Your assignment is to compose a five to seven page paper of around 1,200 words (excluding title page and bibliography) that responds to the prompt you are assigned below. The prompt will ask you to watch a specified film that depicts an armed conflict and assess the legality of the uses of force depicted in the film according to the rules and principles of international humanitarian law. You must submit your paper through Canvas, and it should correspond to the following format guidelines: double spaced, 12 point font, with 1 inch margins. Whenever possible, cite the texts we used in the course, and include a works cited page. Any recognized citation format is acceptable. Outside research and sources are not required for this assignment, but if you do use outside sources, use only those that are cited by one of the assigned readings. Citations to questionable sources will result in lost points.
Prompt Eye in the Sky:
Watch the 2015 film Eye in the Sky directed by Gavin Hood (it is available to rent on Amazon instant video for $3.99) and write an essay that evaluates whether the uses of force depicted in the film comply with the rules of international humanitarian law. Your essay should involve two components: first, you should discuss the rules governing the different dimensions of an armed conflict (such as the rules related to whether a conflict is an intl or non-intl armed conflict, the rules related to targeting and civilian protections, the rules related to combatants and non-combatants, etc). Second, you should discuss how those rules apply to the film you are assigned. Does the film depict violations of the laws of war? If so, which ones and where? These two components should be organized together in your paper. In other words, discuss first the rules related to the distinction between intl and non-intl armed conflicts, then discuss how they apply to the film, and then move on to the next question related to combatant status, and so on.
Below are some more specific questions you should address in your essay. For each question, identify the existing rules in international humanitarian law that address the question, and then discuss how those rules would apply to the assigned film.
Is the conflict depicted in Eye in the Sky an international or non-international armed conflict? Be sure you first discuss how this distinction is made in international humanitarian law and then discuss the conflict depicted in the film.
What is the status of the primary participants in the depicted conflict? Are they lawful combatants, unlawful combatants, civilians? Focus in particular on the targets of the attack in the film
Are the instances in which force is used in the film lawful uses of force? Do they comply with the rules and principles related to targeting, civilian protections, and prohibited means and methods of warfare? Questions of targeting and civilian protections are particularly important in this film. Do the protagonists understand and apply these rules accurately in the film? Are they guilty of misjudgments or misinterpretations at times? Were the decisions to use force in keeping with international humanitarian law?
Are those instances in which the film depicts the treatment of prisoners, detainees, the sick or wounded in keeping with the rules of international humanitarian law? As with number 3, be sure you note all instances in which a violation may be depicted in the film.
In the final, concluding section summarize your findings. In what ways is the armed conflict depicted in the film conducted in accordance with IHL and in what ways is it not?
