Gazans have been ‘demonised as Hamas killers’ claims Guardian review of Oct 7 film
The Guardian has become embroiled in a row over a review that claimed an Oct 7 documentary “demonises Gazans”.
Stuart Jeffries, a feature writer, wrote the review of a factual production covering the events and aftermath of the Hamas massacre, titled One Day in October.
The review was largely positive but took issue with Gazans “demonised” as “Hamas killers”.
It also raised concerns with Hamas themselves being “othered” by the film in the same way as the “nameless hordes” of warriors in the 1964 film Zulu.
Hamas are “generalised” while the Israelis were shown to be “relatable”, the review complained.
The piece led to fierce criticism online, including by One Day in October’s director Dan Reed, who claimed that the review “equates Jewish civilians with British redcoat troops and Hamas goons with Zulu warriors”.
He further claimed that the review appeared to complain about the “‘demonisation’ of men who murdered helpless families”.
The Guardian has since removed the piece “pending review”.
The original piece opened with the summary: “If you want to understand why Hamas murdered civilians, though, One Day in October won’t help.”
It stated: “[The documentary] does a good job of demonising Gazans, first as testosterone-crazed Hamas killers, later as shameless civilian looters, asset-stripping the kibbutz while bodies lay in the street and the terrified living hid.”
The film includes first-hand accounts of survivors, and footage from the day of the massacre, including shots of a man live streaming his terrorist acts to viewers in Gaza.
The review stated: “Despite such evident evil, I am reminded of Cy Enfield’s film Zulu, with its nameless hordes of African warriors pitted against British protagonists with whom we are encouraged to identify.
“TV and cinematic narratives often work as othering machines in this way.
“At its worst, One Day In October, if unwittingly, follows the same pattern.”
The review added that “our sympathies are with the relatable Israelis”, including a child messaging her mother during the attacks, while Hamas terrorists in the documentary film are a “generalised menace”.
The Campaign Against Antisemitism said the piece was “disgraceful”.
A spokesman for Guardian News & Media said: “The article did not meet our editorial standards and we have removed it pending review. The independent readers’ editor will be responding to a number of readers who have raised concerns.”
