Death without Mercy

On February 6, 2023 at 4:17 am local time, a 7.8 magnitude earthquake struck southern Turkey and north eastern Syria. In a matter of minutes large parts of the southern Turkish cities of Antakya, Gaziantep, and Hatay were in ruins, and tens of thousands lay dead under the rubble.

In the aftermath of the earthquake there was no universal effort to save the injured and the dying under the rubble. Civilians were forced to use their hands and shovels to dig up loved ones and strangers, while the world looked the other way. Faulty constructions, criminal permissions, plus the lack of rescue efforts, caused the unnecessary death of 50,000, many of which could have been saved.

With access to incredible CCTV footage from above ground, remarkable first-person documentary footage from under the rubble, extensive verité footage (some recorded on cell phones), drone footage, news and archival footage, Death Without Mercy is chronologically assembled from the reports of hundreds of newscasters, cameramen, and civilians representing the days following this tragic event.

The film is built on the experiences of two Syrian families, following them over the course of 10 days after the disaster, as they piece together the tragedy and uncover revelations about the corruption, lies and government incompetence that exacerbated the disaster and its response.