As the entire world witness, the ever-increasing conflict between Israel and Palestine is beginning to affect the film and television industry of this region as Israel launched aerial bombardments on Hamas targets in Gaza City and Hamas fire nightly rocket barrages at Israeli cities across the border nearly every day.
The deadliest bout was put upon by the Palestine people as the Israeli put out a very heavy airstrike just after killing 42 Palestinians in the raid that happened a day before (Sunday). Militant groups based in Gaza have replied with rocket attacks into the country.
The human massacre has led to quite a few deaths on both sides of the border. The health officials confirm that around 12 Israelis were killed 2 being children. In Palestine, 200 adults and around 59 kids were dead.
In this ungodly hour, the film and television industry has faced a blow as the shoots have taken a long setback and would continue to be so till the foreseeable future.
These have been a crazy few days, we’re tired physically and emotionally,” Danna Stern, managing director at Israeli production company Yes Studios told The Hollywood Reporter in an email on Friday. “The pain caused by both sides is unbearable and futile. My only hope that this escalation brings expedient and meaningful negotiations — and the acknowledgment that we have to find a way to live next to and with each other.”
As yes studios are paused on their shoots they claim to resume in “a few days” as Fauda-global hit and others were ongoing. Hadas Mozes Lichtenstein, founder and head of international at Tel Aviv-based ADD, Israeli’s leading content agency says “Any show that is being shot at a studio has a ‘safe room’ nearby in case there is a siren. In the situation there is a siren, all crew and cast go inside until it’s safe to go out (around 10 minutes after the siren ends) and continue shooting,” he continues to express his sadness by adding, “It sounds crazy because it is. But this applies to every other aspect of living during these times and not just TV…Unfortunately, this isn’t the first time, and more, unfortunately, it’s unlikely [to be] the last time working in this environment.”
On the other hand, Gaza has faced much more setbacks due to being the less powerful one and does not think about the TV and Film industry at all as of now. Structure housing the Associated Press Gaza office and other media outlets have faced physical damage due to airstrikes. “I live in [the northern Israeli city of] Haifa and here it is totally insane,” says Palestinian director Annemarie Jacir (Wajib, Salt of the Sea).” There are armed supremacist thugs roaming the streets and lynching Arabs. Our friends [and] our families are terrified, hiding indoors, shutting down their businesses. Our friends have been injured in the peaceful protests we have been staging against the aggression in Sheikh Jarrah and now Gaza.”
In other news, Palestinian actress Maisa Abd Elhadi was shot by the Israeli police causing serious injury. This incident took place on 9 may during an ongoing demonstration.
However the production was shut in Palestine area way before the violence cycle due to the pandemic.