Death in Gaza: The reality of fear and loathing in Gaza

The crisis in the Gaza Strip is a well known conundrum in our modern world. There is a horrible violation of human rights which occurs in this war ravaged zone which is a well documented fact and it needs attention. The issue is, while most people are aware of the existence of the problem, they are unaware of the life being lead by the residents in the area. James Miller’s Death in Gaza was an attempt to provide a perspective on how day-to-day life goes on in the Gaza Strip.

The documentary mainly focuses on the lives of children who are living in the Gaza Strip. It goes deep into the war zone by following the lives of three children in the most terribly affected region known as Rafah, the southernmost sector which shares a border with Egypt. Ahmed is a 12 year old boy who is pro-militant and wants to become a martyr for the cause of liberating the Palestinians and giving them their own land. He wants to kill as many Israelis as possible and doesn’t mind giving up his life for the cause. Mohammed is his best friend who is also twelve years old and wants to follow in Ahmed’s footsteps. He is willing to follow Ahmed to his death as long as he can be with his friend in this life and the next. Najla is a 16 year old girl who goes to school and helps in her duties at home. She hates the Israelis because of the number of deaths in her family and wishes the worst upon them in the hope of having a great Palestinian state. The film also focuses on the views of the militants as they carry out their operations behind masks while talking to the journalists freely about their plans. During the course of the documentary, we are also introduced to the ideals of the society in the area. Every person that dies as a consequence of interaction with Israeli Defence Forces is celebrated as a martyr, a fate which was met unfortunately by director James Miller.

While the documentary sets out to have a neutral perspective, it can’t help but portray a biased opinion. It starts off by showing the children as they are; as mere kids who lead a difficult life in a war zone and are afraid. But then the film opens up the lives of the kids further as it shows their inner hatred for their oppressors and their desire to be pro-active by taking matters into their own hands. The documentary innocently shows the boys discuss about hurling stones at tanks and preparing their version of homemade hand grenades that could take out their enemies.

The harsh realities in this documentary show the problems that are being lived through on a daily basis in Gaza. The most shocking and gripping fact of the documentary is the notion that the people on screen are exactly as the audience, but they are twisted and manipulated by harsh living conditions. It becomes a shocking reality when the audience finds out just how bad it is to live in Gaza and how difficult life can be in a war zone and the fear and hatred it brews. The fact that the director was killed during the making of this documentary which was captured on tape, and even features in the film, is what adds to the tension of the setting and goes to show how insecure the people living there must feel.

The documentary was meant to be one half of an overall perspective; the second documentary that was planned was from the point of view of the Israeli children. Unfortunately, the second documentary was never made, and will never be made. But no one should miss the chance to watch this documentary and this perspective of the matter.