Imagine that instead of just seeing, you could experience. Instead of just hearing that there is some sort of Israeli-Palestinian crisis in Middle East, you could stand next to the 8 meters high Wall in the Bethlehem obscuring military base covered by graffiti calling for freedom. Being in shoes of a child forcibly taken to custody for throwing a stone to a soldier taking your home. Walking in the centre of the protestants marching for their right to return to their homes. Imagine that you can delve into a mind of Jewish settler living in a house build on the ruins of occupied territories, genuinely believing that God promised you this place. Only a little has the chance to experience that even less are interested.
Interactive documentaries as a “actor-networks made up of varieties of human, non-human technical, physical, immaterial, electronic, digital, affective, procedural, physical and other actors.” (Miles, 2017, online) has the chance to bring realities so remote from us a little closer and raise the interest in them by applying full range of multimedia tools, such as photos, responsive texts, audio, video, VR, animations and many more to create something that will make the audience feels like being on the spot and bring more than just a humble sign from angle decided by film maker. For this reason I decided to create an interactive documentary about Palestine and it’s occupation by Israel. Simply, because despite the number of documentaries filmed, articles written and photographs taken, you haven’t heard of it. Have you?
This interactive documentary will consist of an interactive map on which you can see what is the Bethlehem wall dividing, inspired by the principles of Google street, enabling the viewer to move freely, enriched with point and click possibility to see the wall painting and graffiti with an explanations and translations of text on a wall.
Another part would be raw footage from the Palestinian and Israelis citizens, witnessing the attacks, conflicts and realities of everyday life in West bank and Gaza strip. There are many of those filmed that never had the chance to reach their audience and I would like to change it. Open part of this documentary where everyone can share their experiences, from stone throwing conflicts, night kidnappings of adults and kids to records of protests and military response, will enable the audience to see the situation through the eyes and cameras of people living on the spot.
There are certain situations that need to be witnessed to be fully understood. One of them is the Great March of Return which begun on 30 March 2018 and took 214 Palestinians (Aljazeera.com, 2018) and 1 Israeli lives (Ahronheim, 2018) including one woman, 30 children, 2 journalists and 3 paramedics to this day. Except of just telling you about this, I want to take you there by using 360° VR camera and record protests in Gaza strip to show how this protests looks like and what it is like to see someone being killed next to you. (Lang, 2014) (Watson, 2017)
To keep my documentary as objective as possible I want to give voice to both sides of conflict, as it is more complicated and complex as one may think. I was inspired by web documentary “Gaza Siderot” in which interviewees from cities lying next to each but so far apart express their feelings and opinions about important dates and milestones in this long-lasting conflict. (Gaza-sderot.arte.tv, 2009)
I want to let both sides speak about the moving borders and village demolitions. Palestinians who had to left their homes and let the hammers destroy their villages and with the Israelis who have build settlements on this land in honest belief that this is a country long promised to Jews and their god wanted it this way.
My target audience are not the people that already know about the situation, I want to aim at those who does not know or only a little. How I want to do it? Only streamed on BBC or AlJazeera it would attract just those that are already interested. The other problem raised is that you can’t play interactive documentary to groups of people, it has to be watched individually.
People may not be interested in the middle east situation, however lots of people know street artist Banksy born in Bristol. Banksy did some of his art on the Bethlehem barrier and build a Walled Off Hotel facing the wall, famous for “the worst view” from its windows. He obviously cares about the situation and contribution would be great bridge to popularity of this interactive documentary. So would be the presence of popular philosophers such as Noam Chomsky, famous American philosopher with Jewish background who has written several texts on the situation in Palestine or Frank Barat. All these names can arouse interest of this theme and attract my target audience. I want to address them and ask them for contribution on my interactive documentary, may it be a new piece of art work or discussion.
(Mauro, 2015)
The second problem seems to be brilliantly solved by film festivals such as Tribeca (YouTube, 2018) or Doclab at the International Documentary Festival of Amsterdam (IDFA), which have the experience of showcasing interactive documentaries for bigger audiences. They created exhibitions, simulating the movement of viewer in interactive documentary by using real space instead of projecting it like a linear documentary. I would like to organize an exhibition, taking place somewhere attractive, for example London or Prague. There are locations great for project like this, such as Lazinc Contemporary art gallery that hosted Banksy‘s exhibition last year and many more. (Parsons, 2018)
People would move actively in the rooms to see the paintings projected or sprayed on the walls, watch photos and interviews, they will be able to discuss with Noam Chomsky or other speakers and philosophers. The important part of exhibition would be VR, which has the potential to attract the audience itself. For this part I will need to contact company like Oculus Rift to be able to provide goggles for visitors.
To put it simple, visitors will be able walk through the interactive document in the real space, making their own path through the exhibition. I think this has the potential to reach for people otherwise ignoring existence of Israeli Palestinian crisis as well as journalists that has the power to spread the information that this interactive documentary exists and make even more people watch it online.
References
Ahronheim, A. (2018). IDF names Aviv Levi, 21, as soldier killed by Hamas sniper at Gaza border. [online] The Jerusalem Post | JPost.com. Available at: https://www.jpost.com/Israel-News/IDF-Strikes-terror-targets-in-Gaza-563027 [Accessed 17 Oct. 2018].
Aljazeera.com. (2018). Gaza protests: All the latest updates. [online] Available at: https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2018/04/gaza-protest-latest-updates-180406092506561.html [Accessed 1 Dec. 2018].
Gaza-sderot.arte.tv. (2009). Gaza Sderot – Life in spite of everything. [online] Available at: http://gaza-sderot.arte.tv/ [Accessed 14 Oct. 2018].
Lang, B. (2014). ‘Zero Point’ Is the First 3D 360 Degree Documentary for the Oculus Rift, Available now – Road to VR. [online] Road to VR. Available at: https://www.roadtovr.com/zero-point-first-3d-360-degree-documentary-oculus-rift-available-now/ [Accessed 30 Nov. 2018].
Mauro, C. (2015). The Tribeca Film Festival Calls for Virtual Reality Submissions. [online] PSFK. Available at: https://www.psfk.com/2015/08/tribeca-film-festival-virtual-reality-submissions-spring-studios.html [Accessed 10 Dec. 2018].
Miles, A. (2017). Matters of concern and interactive documentary: notes for a computational nonfiction, Studies in Documentary Film, 11:2, 104-120, DOI: 10.1080/17503280.2017.1296404
Parsons, G. (2018). Here’s What’s Inside London’s Banksy Exhibition…. [online] Secret London. Available at: https://secretldn.com/banksy-exhibition-london/ [Accessed 2 Dec. 2018].
Watson, Z. (2017). VR for News: The New Reality?. [online] Digital News Report. Available at: http://www.digitalnewsreport.org/publications/2017/vr-news-new-reality/ [Accessed 30 Nov. 2018].
YouTube. (2018). 📽️ Tribeca film festival: Virtual reality experience steals the show | Al Jazeera English. [online] Available at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Br_acTLBnVA [Accessed 4 Dec. 2018].
Charlie's blog 
Leave a comment