A video clip of a man being wheeled into hospital on a gurney is said to be evidence of Palestinian propaganda being shot in Gaza.
This is false. The clip is behind-the-scenes footage of a film being shot in Morocco. The film’s director told AAP FactCheck it has nothing to do with the current conflict in the Middle East.
The post is labelled as “Pallywood”. This is a portmanteau of “Palestine” and “Hollywood” used to suggest Palestinians are manipulating media and even using crisis actors to fake injuries and deaths in order to garner international support in the Israel/Gaza conflict.
The short clip can be seen in Facebook posts such as this (archived here), where it is headed “Gaza” and features sarcastic overlaid text: “Totally NOT Pallywood. The only place in the world where hospitals are actually a palliwood scene”.
The user who posted the clip, added: “Pallywood ..fake traumas to make Israel look bad”.
The clip shows a film crew backing into a hospital corridor, followed by three people, including what appears to be a nurse, wheeling a man on a gurney. The patient then jumps off the gurney.
But the scene wasn’t filmed in a hospital in Gaza and has nothing to do with any alleged Palestinian propaganda.
It is the work of Moroccan-based actor and director Karim Doniazalle, who is also the man on the gurney in the clip.
Doniazalle posted the original clip to his Instagram account on October 31, 2023, with the hashtags #bollywood, #cinema, #aloulatv, #morocco, #acteur, #Hollywood.
He also posted Arabic script which roughly translates to “coming soon”.
Some social media posts, such as here, speculate that the claim it’s an unrelated movie project is itself fake because the film hasn’t been released and the director has not provided a name for the project.
Doniazalle confirmed to AAP FactCheck in an Instagram message that the clip was from a movie.
“You are watching a Moroccan movie that has nothing to do with Gaza,” he said. “It is just a clip from a movie.”
He also provided AAP FactCheck with a separate clip from the movie, shot inside a mechanic’s workshop.
When asked for more details about the movie, Doniazalle didn’t provide further information, saying he was dealing with constant questions about the clip.
“A lot of messages come on Instagram. I can’t respond to everyone,” he said.
The viral post has been debunked by several fact-check organisations.
India Today reports Doniazalle said the video was part of a short film. “It has nothing to do with Palestine,” he said. Similar fact-checks have been published here, here and here.
This check draws attention to Doniazalle’s comments beneath his video on Instagram, in which he says (English translation): “I am … the director of the shot you are watching is from a movie and … I have nothing to do with Gaza and Israel.”
AAP FactCheck has debunked several false claims of Pallywood propaganda, such as here, here and here.
The Verdict
The claim a video shows Palestinian propaganda footage being filmed in Gaza is false.
The clip is from a movie made by Moroccan actor and director Karim Doniazalle.
He confirmed it has nothing to do with the conflict in the Middle East.
False – The claim is inaccurate.
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