Bearing Witness (2023 film)

Bearing Witness to the October 7th Massacre
Produced byIDF Spokesperson's Unit
Edited byMattan Harel-Fisch[1]
Release date
  • 2023 (2023) (private screenings only)
Running time
47 minutes
CountryIsrael

Bearing Witness to the October 7th Massacre[2] (also unofficially called סרט הזוועות, lit. 'the atrocity film' or 'the film of horrors' in Hebrew) is a compilation by the IDF Spokesperson's Unit of raw footage from the 2023 Hamas attack on Israel. The film includes footage captured from body cameras worn by Hamas militants on 7 October, and contains scenes of extreme violence recorded during and after the incursion.[3]

Israeli officials have held screenings of the film for national and international journalists, foreign diplomats, and Hollywood executives to garner support[4][5] and to deflect criticism of Israel's actions in Gaza.[6][7] The film has generated controversy, with some criticizing plans to publicly release the footage over concerns it would be psychologically harmful.[7]

  1. ^ Zilber, Neri (13 November 2023). "'Video of horrors' compiler on a mission to tell Israel's story". Financial Times. Retrieved 30 June 2024.
  2. ^ Harpaz, Beth (7 November 2023). "Video of Hamas atrocities being shown to Jewish organizations and Hollywood celebs". The Forward. Archived from the original on 7 November 2023. Retrieved 8 November 2023.
  3. ^ Waldo, Cleary; Epstein, Gabriel; Hilbush, Sydney (11 October 2023). "International Reactions to the Hamas Attack on Israel". The Washington Institute. PolicyWatch 3793. Archived from the original on 16 October 2023. Retrieved 13 October 2023.
  4. ^ "Blinken recounts graphic video of Israeli dad, sons targeted at kibbutz". ABC News. Archived from the original on 10 November 2023. Retrieved 10 November 2023.
  5. ^ Davison, John; Pamuk, Humeyra; Siebold, Sabine; Pamuk, Humeyra (13 October 2023). "Israel releases images of slain children to rally support". Reuters. Archived from the original on 9 November 2023. Retrieved 10 November 2023.
  6. ^ Cite error: The named reference apOct17 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  7. ^ a b Cite error: The named reference timesNov7 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).