“Al-Shifa Hospital: The Crimes They Tried to Bury” is a documentary that aims to uncover the truth behind the atrocities committed during the Israeli occupation’s siege of Al-Shifa Hospital. The film serves as a counter-narrative to the distortions and slanders spread by the occupation forces, ensuring that the voices of victims and witnesses are heard.
Our primary goal was to document the first-hand testimonies of survivors and medical workers who experienced the horrors of the siege, capturing their stories in the very places where these events unfolded. In doing so, we sought to create an authentic and urgent narrative that maintained historical accuracy and humanized the victims.
Another key goal was to produce and release the film in record time, as we began filming just two days after the Israeli army withdrew, and finished the first version just 20 days later. This rapid turnaround was essential to ensure that the truth was presented before false narratives took root in public discourse.
Given the challenges of producing under wartime conditions, the film is considered to have been produced under wartime, under bombardment, and under targeting.
Due to limited resources in northern Gaza and the targeting of journalists, we had access to only one camera—one that had a crack in its sensor. Despite this technical defect, we adapted by carefully framing shots and using post-production techniques to mitigate visual inconsistencies. Our priority was to capture high-impact footage that preserved the emotional weight of each testimony.
Additionally, communication between team members was highly unstable, as frequent internet outages disrupted coordination and file transfers. We had to devise alternative methods to transport footage, sometimes relying on physically transferring storage devices when digital uploads were impossible.
Filming Under Siege
Security risks were a major obstacle. Continuous bombardment and the heavy presence of drones made outdoor filming extremely dangerous. On multiple occasions, we had to halt production due to active airstrikes or drone surveillance, forcing us to reschedule critical interviews and location shoots.
One of the most emotionally challenging aspects was convincing witnesses to return to Al-Shifa Hospital to recount their stories. Many survivors were deeply traumatized, and revisiting the sites of violence and destruction posed a significant psychological burden. We prioritized ethical storytelling by ensuring that their participation was voluntary and that their safety remained our top priority.
Post-Production & Speed of Release
Time was of the essence. We completed the first version of the film in just 20 days—an extraordinarily fast turnaround for a documentary of this scale. This urgency was driven by the need to counteract misinformation and ensure that the real narrative reached global audiences before it could be buried by official propaganda.
Despite our constraints, we maintained a high level of artistic and journalistic integrity, combining raw, on-the-ground footage with carefully structured storytelling to maximize emotional impact. The result is a film that stands as an investigative report, a historical record, and a legal document.
The documentary successfully achieved its goals, providing an unfiltered account of the Israeli siege of Al-Shifa Hospital and ensuring that the voices of survivors and witnesses were heard on a global scale. By releasing the film quickly, we were able to challenge the dominant narratives pushed by the occupying forces and present an evidence-based alternative to their claims.
The film has resonated with international audiences, received recognition at numerous festivals and sparked discussions about war crimes, media bias and the power of documentary filmmaking in conflict zones. The film’s success lies not only in its informative ability, but also in its emotional depth – shedding light on the crimes the Israeli military tried to conceal during its siege of the hospital through powerful first-hand accounts.
Beyond its cinematic achievements, Shifa Hospital: The Crimes They Tried to Bury serves as a historical record that ensures that these events are not erased or distorted. The project embodies resilience, proving that even in the face of extreme adversity, telling the truth is possible.
The overwhelming response from audiences, journalists and human rights organizations underscores the film’s impact, making it a significant contribution to war documentation and investigative filmmaking.