Death in Gaza (2004)

Death in Gaza (2004)

In the Spring of 2003, filmmaker James Miller and reporter Saira Shah, the Emmy and Peabody Award-winning duo behind the Afghanistan documentaries UNHOLY WAR and BENEATH THE VEIL, traveled to the Gaza Strip to look inside the lives of children growing up in a war-torn world of unremitting violence, death, and racial and religious hatred. The documentary examines the lives of 12-year-old Ahmed; his best friend, Mohammad, 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; and Najila, a 16-year-old girl who lives in a particularly dangerous neighborhood surrounded by Israeli sniper towers. Though Mohammad's mother makes a desperate plea for peace, the boys throw rocks at Israeli tanks, build homemade bombs, and are recruited by a paramilitary group. Meanwhile, Israeli tanks roll into Najila's neighborhood, crushing and exploding homes in a search for militants.

Directed by British TV cameraman James Miller, Death in Gaza was supposed to be an HBO documentary about children living in the Arab-Israeli war zone. However, Miller was shot and killed by an Israeli soldier during production. Producer Saira Shah compiled the footage and completed the film. The result is a harrowing, intimate, and deeply moving film that tells the terrible story of life and death in the Gaza Strip.

e wrote:

Info By Sean Patrick Murphy:
This is half a documentary. It focuses on the lives of teen and preteen Palestinians living in the Gaza Strip in 2003. This film captures the rage felt by many youth regarding Israel.

Two of the children, Ahmed and Mohammed, are close friends and both say they would rather die together as martyrs than to die alone. Strong words for two so young.

Also, the filmmakers take the time to talk to a 16 year-old girl, Najla, who lives in a precarious area because Israel suspects there are tunnels nearby that supply militants with weapons from Egypt. Najla has lost as many as eight family members to the conflict.

“Death in Gaza” shows how children throw stones at Israeli vehicles and how they play games like “Jews and Arabs” much like children play “Cowboys and Indians” or “Cops and Robbers” in the United States. Even a little girl, not much more than a toddler, calls the Jews “sons of dogs.”

The documentary does not show the Israeli side at all. Most of the time Israelis are shown in approaching tanks, bulldozers and armored personnel carriers. It is easy to hate the Israelis because they are faceless and menacing in their equipment versus children with rocks.
Director James Miller had planned to document the lives of Israeli children to see how they address the conflict and to balance the perspectives. The reason why he did not do that is evident once you see the end of the film.

Source: http://globalfilm.foreignpolicyblogs.com/2009/03/04/death-in-gaza-2004/

User Review (IMDb)
Incredible doc about the futility of war
24 August 2004 | by bill-563 (Kansas City)

This is a classic documentary that should be seen by all film students. Unfortunately the director was killed needlessly by Israeli troops before he got to film the second half of his story and follow three Israeli kids.

If we in the U.S.A. had not had Martin Luther King when we did, we might very well be in the same position today as the Israelis and the Palestinians. The conflict will go on forever as long as radicals on both sides keep doing what they are doing. In a speech here about 3 years ago, Michael Moore had advice to the Palestinians: Lay down your arms and do what the civil rights protesters in the U.S. did--sit down in the streets, don't go to work, don't ride the buses, simply stop and do nothing and the economy will come to a halt. Many of you will be killed, he said, just as civil rights protesters in this country were killed, but peaceful protest is the only solution.

The endless cycle of hatred and violence by both sides is a horrid tragedy, and this film takes you right into the heart of it. It's difficult to watch but impossible to stop watching. One of the best documentaries I've ever seen.

Directed by James Miller
Produced by Nancy Abraham, James Miller,Saira Shah
Written by Saira Shah
Starring James Miller, Saira Shah
Music by Nick Powell
Cinematography James Miller
Editing by Misha Manson-Smith
Distributed by Channel Four Television Corporation
Release date February 2004 Berlin International Film Festival
Running time 80 min
Language Arabic / English / Hebrew

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IMDb - http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0412631/
Wikipedia - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Death_in_Gaza
In Depth Analysis - http://www.dvdverdict.com/printer/deathingaza.php
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Enjoy learning Con|Cen.

------------:File Details:------------

Video Codec: Xvid
Video Bitrate: ~2200 kbps
Video Resolution: 640x464
Video Aspect Ratio: 4:3
Audio Codec: AC3
Audio BitRate: 192 kbps
Total Runtime: 1 hr 21 mins (42+39)
Number Of Parts: 2
Part Size: 700 mb
Ripped by Xibalban @ MVGroup

Subtitles:
Portuguese (thanks to thisgan @ MVGroup)
Arabic (thanks to drsamehnour @ MVGroup)

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