Actress Kate Winslet has addressed her involvement in a controversial documentary about the 11-day Israel-Hamas conflict in Gaza in May 2021. Co-directed by British filmmaker Michael Winterbottom and Gaza-based Mohammed Sawwaf, the film, “Eleven Days In May,” focuses on Palestinian children killed during the conflict.

The Algemeiner reported that Winslet, who narrates the film, told Jewish News that she never intended her participation to take a stance on the complex conflict. “War is a tragedy for all sides. Children have no voice in conflict. I simply wanted to lend them mine,” she said.

The film has drawn criticism, particularly for Sawwaf’s background. He has promoted views aligned with Hamas, including claims of Israeli “apartheid” and the celebration of attacks on Israelis. Sawwaf has longstanding ties to Hamas, with his father once editing the terror group’s newspaper.

Despite this, Winslet, who has worked with Winterbottom before, explained that she joined the project at his invitation. She trusted him to ensure the film aligned with the humanitarian goals of organizations like UNICEF and Oxfam, both of which supported the production. However, UNICEF distanced itself from the film, stating it had no involvement in scripting or financing.

The documentary has been criticized for presenting a one-sided narrative. It opens with reports condemning Israel’s actions without mentioning the thousands of rockets fired from Gaza, which killed 13 Israelis. Critics argue the film overlooks the Israeli perspective and presents biased material.

StandWithUs Israel Executive Director Michael Dickson expressed disappointment in the film and Winslet’s involvement, calling it “propaganda.” Filmmaker Richard Trank also criticized the lack of Israeli viewpoints, calling it a failure of documentary filmmaking.

Read more at the Algemeiner.