Death Without Mercy

In the early hours of February 6, 2023, a devastating earthquake measuring 7.8 struck a vast region of Turkey and Syria, resulting in over 55,000 deaths and illustrating the destructive instability that had torn this region apart. Death Without Mercy, directed by Waad Al-Kateab, is a powerful record of the disaster from the perspective of two Syrian families searching for their loved ones over 10 days in the earthquake’s aftermath. The shock soon gives way to a damning record of human failure highlighting official incompetence and the lack of humanitarian aid impeding the search for these survivors. Combining first-hand survivor footage from under the rubble with televised news reports, social-media interaction, and closed circuit TV and drone footage, the film is a moving testament to human dignity and a heartfelt tribute to the lives lost in this catastrophic event.