Filmmakers Respond to Threats After 'Nezah' Award and Criticism

Filmmakers Yuval Abraham and Rachel Shore have responded to the controversy surrounding their documentary "Nezah," which won the Jury Prize at the Venice Film Festival. Following strong criticism in Israel, including threats to revoke their citizenship, the creators announced that the film will be released globally on September 28th in 56 countries and will be available for free online viewing in November. Abraham stated that the decision to offer the film freely online was made with The Guardian due to the public interest and importance of the soldiers' testimonies featured in the documentary. The film is also scheduled for another screening at the New York Film Festival this weekend.

Abraham addressed the sharp criticism in Israel, emphasizing that acknowledging alleged atrocities in Gaza does not diminish the severity of the October 7th Hamas attacks, which he noted are discussed by soldiers in the film and are unjustifiable. He described the public discourse as a positive and healthy crack in the wall of denial, despite the significant personal cost. Abraham asserted that the threats against him and Shore would not deter them, and they intend to return to Israel to continue advocating for the country's future. He urged soldiers who witnessed similar events to share their stories, arguing that journalism and criticism are not acts of betrayal but rather civic duties.

The controversy intensified after the film's Venice award, with Israeli Culture and Sports Minister Miki Zohar condemning the film as an act of "betrayal" and vowing to pursue the revocation of the filmmakers' citizenship. This led to a backlash from the Israeli film community, with over a thousand filmmakers signing a petition supporting Abraham and Shore and denouncing what they called a "campaign of incitement."