A new, crowdfunded web documentary aims to tell the stories of Palestinian families devastated by Israeli attacks during the 2014 summer offensive. ‘Obliterated Families' is the work of French photographer Anne Paq, member of the Activestills collective and Palestinian-Polish journalist Ala Qandil. The pair are seeking funds to be able to complete the project, which is based on the stories of 10 families from different parts of the Gaza Strip. During ‘Operation Protective Edge', 142 Palestinian families lost three or more members during Israeli attacks. Paq and Qandil were both present during the offensive, and have been working on the ‘Obliterated Families' project for more than a year. Each of the ten families that form the focus of the web documentary constitute one ‘chapter', with their stories told through visuals – photos, videos, design and in-depth reportages. There will be also a photo exhibition available to download, intended to be a tool for activists and educators. Paq and Qandil have secured a partnership with a French human rights organization ACAT (l'Action des Chrétiens pour l'Abolition de la Torture), who will help promote the documentary. The release will take place in stages, over the summer of 2016, with the initial release set to coincide with the second anniversary of the beginning of the offensive on July 7. According to the crowdfunding site, "the project started during the summer 2014 when we realized that every day entire families were bombed – in their homes or while fleeing – and we could not keep count. A whole family disappears, is wiped out, and so is their story." Earlier work by the pair on Palestinian families devastated by Israel's 2014 offensive has received coverage on various websites. The new, interactive web documentary looks set to take the stories of these families to a whole new audience. Photos courtesy of Obliterated families.
