Medical Aid for Palestinians (MAP) has today [Thursday 10 October, 2024] launched a short film, ‘One Year In’, which provides a first-hand account of life in Gaza, told from the perspective of the charity’s aid workers who live and work there. It was directed and produced in partnership with Agenda and Palm Media.
MAP’s aid workers, Amal Zaqout, Mohammed Aghaalkurdi and Tarneem Hammad, have lived their entire lives under Israel’s military occupation and 17 years under blockade. Since October 2023, they have been under constant attack by the Israeli military.
The film provides a raw insight into life in Gaza that is rarely seen in the mainstream media, from dealing with the trauma of the Al-Tabaeen school massacre, to the pain of parents saying a final goodbye to their intubated children as the Israeli military attacked Nasser Hospital, one of the last partially functioning hospitals in the south of Gaza.
Speaking in the film about the assault on Nasser Hospital, MAP’s Medical Programme Lead, Mohammed Aghaalkurdi, said: “Knowing that the medical care will stop and will not be given to those critically ill patients being intubated in the intensive care unit was really something else. This was one of the hardest moments I have experienced in my entire life.”
In just one year, more than 42,000 Palestinians have been killed, and more than 97,000 injured. At least 986 health workers have also been killed according to the Palestinian Ministry of Health – a number unprecedented in any other conflict in recent years – and those who survive are exhausted, having worked non-stop for 365 days of attacks and airstrikes.
Security was therefore a top concern when making the film. Filming was restricted to a safe house and was often delayed due to bombings, forced displacement orders and the local team being displaced from their homes. The psychological safety of the storytellers was also paramount; interviews were held in accordance with MAP’s ethical interviewing guidelines and were attentive to the potential for re-traumatisation.
In addition to sharing stories of the realities of life in Gaza, the film includes a message of hope. It demonstrates how MAP has continued to deliver life-saving care, despite the dangers. Thanks to the generosity of its donors, it has been able to distribute more than €10m USD worth of aid across Gaza, while its emergency medical teams of international doctors support local teams treating injuries.
Speaking in the film, Tarneem Hammad, MAP’s Advocacy and Communications Officer, said: “We need you to continue the fight for our freedom, for our basic rights. Your actions, your voices, and your belief in a just future is the lifeline that keeps us going. So please do not give up on us. Stand with us.”
Rohan Talbot, MAP’s Director of Advocacy and Campaigns, said: “This film offers a small window into the trauma being experienced by the Palestinian people every single day, as well as demonstrating the courage of Medical Aid for Palestinians’ aid workers who continue to deliver aid and save lives, despite the dangers.”
“As Gaza marks one-year of Israel’s military assault and siege, MAP demands meaningful action from the international community to enforce a ceasefire, uphold international law, and protect Palestinians from potential genocide,” he added.
Becky Slack, co-director at Agenda, said: “Ensuring the physical and psychological safety of the storytellers was absolutely paramount during the creation of this film. We also took great care to ensure that the storytellers were comfortable in sharing details of what they have experienced. We are humbled by their courage and can’t thank them enough for their contributions.”
The film can be viewed here. You can learn more about the role Agenda played and our production process here.
