Israeli Netflix Star Noa Cohen Discusses October 7th Trauma and Boycott Calls
Translated & summarized from Israel Hayom by baba
Israeli actress Noa Cohen spoke to The Hollywood Reporter at the Toronto Film Festival about the trauma of October 7th and the ongoing Israeli mourning process. Cohen, who stars in Avi Nesher's film "Our Loves" about the massacre, described the pervasive sense of death and loss. She also addressed calls to boycott Israeli artists, arguing that silencing them over government actions hinders important dialogue. Cohen believes listening to people's stories is crucial, regardless of political agreement.
The story in 5 lines · by baba
- Israeli actress Noa Cohen discussed the October 7th massacre's trauma in a Hollywood Reporter interview.
- Cohen stated Israel is just beginning to mourn and faces "many years of mourning ahead."
- She argued against boycotting Israeli artists, calling it a "silencing" that closes discourse.
- Cohen believes people should listen to Israelis' stories, irrespective of government policy.
- The actress stars in Avi Nesher's film "Our Loves" about the October 7th events.
Israeli actress Noa Cohen, who gained international recognition for her role in Netflix's "Mery," spoke candidly about the October 7th massacre and its aftermath in an interview with The Hollywood Reporter. The interview took place at the Toronto Film Festival in Canada, immediately following the world premiere of "Our Loves," Avi Nesher's film about the October 7th events, in which Cohen stars.
Cohen, 24, recounted her experience on the morning of October 7th, being at her Tel Aviv apartment when her mother urged her to watch the news. "We couldn't believe what we were seeing," she recalled. The full impact hit when victim names began appearing on screen. "You start seeing the names of the victims and thinking: I went to school with this person, he's a friend of a friend," she said, visibly emotional, adding, "Death was everywhere, so many people you know."
She emphasized that Israel is only beginning to process the trauma, stating, "We couldn't really start mourning until all the hostages returned home." Cohen noted that the country is not even through its first year of mourning, with "many years of mourning ahead."
Addressing calls for boycotting Israeli cinema, supported by figures like Mark Ruffalo and Emma Stone, Cohen argued against silencing artists based on government policies. "Silencing artists because of a government's policy closes down the discourse," she stated. "And shouldn't we keep this discourse open?" She added, "You don't have to agree with a government to listen to the stories of the people who live in its country."
When questioned about criticism that the film focuses solely on the Israeli perspective, Cohen responded that the movie presents multiple viewpoints of those who experienced the day. "Presenting them shouldn't erase the perspective of those who weren't there and went through other difficult things. This is simply the story we are telling," she explained.
Mentioned
