| As the explosive war in the Middle East escalates to new heights in 2001, we draw parallels between the Israeli occupation of Palestinian territories and the South African occupation of Namibia. Contextualised in the history of the violent struggle against apartheid in South Africa's past and the current brutalising "tit-for-tat" bloodshed taking Place in Israel and Palestine, "Judgement Day" is as much a film about the post-apartheid search for healing in South African society as it is a prophetic reflection on the loss of humanity of those bathed in the ongoing bloodied conflict that is Israel and Palestine today. "Indifference to evil is more insidious than evil itself. It is a silent justification affording evil acceptability in society". Beginning with the words of Jewish philosopher Abraham Heschel, "Judgement Day" is about the universal effects of war and protracted conflict on those who become the agents of the violence. This film examines the way in which those involved in such conflict become brutalised, losing their essential humanity and moral compass. We meet two young men, Sean Callaghan and Scotch Mdhlope, who consider themselves brutalised through their role as conscript soldiers in the South African conflicts with Namibia and Angola. We follow the men on their quests for healing, and watch as they recall their past acts in testimonies given to the Truth and Reconciliation Commission. The experiences of Callaghan and Mdhlope are then compared with the ... |
