The makers of the viral YouTube video, “SYRIAN HERO BOY rescue girl in shootout,” which was picked up and broadcast by several cable news channels in the U.S. and around the world, issued a press release Friday admitting that the entire video was faked. Rather than apologize for deceiving the public, though, the filmmakers write that they’re “pleased the film spread widely” and helped “spur debate” about children and war.
The debate now, though, is about the ethics and efficacy of faking a video to make a point. Just how fake is the video? It wasn’t even shot in Syria, but in Malta, and was partially funded by the Norwegian Film Institute. Here’s a shot of the film crew and “hero boy” himself.
Filmmaker Lars Klevberg stands by his team’s effort. If he can fake a video, couldn’t he at least fake an apology for deliberately misleading viewers around the world?
https://twitter.com/LarsKlevberg/status/533382391667380224
https://twitter.com/LarsKlevberg/status/533382610408718336
https://twitter.com/LarsKlevberg/status/533382835630276608
https://twitter.com/LarsKlevberg/status/533382895432638465
Here’s the complete press release from the filmmakers, and reaction from those who were understandably duped.
https://twitter.com/LarsKlevberg/status/533385072083501056
Sickeningly stupid viral campaign: Syrian Hero Boy video faked by filmmaker @LarsKlevberg http://t.co/bc58WVf6QE
— Daniel Etter (@DanielEtterFoto) November 15, 2014
.@LarsKlevberg do you know how many Syrian citizen journalists have died to tell the truth of what is happening in #syria? Shame on you
— Bissan Fakih (@Jafra_) November 14, 2014
@LarsKlevberg you should have had written that its fictional at the end of the film. otherwise its sheer deception
— Syrian Pat (@yusef_al_azma) November 14, 2014
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@LarsKlevberg absolutely idiotic.
— Brian Whelan (@brianwhelanhack) November 14, 2014
https://twitter.com/Boltron5000/status/533404146662379520
https://twitter.com/ChiefBrody4/status/533408412496035840
@LarsKlevberg as there is lots of disinformation going on, you could have acted more responsibly. It's not a game, it's a dirty war.
— Margaret Teacher (@margret_teacher) November 15, 2014
https://twitter.com/AlaraIraqia/status/533527515633971200
@Boltron5000 @AlaraIraqia @LarsKlevberg disgusting
— Ahmed (@Karradi) November 15, 2014
@LarsKlevberg bloody idiot – isn't there enough disinformation without you adding to it? You need to think long and hard about this.
— Scott (@scotrader) November 15, 2014
@LarsKlevberg How incredibly mindless+stupid to make a professional video which now gives any áctual Syrian murderer excuse to shout 'fake'!
— Ton Aarts (@ton_aarts) November 15, 2014
@LarsKlevberg Do you really actually believe this is the best you could have done for Syrian children with 30 professionals and €30k budget?
— Ton Aarts (@ton_aarts) November 15, 2014
@LarsKlevberg I am tempted to say this is a stupid and damaging publicity stunt, but I will stick with naive and reckless.
— Four Corners Media ? (@FourCM) November 15, 2014
@LarsKlevberg You should be ashamed of yourself. This is shocking. Spur debate? Reporters have great difficulties videoing war without this
— Julian Gearing (@JulianGearing) November 15, 2014
@LarsKlevberg Stupid project. Stupid artist, and stupid government who pay for that shit.
— Manu gil (@manugildes) November 15, 2014
@LarsKlevberg the only reaction you achieve is that there will be even more mistrust in footage coming out of Syria.
— Carsten Stormer (@CarstenStormer) November 15, 2014
@LarsKlevberg This will have a negative impact for Syrians who already struggle to tell their stories. What a moronic project.
— Carsten Stormer (@CarstenStormer) November 15, 2014
.@LarsKlevberg if this travesty of a film was made with official funds from the Norwegian state then we as Syrians demand an official aplogy
— Edward Dark (@edwardedark) November 15, 2014
https://twitter.com/ha_bibti/status/533629201681637376
https://twitter.com/Boltron5000/status/533635210177683456
https://twitter.com/notgeorgesabra/status/533638519797727232
the idiot who faked the video of a Syrian child being shot @LarsKlevberg please tweet and tell him how much he hurt the cause of children
— Mouaz Moustafa (@SoccerMouaz) November 15, 2014
Head of #Norway press association demands @larsklevberg apologize for "unethical" stunt "devastating" to reporters http://t.co/Rq3bUMPo21
— Borzou Daragahi ?? (@borzou) November 15, 2014
"Pure idiocy." #Norway media begins to react against publicly funded fake #Syria video by @LarsKlevberg http://t.co/zRNvnSayrx
— Borzou Daragahi ?? (@borzou) November 15, 2014
Thanks to Lars Klevberg's folly, lots of people asking 'how many other news reports are faked?' – He spurs cynicism, not critical viewing.
— Brian Whelan (@brianwhelanhack) November 15, 2014
@LarsKlevberg you accomplished a discussion about truth in media, not children in warzones #fail
— RevoluZionist (@RevoluZionist) November 15, 2014
Editor’s note: A tweet which was mistakenly included in this post has been removed.
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