How is this film an example of witnessing vs bearing witness? What examples can you note of proactive and accidental witnessing?

Based on the 16 minute clip assigned, I could tell that Killing Gaza (Blumenthal, 2018) is an example of bearing witness; the filmmaker clearly traveled to Gaza with the intention of documenting human rights violation (Ristovska, 2016) to show audiences Israeli brutality. However, the film also exhibits witnessing in the sense that it does not strongly emphasize the need to take new measures -it is simply documenting/ shedding the light (Ristovska, 2016).

Nevertheless, we can say that most of the film exhibited proactive witnessing. However, the death of the young boy on camera was completely accidental; the film crew were following the boy to search for his family members under some ruins, but their search was interrupted by an Israeli attack which led to the boy being martyred (Blumenthal, 2018).

How does this film use testimony for moral engagement?

It is needless to say that the Palestinians’ testimonies were the heart if the film. The authenticity behind their pain, as they spoke about their destroyed homes, is was morally engages the audience.

What is the impact on the audience?

The answer is simple: the film is bound to make you cry. It is with no doubt that it triggers compassion. Since the filmmaker is American, the target audience could possibly be people with enough power to help make a change, which takes us back to how this film shows bearing witness.

Reference list

Blumenthal, M. (Director). (2018). Killing Gaza. [Documentary Film].

Ristovska, S. (2016). Strategic witnessing in an age of video activism. Media, Culture & Society, 38(7), 1034–1047.