Does the presence of news cameras in war zones such as Palestine actually prompt the violence? This film follows two cameramen whose pictures bring the horror of the Arab-Israeli conflict into our homes. Alon Bernstein is an Israeli who works as a freelance news cameraman for broadcasters including the Associated Press. His close friend is Jimmy Michael, a Palestinian who works principally for the BBC. Their job is to film the pictures that we see on our evening news.
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
“I'll tell you what people learn - people learn that when you put a bomb, you go live on CNN."
Alon Bernstein and Jimmy Michael, friends from opposite sides of the divide, conduct a continual debate whether at work or at play about their job and what they witness.
Their candid conversations, with the passionate Alon arguing with his gentle colleague Jimmy, challenge us to address the validity of their work and share in their moral dilemma concerning the role and responsibility of the media in reporting the tragic events they are paid to cover.
For once, the cameras are turned onto the news gatherers and we gain a remarkable and often shocking insight into their world. Primetime War turns the spotlight onto the media for once, questioning its hunger for shocking pictures and the provocative role it often plays.
It is also a fascinating insight into the news-gathering process as we see the journey from raw footage to broadcast news. Filmed in Hebron, Jerusalem, Gaza and the West Bank.
