar (11). Abdul shows the filmmakers his "in case" letter to his family. The letter that they will receive if he is killed in the struggle. Abdul helps Saira decipher the string of colorful symbols, which say (in part): "I intend to continue jihad until Im martyred."
We see Palestinian children playing "Jews and Arabs." In order to win this game, you have to die as a martyr.
Some of the things we hear the children say:
"The Israelis are cowards. Theyre afraid, but they pretend to be strong with those weapons."
"The Israelis are pigs. They dont know God. They dont know how to pray."
Najla leads a young female relative in chanting the names of the six family members who have died at the hands of the Israelis.
Another little girl says that the Jews are "sons of dogs." When Saira asks the little girl if shes ever met a Jew, the girl explains that shes seen them on TV. They wear helmets, they carry Kalishnikovs, they come in tanks, and they shoot.
Saira comments on Palestinian martyrdom: "Theyre outgunned by the Israelis. So theyve turned death into victory."
Ahmed shows us the grave of his friend Hosni Al-Najjar, who was shot in the head by an Israeli sniper. He explains that the death of his friend moved him to start helping the resistance.
In a particularly chilling scene, we seen Ahmed (age 12) being indoctrinated by a group of masked Palestinian militants. After building rapport by playing a childs game with him, they show Ahmed how to hold a rocket launcher. He declares: "Id like to blow up Sharons house." The militant leader asks him: "After that?" Ahmed: "Martyrdom."
When Saira asks if it is right to deprive Ahmed of his childhood, the leader tells her that "We were deprived of a childhood." Some of the militants lost their little brothers in the struggle, he explains. Now Ahmed is their little brother.
When Saira persists in questioning the morality of putting Ahmed on the front lines ("Is it responsible?"), the leader becomes impatient. "Dont worry about responsibility, sister. When we say goodbye to Ahmed, there a thousand more kids like him."
We next see Ahmed in school, where the students are standing and reciting the poem "Identity Card" by Mahmoud Darwish (1964):
...I do not hate people Nor do I encroach But if I become hungry The usurpers flesh will become my food Beware... Beware... Of my hunger And my anger!
In another scene we see Ahmed with a friend, making quwas (handmade grenades).
Saira asks a Palestinian youth if he has any hopes for peace. Palestinian: "Peace is not possible." Saira: "Why?" Palestinian: "Theyve killed too many of us."
But arent these Palestinian children too young?
One of them replies: "Martyrdoms not just for grown-ups."
In a quiet moment alone with Ahmed, Saira asks him if hes ever thought about what it might feel like to be shot. He seems genuinely puzzled. Stumped. Its clear that hes never thought about this before. After a long pause, he replies: "No--why would they shoot me? Im a little boy."
We see Salem, a 14-year-old boy wounded by Israeli fire, rushed to the hospital where emergency surgery is performed. He dies six hours later. At the funeral, his sisters are told its a disgrace to weep. Its time to rejoice. The mourners chant: "To Jerusalem we go... martyrs by the millions."
On their last day in Rafah, the filmmakers visit Mohammed, who is at home with his mother. Mohammed is worrying that his good friend Ahmed will be martyred without him. Mohammed wants to them to be martyred together. His mother objects: "Even if that makes your mother sad?" Yes. Mohammed is adamant. His mother calls for an end to this kind of talk, and asks him to think about going to university, about raising his own family, about peace. Mohammed reminds her that she has several children. "Let every house have one martyr."
When co-director James Miller is shot and killed by Israeli gunfire (the shooters are actually mercenary soldiers--Bedouin Arbas working for Israel), Palestinian militants put his face on a poster and celebrate him as another martyr for the cause. Saira objects to this, and notes that James would have as well.
In the epilogue, we learn that Ahmed has stopped working for the paramilitaries, and now he wants to be a cameraman. So does Mohammed.
Najafs home was destroyed by Israeli soldiers... now she is homeless.
Co-director James Miller had planned to complete this film by interviewing Israeli children. Now he will never have the chance. Shouldnt Saira Shah, or someone, take up the mantle and complete this project? Without that next step, "Death in Gaza," however valuable as a historical document, is incomplete.
Disturbing Rating Point :5 Helpful Point :3 Hmm...
All the scenes in schools involve teaching kids to hate Jews. (Funny, Ive been through years of Jewish education and spent lots of time in Israeli schools, and Ive never seen the reverse towards Muslims.)
Kids get shot at because they spend their afternoon recreation time throwing hand-grenades and rocks at tanks while theyre at work. Well, duh? And their deaths accomplish what, exactly, for Palestinian statehood?
To me, this movie accentuated the pernicious evil of the paramilitary "resistance" organizations in treating kids as weapons -- and the concomitant unlikelihood of a shared peace settlement. The more of their children die pointlessly like those in the film (such as in blowing up Jewish "pigs" and "dogs", to use their own words from the film), the harder its going to be to accept a legitimate compromise settlement -- theyd have to accept that all of their kids really did get themselves killed for nothing.
Depressing but Effective Rating Point :5 Helpful Point :2 "Death in Gaza"
Depressing but Effective
Amos Lassen
"Death in Gaza" is an eye opening look at one of the most troubled areas in the world--the Gaza Strip. It is a documentary by James Miller, a British filmmaker, who was killed by Israeli forces while making the film which was shown on HBO. Miller shows us here the nihilism of war and while making the film he became a martyr for this. Miller thought that he was making a movie about the indoctrination of Arab children into the belief of martyrdom he did not know that he was making a film about his own death. It is his Millers death that gives this film its context.
I am sure that many of us have wondered what causes some kids to grow up to be suicide bombers and this film shows us why. The film emphasizes the gritty horror and desperation of what has become the Palestinian world. It is hard to see what this film shows and we see mans inhumanity to man (and I write this after having served in the Israeli army). "Death in Gaza" shows that evil brings about more evil and that it comes in cycles and will continue to take innocent lives on both sides if compassion and truth do not come to the fore and finally win over evil.
We can agree that there is nothing that can justify the actions of suicide bombers on Israeli citizens but we do forget that the bombers themselves gave their lives for what they believed. In many cases they grew up in poverty and were taught nothing but propaganda in their schools and villages. They have seen their friends and family members killed in front of them by the IDF and they have been forced to attend celebrations of martyrdom which take place around filled coffins of dead people. It is no surprise that there are so many human bombs available.
The film is one-sided however. If Miller had lived, we would have had the Israeli view as well but he was shot in the neck and died almost instantly during an Israeli raid.
It makes no difference which side you support--this is a thought provoking and very sad documentary as it looks at the daily reality of the Israel/Palestine conflict. The endless cycle of hatred and violence on both sides is a horrible tragedy and with this movie we go right into it. It is difficult to watch but it must be seen. It is NOT propaganda but a fair look at something that we have a hard time comprehending. Miller paid the highest price for this film and like the title "Death in Gaza" is about death--the death of innocence, the death of truth, the death of hope but unfortunately not the death of evil.
Religous Nihilism and Just General Despair in Gaza Rating Point :4 Helpful Point :2 I wish folks could watch a movie like this sensibly without letting their own nutty fanaticisms distort their ability to see things for what they are. Are the IDF depicted as ruthless occupiers? Oh yes. Does this paint Palestinians in a negative like? You bet. Does it cast Palestinian parents as being complete nutjobs? Unquestionably. The question we should be asking is not whether the director was able to exhaust all sides of the debate. Instead we should ask whether the sides that were covered were done so with intellectual honesty. I believe they were. I know both Arabs and Israelis like to think the oppossing side is the devil manifested on earth but really both sides are complete psychos if you ask me and not without some degree of jusification mind you.
Its as if some of us fail to see that this type of behavior is all taking place in what is at the very least a constant state of mini-warfare, one that has exploded into full scale regional conflict on an average of every ten years for the last half century. And while the what Palestinians teach their children might seem ghoulish and barbaric to us waging a war that involves children is far from an uncommon event in World History. It happened quite a few times even as late as World War Two even in the secular industrialized nations.
Its also probably easier for us to think of suicide bombings as just being random frustrated attempts at revenge and though there is a great deal of truth to that realistically there is at least some strategic value in engaging in these bombings namely it has brought immigration to the West Bank and Gaza down to a trickel. Again, wholesale attacks against civilians were not the exception but the norm throughout world history and throughout American History right up until the end of World War Two (which by the way was the last war we won).
What makes these bombings so bizzare however is that they dont seem to be undertaken with any of the strategic considerations in mind. Perhaps even more perplexing is that revenge doesnt even seem to be the primary reason for "strapping on the vest" as it were either. During the interviews with the Palestinians theres some vague talk about statehood in all this but for the most part it seems like Islam has yet again exacerbated an already hopeless situation. These bombings seem less like tactical maneuvars and more like rituals its their outward expression of the Abrahamaic "leap of faith" theyre about to take as they will themselves to self-destruction and mutilation with the hopes that the sheer incomprehensibility (near unearthliness) of the act will propell them into Gods kingdom.
No doubt the warfare and four decades of military occupation have contributed to this sense of despair but rarely if ever has even a military occupation been able to produce, what Im guessing at least, is a collective sense of nihilism amongst so many people. Suicide and murder are one thing, but as was before stated these facts appear to be secondary qualities, maybe even finalities of sorts to these suicide bombers. I cant think of anytime in history when such a thing has happened. When people were so willing not just to simply fight for God (not that this is a trivial act either) but to literally committ suicide for him. I mean, I hope we all recognize the extreme difference between claiming to "fight for God," (shoot even picking up a weapon and fighting) and actually strapping a bomb to your chest and killing yourself instantly. Id say probably quite a few Palestinians were predisposed to this form of nihilism and it was really just a matter of Hamas & Co. coming in and taking advantage of the situation to fit their political goals.
To be sure the Israelis, at least the military, doesnt come off smelling like roses either. I mean, they did shoot and kill the director of the film after all. Really, I dont know how any who saw that footage of the crew getting shot at could say that it was a mistake. Clearly they were trying to kill him/them, why exactly is anyones guess but the IDF certainly hasnt been very friendly with the press over the years and no doubt this is just another incident of them murking someone they thought might portray them in a negative light. Nice job.
Either way the inclusion of that footage at the end leaves no doubt in my mind that the producers were at least attempting to be objective with this film. Undoubtedly they were trying to depict both Israelis and Palestinians for the ultra-fanatical religous crackpots that many of them seem to be. Unfortunately this film really does leave you with the impression that there is absolutely no way to solve this whole mess. Things couldnt look more worse in this film. The decent of Gaza into anarchy earlier this Summer simply confirms this.
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