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Norwegian Filmmakers Apologize for Fake Syria Video

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Norwegian filmmakers apologized on Tuesday for planting fake video of the war in Syria on YouTube last week, and removed the original footagefollowing a torrent of criticism from journalists and rights advocates who said such deceptions undermine their efforts to document real abuses.

A copy of the Norwegian faux-documentary “Syrian Hero Boy” was posted on the YouTube channel of Syrian opposition activists without any indication that it was fiction.Video by ShaamNetwork S.N.N

Before the crew admitted to BBC News that it was fiction — shot in Malta in May on a set used for the movie “Gladiator,” with grants from the Norwegian Film Institute and Arts Council Norway — the footage had been viewed millions of times, featured in news reports and added to a vast archive of clips documenting the war that is maintained by Syrian activists.


The video’s director, Lars Klevberg, had initially defended the ruse as an attempt to raise awareness of the suffering of children and as a test of the news media’s ability to distinguish fact from fiction.

A Euronews interview with the Norwegian director Lars Klevberg was broadcast on Sunday. Video by Euronews

The director’s position, explained in a statement posted on his Twitter feed, was roundly criticized by reporters and activists, who suggested that the stunt would give ammunition to people who routinely argue that video evidence of abuses is fake, as defenders of those who commit war crimes do.


Fred Abrahams, who has documented war crimes during active conflicts for Human Rights Watch, argued that the hoax was deeply misguided,writing:
Klevberg and his colleagues have cast doubt on the videos and photographs of real atrocities that have emerged from the Syria war. Some of these may have been faked or deliberately mislabeled, but many have been rigorously scrutinized and verified by journalists and human rights researchers. With access to Syria limited, videos and cellphone clips from local activists have been a crucial part of documenting crimes against civilians, including the use of chemical weapons, attacks on schools and the use of child soldiers.
By releasing a fake video, Klevberg has made it easier for war criminals to dismiss credible images of abuse. More broadly, his deception helps erode the public’s trust in war reporting. Future videos and articles on atrocities may be summarily dismissed when the situation deserves exactly the opposite: critical attention and outrage.
Mr. Abrahams was one of dozens of activists and reporters to sign an open letter to the filmmakers, denouncing the film as “reckless and irresponsible,” posted Monday on the investigative journalism website BellingCat.
The director and his producers, Petter Lokke and John Einar Hagen, responded in a letter sent to BellingCat on Tuesday in which they apologized but argued that they had “the best intentions at heart.” They added:
The media does a phenomenal effort in documenting and relaying information about war conflicts. Despite these efforts, we have felt, based entirely on our own experience, that the hopelessness may have created a resignation among people. We had hoped that a positive angle would engage people to act on behalf of children affected by war. It was always our plan to inform the viewers that the film was fiction, creating a reflection among people that a “miracle” shown in the movie was too good to be true.
Torbjorn Urfjell, an official with Arts Council Norway, which contributed more than $12,000 to the 66-second film’s budget, said in a statement that it was “regrettable” that the director “did not announce sooner that the short film ‘Syrian Hero Boy’ was in fact a publicity stunt, meant to generate a discussion about children in conflict zones.”