Darfur (video) by Itamar Rose & Yossi Atia |IA|

Itmar Rose and Yossi Atia are activist film producers that use comedy as well as serious means to provoke the public to tell the truth. They are based in Israel, where this video is taking place. The social problem explored is immigration. A topic that was present at the time and that is present as a global issue now. Rose and Atia created a social experiment in the form of a game to show government impact on public opinion. A variety of people are asked to take on a role of an officer protecting the border, with permission to act as they wish. Unsurprisingly, most show lack of compassion towards the immigrants wanting to cross the border, sticking to rules set by the government. However, it is important to realise that footage can be staged, edited, and manipulated. The piece shows almost everyone protecting the border viciously, and then all at once they show compassion, welcoming them into the country. Suggesting, that all of them acted the same way. In Israel serving the military is compulsory for everyone over the age of 18, therefore, most of the people taking part almost certainly had some military experience, which may explain the ease with which they turned off their humanity when standing in a situation where illegal immigrants are wanting to cross the border. This video cannot be an accurate or factual representation of the Israel population because the directors/producers are biased individuals, that repeatedly create videos challenging government behaviour, ideas, and laws.

The video touches the people’s humanity but doesn’t go into the economy and the repercussions of the immigration developments around the world. The directors aren’t focusing on this as it becomes a larger issue as declining economy can have a worse impact on people already living in the country. Therefore, in both scenarios the humanity will suffer which is not discussed.

The Gab Eye