I imagine most readers of this site are familiar with the Mohammed Al Dura Case. If you’re not, I’m sure the photogrpah of young Mohammed Al Dura being shielded from Israeli bullets during the Intifada is seared indelibly in your brain. The image went round the world, but there is strong reason to believe it is fake.
But why resurrect now this seemingly long-ago pre-9/11 event? Well, as the Father of All Fauxtography, it set a trend in media misrepresentation (and worse) that has not be fully adjusted to this day. Although organs like Reuters and The New York Times have sometimes admitted their mistakes, France 2, the promulgator of this video, has never released its “rushes,” which I am told tell a very different story from the one that has been told.
Now, in the era Sarkozy, there is a chance to get the truth. Sign the petition for France 2 to release the tapes.
MORE: For those interested in the case, Pajamas now has a compendium of interesting Al Dura links, including recent trial coverage by Nidra Poller.
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4 Comments
1. Michael J. Totten:Can you explain what “rushes” are? I’m pretty sure I know what you’re talking about from the context, but I’m not 100 percent, and I doubt I’m the only one. We don’t all speak Hollywood.
I assume you’re referring to original unedited tape?
Sep 5, 2007 - 11:52 pm 2. Lem:369 signatures as of this morning?
Where are the blogs?
Sep 6, 2007 - 5:44 am 3. Roger:Michael, you are correct. “Rushes” are the unedited tape (or film).
On big features they are often called “dailies” because the unedited footage from the day before are normally screened daiily for the director, producer, editor and others.
Sep 6, 2007 - 1:57 pm 4. LTEC:“the Father of All Fauxtography”? You jest. Stalin is not exactly chopped liver. But I would guess that fake documentary footage precedes even Stalin.
Sep 6, 2007 - 6:38 pm