Death in Gaza

Hatred does not exist in a vacuum, but rather is the product of a turbulent environment, and is often passed down through generations. British filmmaker James Miller's HBO-aired documentary Death in Gaza examines how contemporary Palestinian youths growing up under Israeli military occupation are indoctrinated in waves into the violent conflict that has ravaged the Holy Land for too many years. The film illustrates how children in the occupied West Bank and Gaza are recruited into the ranks of terrorists willing to die in suicide missions—a warped weapon that plays on the myth of the martyr, whose greatest gift to the Palestinian cause is life itself and who is promised great rewards in paradise. A bitterly tragic look at a culture that can neither extract itself from the cycle of violence, nor find the means to achieve its goals through peace talks, the titular Gaza death here doesn't just refer to the young people of Palestine, but also to filmmaker Miller, who was fatally shot by Israeli soldiers during the production (he had planned to expand the film to include interviews with Israeli children). Sadly, the violence and madness that Miller sought to condemn on film swallowed him as well. DVD extras include a “making-of” featurette and a tribute to Miller. Highly recommended. Aud: C, P. (P. Hall)