Synopsis
On March 24, 2004, 15-year-old Hussam Abdu was apprehended at an Israeli checkpoint with bombs strapped around his waist. Instead of detonating the bomb, Hussam voluntarily surrendered and is now serving time in prison. Since the start of the Palestinian intifada, an alarming number of suicide bombers have been children aged 18 and under. Through a series of candid and thought provoking interviews, "The Making of a Martyr" brings the viewer into a part of Palestinian culture previously ignored, by uncovering those who are facilitating, teaching, and paying children to take their own lives. The film features interviews with leaders of the Al Aqsa Martyrs Brigades, families of suicide bombers, Palestinian children imprisoned for participating in suicide missions, a Palestinian child psychologist, and more. The film gives its audience a troubling insight into the concept of martyrdom as it is being taught to Palestinian children.
