Disclaimer: The article contains descriptive content on the topic of the Beirut Port explosion that some readers may find triggering. Reader’s discretion is advised.
Lebanese people are expressing outrage as footage of the Beirut port explosion is being repurposed as a resource for creating visual effects in movies.
A segment of the explosion clip, capturing a tragic moment that deeply impacted the city, has been utilized in designing visual effects for nuclear explosions in films.
The recent trailer video for the film “The Creator” is an example, showcasing a simulated nuclear explosion created using real footage from the Beirut Port explosion on August 4, 2020.
Upon examination by VFX specialists from the YouTube channel “Corridor Crew,” it was revealed that filmmakers overlaid CGI on the buildings in the original clip to give them a futuristic appearance. The similarities are undeniable.
In cinema, using real footage of nuclear explosions isn’t uncommon since fabricating them from scratch is challenging. However, leveraging such footage from a real-life tragedy has led to a wave of indignation.
The “Corridor Crew” team emphasized in a YouTube video that using real tragedies for entertainment is unethical, detracting from the movie’s enjoyment. This sentiment is widely shared among Lebanese viewers.
“The Creator,” set to be released on September 29, 2023, is directed by Gareth Edwards and distributed by 20th Century Studios. The story is set in a time of war between humanity and artificial intelligence forces.
Joshua, an ex-special forces agent, is tasked with locating someone who has developed cutting-edge artificial intelligence and a mystical weapon with the power to end the war.
The release of the trailer just two weeks before the 3rd-year anniversary of the explosion has further fueled controversy.
This decision to repurpose a moment of profound tragedy for cinematic entertainment has struck a nerve with the Lebanese community, who continue to feel the lasting impact of the event. Its use in the film has been met with anger and disappointment.
The Beirut Port explosion on August 4, 2020, was a catastrophic event that resulted in over 244 deaths, thousands of injuries, and massive destruction across the city. An estimated $15 billion worth of damage was caused, leaving hundreds of thousands of people homeless.
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