On October 9 2023, Israeli Minister of Defence Yoav Gallant announced a complete blockage of Gaza and declared "we are fighting human animals". That phrase was roundly condemned, including by UN experts who noted that it dehumanises Palestinians and warned of its potential to justify humans rights atrocities, which is sadly what has been borne out: more than 70,000 Gazans have been killed by Israeli forces over the past three years and the creation of a humanitarian crisis

A new film, which takes its title from Gallant's phrase, looks at the limits of how compassion can still be selective after so much death and destruction. Human Animals moves between two worlds, just kilometres apart: Gaza during the current humanitarian crisis and everyday life in an Israeli city.

Palestinian filmmaker, activist and Human Animals producer Mhamad Babai joined Dylan on Future Perfect to discuss the film.

"History began on the 7th of October for most Israelis, and they never see Palestinians as human beings. They never talk about all the wars on Gaza in 2008, and 2012. They never talk about '67 or '48. They see only one thing: how they are the victim. The way [director David Wachsman] did it is brilliant, because he never takes any side, he just brings things on the screen and shows it to people and people need to decide what they think or how they feel about it."

Human Animals has its Australian premiere at Kino Cinema Melbourne on September 17th.