Remembering Hugh Kitson’s legacy

Documentary film-maker  Hugh Kitson was laid to rest in Melbourne on Tuesday, he had been suffering with illness for some time. At the end of the memorial service to honour him, the Kaddish was read by a member of the Jewish community – such was the respect and fondness felt towards him. The pastor of his church in England made the following comments “he was kind and gentle, always ready to listen and had a spiritual insight about the land and the people of Israel. He was able to write about this with clarity and authority and was unassuming in his relationship with others. It was remarkable to us that he was always able to interview and rub shoulders with such important and influential people in law and governments”.

And indeed it was!  Over several years Hugh spent time in Israel filming factual historic accounts from international legal experts and historians, including Dr. Deborah Lipstadt, Dr. Einat Wilf, Professor Avi Bell, Professor Moshe Kedar, Ambassador Danny Danon, Dr. Jacques Gauthier and Natasha Hausdorff to name a few. Hughs knowledge of modern Israel was profound, and events such as the San Remo conference of 1917 were given wide coverage in Parts 1 and 2 of Whose Land?.  Both films were narrated by his good friend Col. Richard Kemp.

Douglas Murray, in his review of Whose Land Part 2 said “Whose Land dismantles the lies that have been told about Israel since 1948. In so doing it mounts a defence of Israeli legitimacy through masterly presentation from Colonel Richard Kenp and other experts. They adduce fact after fact to show that Israel, far from violating international law is upholding it. Words like “occupation” and “settlement” have become popular smears against Israel, but they have no legal basis whatsoever. Hugh Kitson has directed a production that exposes these specious legal arguments for what they are: vicious anti-Israel propaganda. I would recommend Whose Land? to anyone seeking the truth about Israel and the wider Middle East.”