Update: James Longley has made this film available for free. Please consider donating to support the work. Also, read the comment he made regarding Israel's July 2014 attacks on Gaza.
Gaza Strip from James Longley on Vimeo.
The documentary film Gaza Strip by James Longley runs 74 minutes. The special features include some striking still shots, a map of the Gaza Strip showing the extent of Jewish settlements in 2002 and a narrated audio track by James Longley, which I have not yet heard.
You can also read other reviews of the film.
The film includes profanity in Arabic which is then translated into the English subtitles.
The film includes a segment describing Israeli use of a gas weapon which caused neurological symptoms. I had never heard that before.
Another amazing scene is a large number of children standing around and taking cover every 10 seconds or so as gunfire breaks out, but otherwise acting as if it was normal.
The most unbearable scene is a dialog where Muhammad Hijazi, a thirteen-year old boy who appears frequently in the documentary, talks about what he thinks might happen to him after death. He relates the conversation he imagines might take place between him and God and his assignment to Hell or, perhaps, purgatory.
The film's footage was shot in 2001 (I think).
As I was watching it, I was thinking that most of my previous office co-workers would not be able to handle the truth of this movie. The Palestinians Longley interviews express a deep pessimism combined with a determination to resist.
I purchased my copy from Amazon.com.
James Longley has also directed Iraq in Fragments. He is currently working on a documentary film about Iran.
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