This a really amazing look at the intertwined lives in this conflict. The film explores the attitudes of those trapped in this struggle, the day-to-day issues of living in a war zone and the hopes for the future that some still have after all of this. The filmmaker manages to cast a fairly objective view of what's happening in Gaza. The film is amazing in that the camera gets into places one could never imagine possible. A truly noble pursuit. The fact that the director lost his life creating this necessary work is a testament to the dedication of himself and his partner. Placing a very human face on this struggle is mesmerizing; the shots of the militants interacting with children, the people who's homes were destroyed by tanks, really helps one understand the chaos of the situation on the ground there.
22 Reviews
Sad truth of Palestinian's life
dxz227 April 2005
Warning: Spoilers
Finlay there is something that shows part of the sad Palestines life in the Gaza, not to mention the west bank and those who was forced to live to other countries after the mass distractions of there villages and cites. Since 1948, people on that side of the world are suffering from occupation of there land, and unfortunately, the world had say nothing about it. Movies like this, are only showing a really small piece of the clear unseen truth to the world, showing what occupation can bring to people, and what occupation can cause to them, since when there is a good occupation and since when occupiers are peaceful? Talking about the poor children, the number of Palestinian children who have been killed is divided almost evenly between the West Bank and the Gaza Strip. In the West Bank, 141 children have been killed; in Gaza, 127; and three in East Jerusalem. Of them, 131 were killed in the first year of the intifada and 140 in the second. On average, about 11 children have been killed every month. We hear stores in the news about children being killed on there way to school, something like this: The Israeli captain on duty alerted his troops to reports of a suspicious figure about 100 yards from the outpost. Soldiers fired into the air, according to radio transmissions, military court documents and witnesses.
"'It's a little girl,' a soldier watching from a nearby Israeli observation post cautioned over the military radio. 'She's running defensively eastward. ... A girl of about 10, she's behind the embankment, scared to death.' "Four minutes later, Israeli troops opened fire on the girl with machine guns and rifles, the radio transmissions indicated. The captain walked to the spot where the girl 'was lying down' and fired two bullets from his M-16 assault rifle into her head, according to an indictment against the officer. He started to walk away, but pivoted, set his rifle on automatic and emptied his magazine into the girl's prone body, the indictment alleged.
I think this was the parents fault to send there child to school.
"'It's a little girl,' a soldier watching from a nearby Israeli observation post cautioned over the military radio. 'She's running defensively eastward. ... A girl of about 10, she's behind the embankment, scared to death.' "Four minutes later, Israeli troops opened fire on the girl with machine guns and rifles, the radio transmissions indicated. The captain walked to the spot where the girl 'was lying down' and fired two bullets from his M-16 assault rifle into her head, according to an indictment against the officer. He started to walk away, but pivoted, set his rifle on automatic and emptied his magazine into the girl's prone body, the indictment alleged.
I think this was the parents fault to send there child to school.
Murder in Gaza
playwrite200030 May 2006
James Miller goes to the Palestine territory to film the children of the Intifada and is killed by Israeli firepower. His murder is a stunning coda to a filmed account of how war corrupts the innocence of children. Miller begins the film acquainting us with the geography of Palestine, the West Bank, the Gaza Strip. We meet, get up close and personal, with the battle hardened "martyrs" of the Hamas jihad. Hidden by masks they seduce the children, so needy for heroes and mentors, with speeches of death and destruction. Blow yourself up and go to paradise. We meet the children, feckless, disingenuous children learning to kill, feeling the heft of a gun, basking in the praise of the masked warriors. There are the girls, praying for the destruction of Israel, eager to emulate their male counterparts. The children seduce us with their wide-eyed appeal, their ability to absorb the most horrible blows as their homes are destroyed. One child points to his uncle's car which has been tossed into the limbs of a tree by an Israeli bulldozer that's just leveled his home. The children watch all this, relate the stories of the martyrs, and seem with their open faces and fetching smiles and flashing dark eyes not to have a clue that they're living in a hell. They express the earnest belief that all will be well once the Israelis are (1) killed and (2)removed from the area between the Mediteranean and the Sea of Galilee. The innocence and naiveté are beguiling, disturbing, sad. At the last Miller meets his brutal, surprising death in the murky dusk, in the rubble of the streets of this hopeless settlement. There seems no way out. Violence begets violence. The righteous shriek their slogans. Human life is disposable. This brilliant film solves nothing. Don't believe me? Read the viewers' comments on the Message Boards. Read the insults, the disparaging remarks, the certitude of bigots and believers. James Miller. R.I.P. All the innocent children of Gaza. R.I.P. (And today I read of the death of journalists from U.S. TV in Iraq. When will it end?)
Heartbreaking
sanveann22 August 2004
I am an American of Palestinian descent, and this film broke my heart. Unfortunately, the filmmaker only got to tell one side of the story before he died. The way some of the Palestinian adults (note not ALL of them -- for example, one boy's mother is shown begging him to stop his martyr talk) radicalize their children is shocking and upsetting. However, had Miller lived, he probably would have show some Israeli adults doing the same.
No matter which side you're on, this is a very sad and thought-provoking documentary. Anyone who's interested in the conflict in the Middle East should definitely watch it and see the level of desperation that the people there have reached.
No matter which side you're on, this is a very sad and thought-provoking documentary. Anyone who's interested in the conflict in the Middle East should definitely watch it and see the level of desperation that the people there have reached.
Oscar for Best Documentary
coolhand_gb28 September 2004
I saw Fahrenheit 9/11 and while it is not in the category for best documentary in the Oscars anymore, and it probably would have won, it definitely comes second to this film. Death in Gaza exposes the true horror that the Israeli-Palestinian conflict has caused to both the Palestinians and the Israelis. The story by James Miller and Saira Shah show us how everyday Palestinians live. They never give any biased opinions on whether the Israelis are to blame for the current state the Palestinians live in, yet they show in a true journalistic fashion Palestinian life and culture in its fullest form. The movie is a documentation of children in Palestine and the struggles and dangers they face on an every day basis. It shows how they are pushed by cultural ideologies to believe that being a martyr is somehow more glorious than living a peaceful life. In the movie the children are the focal point of the movie. From an American standpoint it is a real eye-opener at the way they live, what they are taught at school, how they create bombs out of cans, and the way they are recruited by radical groups in Palestine to perform acts of terror against the Israelis. We are shown the other side to a conflict we only usually receive an Israeli voice for. The fact that director James Miller died creating this movie only adds to this dramatic documentary that made me think about what can we do to make this world a better place?
Incredible doc about the futility of war
bill-56324 August 2004
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.
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.
The first film ever to make me cry
nielsty21 July 2004
I saw this film at the Berlin Film Festival with James Miller's parents among the audience. Never before has a film touched me so deeply as Death in Gaza, and I can only recommend it to anybody, who likes a bit of the real world. Sometimes documentary can give you so much more than a fiction film.
This film comes so close on the Palestinian conflict, that you can taste the dusty air of Rafah. The camera is among the young boys, when they throw rocks at the Israelian tanks, and you see them pick up pieces of brain from an asassined Palestinian, so they can bury him properly. And you see the Terrorists/freedom fighters use the young boys as their scouts when they plan to attack the Israelian military. There is no good grown up people in this film, but as James Miller said: The children are the future. His point was to follow first the Palestinian children and later the Israelian children. He was killed before he could finish it. I left the cinema with tears in my eyes, and so did half of the audience.
This film comes so close on the Palestinian conflict, that you can taste the dusty air of Rafah. The camera is among the young boys, when they throw rocks at the Israelian tanks, and you see them pick up pieces of brain from an asassined Palestinian, so they can bury him properly. And you see the Terrorists/freedom fighters use the young boys as their scouts when they plan to attack the Israelian military. There is no good grown up people in this film, but as James Miller said: The children are the future. His point was to follow first the Palestinian children and later the Israelian children. He was killed before he could finish it. I left the cinema with tears in my eyes, and so did half of the audience.
one of the best documentary i have seen recently
vcuty4 February 2009
i have just watched this real life documentary on TV yesterday i was really moved by it,by the idea the portrayal of the real terrorism, when lands are stolen and taken by force and then when pple try to defend their lands and families and resist they are called terrorists now I'm against the idea of one bombing him self, or ending his life by his own hands,and I'm also against the killing of the civilians even if they are the occupiers my religion abides us to fight in the land of war those who fight us,not kill civilians however,this film shows the truth that is hidden in the western media, and explains why childhood fades away in between the gray colors of war.. how children are mind programmed that bombing ones self is being a mryter which is not any way this film is a must see..if you want to open your eyes to the reality over-there..but be careful your eyes maybe full of tears while watching.. !
Could've Been So Much More ...But Death Steals The Show
fwomp2 March 2006
Warning: Spoilers
If this documentary had been finished, and its primary film maker not killed, I have no doubt it would've been a very powerful spectacle to behold. James Miller (documentarian extraordinaire) was killed by Israeli soldiers before he had a chance to finish the film, but before he died Miller had uncovered some startling realities around the Palestinian/Israeli conflict. His focus was to be of the children on both sides of this ongoing battle but his death left the documentary unfinished and, thus, unbalanced.
The entire focus was on the Palestinian children and how the Israeli tanks, daily bulldozing of houses near the Gaza Strip, and the fanatical behavior of militants-cum-martyrs has eaten away at common sense. Although this is undeniably so, the fact that ONLY the Palestinian side was shown gives the film a very uneven keel. Had someone picked up where Miller left it, I feel that the energy of its final impact would've been staggering and given even more relevance to Miller's life and, ultimately, untimely death. This is easy for me to say, sitting here at my computer, typing away, but that's how I see it as a film, not as a personal assault on any moral values I hold for (or against) the Israeli's or the Palestinians.
I guess my main problem with the film was that it was trying to show "why" Miller was there (i.e., the effect this "lifestyle" has on a kids), while at the same time showing what a dedicated documentary-maker he was and how that ultimately ended up killing him. This pulled the viewer away from what should have been the focus -- the kids -- and put the emphasis on Miller. Why? I'm not sure.
I'm not going to take any credit away from Mr. Miller or Mrs. Shah. They're both able film makers and camera-folk. Their shots are often equally incisive, poignant, and gruesome. But the fact that this film remains unfinished is the biggest shame. Perhaps that's the message they wanted to get across ...that the documentary was left undone, just as Miller's life was. But this doesn't translate to film very well, especially when dealing with such a volatile subject matter.
The entire focus was on the Palestinian children and how the Israeli tanks, daily bulldozing of houses near the Gaza Strip, and the fanatical behavior of militants-cum-martyrs has eaten away at common sense. Although this is undeniably so, the fact that ONLY the Palestinian side was shown gives the film a very uneven keel. Had someone picked up where Miller left it, I feel that the energy of its final impact would've been staggering and given even more relevance to Miller's life and, ultimately, untimely death. This is easy for me to say, sitting here at my computer, typing away, but that's how I see it as a film, not as a personal assault on any moral values I hold for (or against) the Israeli's or the Palestinians.
I guess my main problem with the film was that it was trying to show "why" Miller was there (i.e., the effect this "lifestyle" has on a kids), while at the same time showing what a dedicated documentary-maker he was and how that ultimately ended up killing him. This pulled the viewer away from what should have been the focus -- the kids -- and put the emphasis on Miller. Why? I'm not sure.
I'm not going to take any credit away from Mr. Miller or Mrs. Shah. They're both able film makers and camera-folk. Their shots are often equally incisive, poignant, and gruesome. But the fact that this film remains unfinished is the biggest shame. Perhaps that's the message they wanted to get across ...that the documentary was left undone, just as Miller's life was. But this doesn't translate to film very well, especially when dealing with such a volatile subject matter.
Robbing the cradle
SugarGhost25 August 2004
A new meaning to robbing the cradle......
Watching these children through out their daily routine, of waking to the sound of gunshots, throwing rocks at the invading tanks, being trained for martyrdom, and attending "funerals" (which are seen more as a victory, for the cause) is heart breaking. The children know no other world, nothing else but losing their family, and being prepared that they will be the next to go. Its for the cause, they say, its for Allah, its for Palestine, and their people.
The children are used as spies to go out into the street to watch out for trouble. They are children, they will not hurt them. Oh, but they will. Do not question whether a soldier will murder a young boy because he stands in the way of his tank, or gunfire. He will run over him, he will fire at him, he will take any life he can, because he knows that that child is growing up in a world of pure hate for the Israelis. That child will grow up, and kill Israelis. Its a very sad thought, but its true. These children experience NO childhood. They are born, and brought into training.
They will not die of old age, they will not die of a heart attack at 55, they will be martyred and their families will all be glad. They will rejoice, and praise Allah, that a young child was taken from them for the greater good. To use their deaths against Israel.
James Miller was also murdered during the filming of his documentary. He and his crew put their lives on the line to bring you this knowledge, and while you may have already had an idea that its hell over in Palestine, you've now gotten a chance to see it up close, without putting yourself in that danger.
Freedom is something to fight for, its something to defend, and even something to die for, but these children die for nothing.
Watching these children through out their daily routine, of waking to the sound of gunshots, throwing rocks at the invading tanks, being trained for martyrdom, and attending "funerals" (which are seen more as a victory, for the cause) is heart breaking. The children know no other world, nothing else but losing their family, and being prepared that they will be the next to go. Its for the cause, they say, its for Allah, its for Palestine, and their people.
The children are used as spies to go out into the street to watch out for trouble. They are children, they will not hurt them. Oh, but they will. Do not question whether a soldier will murder a young boy because he stands in the way of his tank, or gunfire. He will run over him, he will fire at him, he will take any life he can, because he knows that that child is growing up in a world of pure hate for the Israelis. That child will grow up, and kill Israelis. Its a very sad thought, but its true. These children experience NO childhood. They are born, and brought into training.
They will not die of old age, they will not die of a heart attack at 55, they will be martyred and their families will all be glad. They will rejoice, and praise Allah, that a young child was taken from them for the greater good. To use their deaths against Israel.
James Miller was also murdered during the filming of his documentary. He and his crew put their lives on the line to bring you this knowledge, and while you may have already had an idea that its hell over in Palestine, you've now gotten a chance to see it up close, without putting yourself in that danger.
Freedom is something to fight for, its something to defend, and even something to die for, but these children die for nothing.
Very good documentary
mrhockey123-18 September 2006
Warning: Spoilers
As I watched the movie I was first annoyed because it looked like it was going to be yet another one of those "Israelis are evil" films. Indeed it does seem that way at times, but I guess sometimes if you look at yourself (or your people) in the mirror, you may see something you don't like. Although I STRONGLY believe Israel has the right to defend itself, It's not good if innocent people are killed (such as this journalist who had no malicious intent.) The saving grace of the movie, I think, is that it shows these little kids (11-14) who dream of being martyrs. They show school classes where the teachers ask who the occupiers are, etc... It shows where the seeds of hatred are planted. There is a bone-chilling moment in the film where a FIVE YEAR OLD GIRL says she hates the Israelis and calls them "sons of dogs". The journalist asks if the girl has ever seen an Israeli, and the girl says "on TV". The mother is of course standing beside her kid, and makes no excuse for what the kid says, nor does she try to stop the kid from saying it.
I think, ultimately, this movie shows that simply killing terrorists will not win you a war on terror because the death is only used as a recruiting tool by the terrorists.
I think, ultimately, this movie shows that simply killing terrorists will not win you a war on terror because the death is only used as a recruiting tool by the terrorists.
Sad truth of Palestinian's terrorist roots (Possible SPoiler)
craig-eisenberg18 August 2004
Warning: Spoilers
I just saw this on HBO and it is so sad that Palestinian adults are using children to fight their war against a peaceful nation like Israel. Many of these children have never met or even seen an Israeli but have such hatred for them because they are taught hatred instead of tolerance from their birth. These children show their lack of education when they slur the Jewish religion because they pray differently from Muslims who put their faces on the ground during prayer.
The first thing that I wonder is why peace groups aren't intervening and teaching Palestinians right from wrong. Where is the Arab's Martin Luther King Jr? They are so quick to blame their problems on Israelis and Jews but the reality is that death and destruction befalling them is the direct result of Palestinian terrorism. The parents of these children interviewed say they want their kids to live but at the same time they do nothing to uproot Hamas and other terrorists from their neighborhoods. They cry and complain when Israeli bulldozers demolish their homes serving as cover for weapon smuggling tunnels, but do nothing to stop the Palestinian criminals causing their oppression. Their children are shown making hand grenades to throw at Israelis but they always claim that the kids are throwing stones when they get shot, as they do when they show a boy brought into a hospital with a gunshot wound. The boy was shot in the stomach, probably not a life threatening wound, and doctors even say he'll pull through, but their negligence gets the better of them as the boy dies 6 hours later.
Throughout the movie we see why children are so eager to join the terrorists who use them as pawns and shields to protect them from Israeli soldiers defending their country. The 'teachers' in schools are as guilty as the terrorists because they brainwash the kids into believing ridiculous things such as 'Israel colonizes' and that the Jews came into 'Palestine in 1948' As if there weren't already a large Jewish presence in the entire area including a Jewish majority since 1870 and a continuous Jewish presence for over 1000 years.
When the narrator interviews terrorists I'm reminded of Ku Klux Klan members with their covered faces and racist ideology. Just like the KKK they use distorted history to justify their terrorism and war crimes against Israeli civilians. It is truly sick and twisted when one of these masked terrorists says that a boy would look good with a rocket launcher, he then hands it to him and teaches him how to use it. Later in the film they use Ahmed the 12 year old boy as a lookout when they try to murder Israelis. Sadly they use the children without any regard to their safety, saying that if one is killed there are thousands more to take his place. This shows that they don't care about their people, only about murder and mayhem. It's not surprising so many Palestinian kids are being killed. They are used as pawns to protect snipers and have no meaning to them except to shield these scared terrorists running around city streets with guns, bombs and rockets under the cover of night.
At the end of the movie Israeli soldiers are flushing out terrorist snipers from abandoned buildings. It is pitch black darkness as the filmmakers are stupid enough to walk right into the middle of this war zone, I mean how idiotic can a person be to walk out in between Israeli soldiers and Palestinian snipers? The makers of this movie claim that Israeli soldiers killed James Miller, but there has never been proof or evidence of this, there was never a formal investigation only an accusation, commonplace in Palestinian society. The movie is almost objective at times but their misuse of words like 'paramilitary' and 'militants' to describe Arab terrorists show where their hearts truly lie. I recommend viewing this movie as well as researching more about the Palestinian use of children and their false history used to 'justify' their terrorist actions against Israel.
The first thing that I wonder is why peace groups aren't intervening and teaching Palestinians right from wrong. Where is the Arab's Martin Luther King Jr? They are so quick to blame their problems on Israelis and Jews but the reality is that death and destruction befalling them is the direct result of Palestinian terrorism. The parents of these children interviewed say they want their kids to live but at the same time they do nothing to uproot Hamas and other terrorists from their neighborhoods. They cry and complain when Israeli bulldozers demolish their homes serving as cover for weapon smuggling tunnels, but do nothing to stop the Palestinian criminals causing their oppression. Their children are shown making hand grenades to throw at Israelis but they always claim that the kids are throwing stones when they get shot, as they do when they show a boy brought into a hospital with a gunshot wound. The boy was shot in the stomach, probably not a life threatening wound, and doctors even say he'll pull through, but their negligence gets the better of them as the boy dies 6 hours later.
Throughout the movie we see why children are so eager to join the terrorists who use them as pawns and shields to protect them from Israeli soldiers defending their country. The 'teachers' in schools are as guilty as the terrorists because they brainwash the kids into believing ridiculous things such as 'Israel colonizes' and that the Jews came into 'Palestine in 1948' As if there weren't already a large Jewish presence in the entire area including a Jewish majority since 1870 and a continuous Jewish presence for over 1000 years.
When the narrator interviews terrorists I'm reminded of Ku Klux Klan members with their covered faces and racist ideology. Just like the KKK they use distorted history to justify their terrorism and war crimes against Israeli civilians. It is truly sick and twisted when one of these masked terrorists says that a boy would look good with a rocket launcher, he then hands it to him and teaches him how to use it. Later in the film they use Ahmed the 12 year old boy as a lookout when they try to murder Israelis. Sadly they use the children without any regard to their safety, saying that if one is killed there are thousands more to take his place. This shows that they don't care about their people, only about murder and mayhem. It's not surprising so many Palestinian kids are being killed. They are used as pawns to protect snipers and have no meaning to them except to shield these scared terrorists running around city streets with guns, bombs and rockets under the cover of night.
At the end of the movie Israeli soldiers are flushing out terrorist snipers from abandoned buildings. It is pitch black darkness as the filmmakers are stupid enough to walk right into the middle of this war zone, I mean how idiotic can a person be to walk out in between Israeli soldiers and Palestinian snipers? The makers of this movie claim that Israeli soldiers killed James Miller, but there has never been proof or evidence of this, there was never a formal investigation only an accusation, commonplace in Palestinian society. The movie is almost objective at times but their misuse of words like 'paramilitary' and 'militants' to describe Arab terrorists show where their hearts truly lie. I recommend viewing this movie as well as researching more about the Palestinian use of children and their false history used to 'justify' their terrorist actions against Israel.
An eye-opening view into the most depressing real-life story I've ever seen.
MUTS8214 September 2004
I caught this about a third of the way through on HBO one night. I used to wonder just what caused some kids to grow up to strap a bomb to themselves and try and take as many innocent Israelis with them as possible. Now I know.
I spent a great deal of time absorbed in the films sheer, gritty horror of the bleak desperation that is the Palestinian world. Sometimes I couldn't believe what I saw and heard; my mouth was literally agape about half the time. It was the most shocking, horrifying, and saddening display of pure, brutal inhumanity ever recorded on camera, in my opinion. It lays plain the reality that evil begets evil and shows that evil is a cycle that will continue to consume innocent lives on both sides unless truth and compassion finally win out, if such a thing is even possible anymore.
Many of you think might think that nothing can justify the evils Palestinian suicide bombers visit on innocent Israelis. You're right. Nothing can justify it. But those young men and women with the bombs strapped on had lives too. And when they're raised in an environment of utter poverty, taught nothing but propaganda in their 'schools' and society, see their friends killed right in front of them by 'the Israeli pigs', forced to attend great, joyous ceremonies around the bodies of 'martyrs' (including young boys who did nothing wrong and got shot for it), and are befriended by young Arab martyrs who grew up exactly the same way, it's no wonder Hamas and Hezbollah has such a large supply of human bombs to throw at Israel.
The supreme irony here is that the two young Palestinian boys who were the focus of a lot of the film decided to become journalists instead of martyrs due to the friendship they felt for the films director, James Miller. He was shot in the neck by an arab-Israeli trooper in an APC at night near the end of the film crews time in Gaza; he died almost instantly. The crew had yelled that they were British journalists to the crew of the APC, but it didn't matter; the shots come anyways.
Had the films director not died, we would have seen the Israeli's side of the story. Unfortunately, the film claimed its title in innocent blood striving for answers to a cycle of never-ending violence in the Middle East.
'Death in Gaza' is about just that: death. The death of innocence, the death of truth, the death of hope for the residents of the Palestinian territories surrounding Israel.
If you wonder why the Middle East is such a mess, see this film. Then you'll know the answer.
I spent a great deal of time absorbed in the films sheer, gritty horror of the bleak desperation that is the Palestinian world. Sometimes I couldn't believe what I saw and heard; my mouth was literally agape about half the time. It was the most shocking, horrifying, and saddening display of pure, brutal inhumanity ever recorded on camera, in my opinion. It lays plain the reality that evil begets evil and shows that evil is a cycle that will continue to consume innocent lives on both sides unless truth and compassion finally win out, if such a thing is even possible anymore.
Many of you think might think that nothing can justify the evils Palestinian suicide bombers visit on innocent Israelis. You're right. Nothing can justify it. But those young men and women with the bombs strapped on had lives too. And when they're raised in an environment of utter poverty, taught nothing but propaganda in their 'schools' and society, see their friends killed right in front of them by 'the Israeli pigs', forced to attend great, joyous ceremonies around the bodies of 'martyrs' (including young boys who did nothing wrong and got shot for it), and are befriended by young Arab martyrs who grew up exactly the same way, it's no wonder Hamas and Hezbollah has such a large supply of human bombs to throw at Israel.
The supreme irony here is that the two young Palestinian boys who were the focus of a lot of the film decided to become journalists instead of martyrs due to the friendship they felt for the films director, James Miller. He was shot in the neck by an arab-Israeli trooper in an APC at night near the end of the film crews time in Gaza; he died almost instantly. The crew had yelled that they were British journalists to the crew of the APC, but it didn't matter; the shots come anyways.
Had the films director not died, we would have seen the Israeli's side of the story. Unfortunately, the film claimed its title in innocent blood striving for answers to a cycle of never-ending violence in the Middle East.
'Death in Gaza' is about just that: death. The death of innocence, the death of truth, the death of hope for the residents of the Palestinian territories surrounding Israel.
If you wonder why the Middle East is such a mess, see this film. Then you'll know the answer.
It's not right, but its ok...
inakieat25 May 2018
Warning: Spoilers
A documental movie about the conflict between Israeli-Palestinian, focus especially on the kids and how they are absorbed by the war, but having as a principal narrator the filmmaker James Miller that is killed by the Israelites. A film that appeals more to the emocional than the politic -the difference is not that big, though-.
Personally I think that it's great to have more information about the conflict, especially when this it is first-hand information, but I also wonder, why all the information that I have it always come from occidental white men? , and where it is the information from the people living there? Maybe one of the reasons is because the conditions are not the best for the locals, or the information from locals is not available, or maybe I'm just really bad at searching.
This also reminds me of Theo van Gogh, a dutch atheist filmmaker, making a short film about women in muslim, or, someone that was not being politic just talking about aesthetics, like Serguéi Eisenstein making a documentary -a beautiful one- about Mexican mores in ¡Que Viva México!
The thing is that sometimes it feels weird to keep always consuming information from people that it's not living there and that have a different way to understand the situations because of that. This movie was released on 2004, and today 14 years later, in 2018, the situation feels the same. We need to decolonize us in every sense, even in the information that exist and create our own texts, images, sounds, everything.
I don't say it's wrong, but it feels incorrect nowadays. The movie is great, tho.
Personally I think that it's great to have more information about the conflict, especially when this it is first-hand information, but I also wonder, why all the information that I have it always come from occidental white men? , and where it is the information from the people living there? Maybe one of the reasons is because the conditions are not the best for the locals, or the information from locals is not available, or maybe I'm just really bad at searching.
This also reminds me of Theo van Gogh, a dutch atheist filmmaker, making a short film about women in muslim, or, someone that was not being politic just talking about aesthetics, like Serguéi Eisenstein making a documentary -a beautiful one- about Mexican mores in ¡Que Viva México!
The thing is that sometimes it feels weird to keep always consuming information from people that it's not living there and that have a different way to understand the situations because of that. This movie was released on 2004, and today 14 years later, in 2018, the situation feels the same. We need to decolonize us in every sense, even in the information that exist and create our own texts, images, sounds, everything.
I don't say it's wrong, but it feels incorrect nowadays. The movie is great, tho.
The Palestinians play the victim card so well.. how can you not hate the Israelis..? Can this film be any more bias?
cinematake3 August 2005
ITs so obvious that this movie is a useful tool for the corrupted Palestinian propaganda machine. I am a reporter and have been for the past 7 years here in the middle east working for a European local newspaper. I have been here since the beginning of the second intifada and i have been horrified but the countless homicide bombings in cafés, restaurants, centers, clubs.... etc. here in Israel, where not one honest decent reporter has ever shown the thousands of innocent people, woman and children, old and young, that are directly affected by these violent attacks, that serve no purpose in putting foreword the Palestinian "cause". Why doesn't this film show the hospitals where bomb victims on the Israeli Side are laying in hospitals beds, or brain dead in the many hospital wards.. how many of the Israeli public don't want to be "occupiers" in the West Bank and Gaza and are there to prevent TERRORITS and insist on calling them that since a freedom fighter doesn't attack innocent bystanders., from penetrating into country and blowing themselves up for the 72 virgins waiting in heaven promised by the brainwasher's pulling the strings. Go to the Israeli schools and see how they promote peace and fraternity and see how children are afraid to ride on the bus since a friend or someone they know blew up on a bus.. then to be balanced, go to the Palestinian schools, and don't be shy, go to many, see how 100% of them promote hatred, incitement and no hope for peace whatsoever..no wonder there is no hope... don't get me wrong we all want a Palestinian state, even the Israelis, more than what the media has shown, but with all the concessions the Israelis are doing now, uprooting the families of Jewish people from the land that by international law, have every right to be in that territory (territory that is captured during war belongs to the captors up until a negotiated agreement via an international body is agreed), not to mention biblically... but thats another story, and for nothing in return, what has ABBAS done? nothing but incorporate the terrorists into their so called corrupted door-revolving government and not doing nothing, except for show, to stop terrorism as agreed in the road peace... all i am saying is look at both sides of the conflict and see what is really happening in both countries.. it hurts to see Palestinian children hurt on the streets and journalists killed in the crossfire of a WAR ZONE (which they know the risks by going there in the first place) and by the way, the Israeli army is portrayed not only in this joke of a movie but unfortunately in the media as an aggressive heartless absent minded killing machine since its politically correct to see it that way because its better ratings overall...that is a total lie and you have to understand the stress this young soldiers are faced with everyday and that they are totally human like everybody else, not wanting to be where they are but to know that if they wont be there to stop the homicide bombers, who will be? and how hard it is to know who is the enemy and who is "innocent" since that 85% of the population support violent means of "resistance" and Holy Jihad... its easy to point the camera one direction and make a person a monster.. think about it.. its like making a good movie, all you need is a skilled director and take a few things out of context and a few isolated scenes and voilà!!!!
did we all see the same film?
tylerrabbit24 August 2004
Some of the comments on this board regarding Death In Gaza are truly astounding. I'm refering to the users who describe the Palestinians in this film as "barbaric" and Israel as a "peaceful nation." We must have seen different documentaries because I didn't see it this way at all. I saw local Palestinian militia defending themselves against illegal occupiers and I saw Palestinian children throwing rocks at huge Isreali tanks (paid for by US dollars). The user who describes Israel as a "peaceful nation" must believe those tanks shoot flowers and stuffed teddy bears. If Israel is so peaceful why do they need a multi billion dollar army? To defend themselves against kids with rocks and an occasional suicide bomber? Wake up. This was an amazing film and kudos to HBO for airing it, although judging by a number of the comments on this board, the point was completely lost on many people.
A depressingly effective film if you can get past whatever your own personal politics about "sides" happens to be
bob the moo16 November 2005
James Miller was a documentary cameraman who died making his final film a look at the day-to-day reality of the conflict between Israel and Palestine. He died as part of that conflict when he was shot in the neck. This film charts his final work as he interviews the children who are the next generation of the conflict who have been born into the situation knowing nothing else.
Being from Northern Ireland I will admit that I have grown up with my own complex conflict of terrorists and murders to come to terms with and thus have never made time to find out a great deal of the "truth" about the situation in the Middle East. As a result I have no bias towards one side or the other which I think is a good thing since many of the reviews on this site seem to be more about people's views of the situation rather than being reviews of the actual film. With such an emotive subject perhaps this can be excused but when I watched it I tried to keep an open mind to all sides of the argument and try and review the film as it was made rather than just ranting at people.
Watching it myself I must admit to being a bit surprised by those who say it is biased towards justifying the Palestine actions or that it portrays Israel as a vicious army only attacking children for no real reason. Personally I didn't think it did either of these things and actually shows the opposite regularly. It manages to avoid issues of right/wrong by looking at the children, not the history of the conflict. True it might have been better if he had done this with children on both sides but simply following one side doesn't mean the film is biased towards them indeed seeing the next generation of Palestinians talking about wanting to be martyred while attacking Israel could hardly be seen as presenting them in a good light. The main thrust of the film is to show how hopeless the situation is both sides are right and both sides are wrong and whole generations of people seem to just want to fight and die. It is utterly depressing and the film does pretty well in bringing this out by looking how, outside of the political agenda the problem is ongoing. In Northern Ireland the will of the people is mostly for peace and negotiation but here you don't see that.
Overall this is an engagingly depressing documentary. The way it turns at the end to be more about Miller than the conflict undermines it a little bit but it is easy to forgive given what happened and considering that the film does stand as a memorial to the director. Well worth seeing although I can understand why many viewers have found it impossible to get past their politics and just watch the film.
Being from Northern Ireland I will admit that I have grown up with my own complex conflict of terrorists and murders to come to terms with and thus have never made time to find out a great deal of the "truth" about the situation in the Middle East. As a result I have no bias towards one side or the other which I think is a good thing since many of the reviews on this site seem to be more about people's views of the situation rather than being reviews of the actual film. With such an emotive subject perhaps this can be excused but when I watched it I tried to keep an open mind to all sides of the argument and try and review the film as it was made rather than just ranting at people.
Watching it myself I must admit to being a bit surprised by those who say it is biased towards justifying the Palestine actions or that it portrays Israel as a vicious army only attacking children for no real reason. Personally I didn't think it did either of these things and actually shows the opposite regularly. It manages to avoid issues of right/wrong by looking at the children, not the history of the conflict. True it might have been better if he had done this with children on both sides but simply following one side doesn't mean the film is biased towards them indeed seeing the next generation of Palestinians talking about wanting to be martyred while attacking Israel could hardly be seen as presenting them in a good light. The main thrust of the film is to show how hopeless the situation is both sides are right and both sides are wrong and whole generations of people seem to just want to fight and die. It is utterly depressing and the film does pretty well in bringing this out by looking how, outside of the political agenda the problem is ongoing. In Northern Ireland the will of the people is mostly for peace and negotiation but here you don't see that.
Overall this is an engagingly depressing documentary. The way it turns at the end to be more about Miller than the conflict undermines it a little bit but it is easy to forgive given what happened and considering that the film does stand as a memorial to the director. Well worth seeing although I can understand why many viewers have found it impossible to get past their politics and just watch the film.
The sad death of a good man
ssametals27 August 2004
The movie itself is very poignant. The children are being trained to be resistance fighters, but in view of the destruction of lives and homes they must face every day, it os perfectly understandable? It made me ask myself how I would feel if Russians or Canadians were bulldozing my neighborhood and shooting at my family. This movie provides an in depth look at one side of a contriversy. If the producer had not been shot by Israeli troops, we probably would have had an equally poignant telling of the plight of Israeli children as well. The refusal of Israel or its military to be accountable for the filmed murder of the producer is stunning and unbelievable. I feel for his wife and child, as "Death in Gaza" showed him to be a good man. I recommend this film, but warn that it is intense on an emotional level at times.
A unbiased comment on this documentary
tr0llbaby22 October 2004
I saw Death in Gaza as a wonderful documentary about the horror of life in and around the Israel border. Too many times we hear of bombings and death in Israel without seeing the other side of the story. This film gives a voice to those who do not have the cameras or television stations to broadcast their side. Because of the extreme poverty of the these people they simply did not have the resources to film what everyday life is like living with the intimidation of a much wealthier country who has the largest world powers as their allies. One has to admire the makers of this documentary for being willing to get this story and for ultimately for paying the highest price and becoming themselves yet another statistic.
Death In Gaza
zakbroli14 March 2005
Your comments on James Miller's death at the end of filming "Death In Gaza" were extremely distasteful. A dedicated filmmaker was murdered; needlessly shot in the throat by Israeli units. Israeli units with night-vision equipment who were capable of seeing the white flag the film crew were waving. James Miller was killed in cold blood & no one has been held responsible, which is a clear indication of what Israel & the IDF think about Justice. The murder of James Miller was recognised in the UK media but not the countless murders of innocent Palestinians by Israel's brutal occupation. Day after day, after day. When Israel is a nation with no actual right to exist; I am neither Palestinian or Arab, I have never left the UK, but from thousands of miles away I can see the blaring injustice of a nation with the population of London, Armed to the back teeth with the single unified purpose of destroying the original, Muslim, inhabitants. Palestinians are in need of justice, not criticism. Naturally I agree all terrorism is wrong, but that includes state terrorism. The world wouldn't stand for Naziism, or Apertheid; we should not stand for Zionism. Love & Light2d
Haunting
jakndpvaj23 August 2004
This is probably the most shocking documentary I have ever seen. The film is very one-sided but the reasons for this become pretty obvious at the end.
I think the camera crew's original plan was to film both sides of the conflict and it probably would have been a more balanced documentary, although no where near as shocking. I thought the film did a good job of portraying the Palestians as human, although with an extreme hatred for the Israelis. This film portrays the IDF as extremely brutal but never shows the motivation behind their actions (IE: Suicide bombers) so it will leave the viewer with an extremely prejudiced view of the whole conflict. But if you can look past this it is still a very well done documentary.
I think the camera crew's original plan was to film both sides of the conflict and it probably would have been a more balanced documentary, although no where near as shocking. I thought the film did a good job of portraying the Palestians as human, although with an extreme hatred for the Israelis. This film portrays the IDF as extremely brutal but never shows the motivation behind their actions (IE: Suicide bombers) so it will leave the viewer with an extremely prejudiced view of the whole conflict. But if you can look past this it is still a very well done documentary.
shows how truly barbaric the adults in the palestinian territories are
JBoze31316 August 2004
This is a disgusting film...disgusting in that- it shows you how horrible the adults in the palestinian areas are, and how they will ensure the terrorism continues, by teaching their children to hate the "pigs" (the word they use for israelis- millions of whom are peaceful people who just want to live a happy, safe life like these people who hate them). you see militants, who always hide their faces behind black masks- the mark of true cowards...they can blow an innocent israeli child up, but they cant even show their faces when they do it. they take these kids- this film is centered around the kids- into the camps and urge them to fight as well, teaching the kids that becoming a martyr and being killed in the purpose of fighting the terrorists (israelis- clearly these kids have it backward).
you see how sick some of these people are...one of the militants talks about how he loves ahmed- one of the very young boys, and how he is like a little brother. then, the true nature of these sick human comes out- when asked by the filmmaker (the woman on the team) if ahmed is too young to fight and maybe be killed- the militant tells her...dont worry about responsibility, when ahmed says goodbye to us, there are a thousand other children just like him- exposing this animal for who hs truly is, not a man who cares about this little boy, but a man who will brain wash this child into hating all israelis- tricking him into thinking that the state of israel is the terrorist group, not the man hugging him holding the gun, vowing to kill innocent people for allah.
this film does one big thing- it shows the world that we must have a free press in the palestinian areas...and we must make sure children are taught REALITY. in one scene the teacher talks about israel stole their land in 1948 and in 1967- never mentioning that the land was taken in 1967 because israel was attacked by NUMEROUS surrounding nations, and they were forced to take much of that land as a security buffer- israel was on the DEFENSE, they were the ones attacked, yet the teacher uses propaganda to convince the girls that israel is evil and they stole land from these poor innocent people (innocent people who teach their kids to throw boulders at passing military vehicles- who teach their kids to get in the middle of battles, hoping for a casualty- which they can use for international propaganda purposes.)
im not really sure what the filmmakers opinions on the overall subject matter is, just that the kids are being abused by the adults- brainwashed and tricked into shooting at forces who are merely routing out terrorists. i truly believe from watching this film that palestinian society, as a whole, is downright barbaric- and they pass these barbaric thoughts on to their children, and their children do the same- and, in the end, it's a never ending cycle, and it's because of this that there is no peace in the region.
STOP using these poor kids for your brutal ways- stop doing all you can to recruit kids into your terrorist groups, urging them to die for the cause- to die for allah. it's sick, and until these parents stop abusing these children, i'm afraid very little will change.
you see how sick some of these people are...one of the militants talks about how he loves ahmed- one of the very young boys, and how he is like a little brother. then, the true nature of these sick human comes out- when asked by the filmmaker (the woman on the team) if ahmed is too young to fight and maybe be killed- the militant tells her...dont worry about responsibility, when ahmed says goodbye to us, there are a thousand other children just like him- exposing this animal for who hs truly is, not a man who cares about this little boy, but a man who will brain wash this child into hating all israelis- tricking him into thinking that the state of israel is the terrorist group, not the man hugging him holding the gun, vowing to kill innocent people for allah.
this film does one big thing- it shows the world that we must have a free press in the palestinian areas...and we must make sure children are taught REALITY. in one scene the teacher talks about israel stole their land in 1948 and in 1967- never mentioning that the land was taken in 1967 because israel was attacked by NUMEROUS surrounding nations, and they were forced to take much of that land as a security buffer- israel was on the DEFENSE, they were the ones attacked, yet the teacher uses propaganda to convince the girls that israel is evil and they stole land from these poor innocent people (innocent people who teach their kids to throw boulders at passing military vehicles- who teach their kids to get in the middle of battles, hoping for a casualty- which they can use for international propaganda purposes.)
im not really sure what the filmmakers opinions on the overall subject matter is, just that the kids are being abused by the adults- brainwashed and tricked into shooting at forces who are merely routing out terrorists. i truly believe from watching this film that palestinian society, as a whole, is downright barbaric- and they pass these barbaric thoughts on to their children, and their children do the same- and, in the end, it's a never ending cycle, and it's because of this that there is no peace in the region.
STOP using these poor kids for your brutal ways- stop doing all you can to recruit kids into your terrorist groups, urging them to die for the cause- to die for allah. it's sick, and until these parents stop abusing these children, i'm afraid very little will change.
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