Executions and Mass Graves in Tantura, 23 May 1948

synopsis

In May 1948, Israeli forces occupied the Palestinian village of Tantura, where civilians and disarmed fighters were massacred and buried in mass graves. Combining survivors’ testimonies with archival photographs, aerial imagery, historical maps and 3D modelling, Forensic Architecture reconstructs the events and identifies previously unmarked burial sites. The investigation reveals how traces of violence persist in the landscape, even as the village itself has been erased.

Image: ©️ Forensic Architecture

biography

Forensic Architecture is a research institution founded in 2010 by Eyal Weizman at Goldsmiths, University of London. It investigates state and corporate violence—from police repression and civilian casualties of conflict to colonialism and environmental destruction. It uses unique methods that combine data analysis, static and moving images, and scientific knowledge. At the core of their practice is the geolocation of videos and images in navigable 3D models, complemented by the development of interactive cartographies or so-called “situated testimony,” where survivors' testimonies are placed in a specific space.

film details

director:

Forensic Architecture