Avi Nesher's New Film Focuses on Life Amidst October 7th Trauma
Translated & summarized from Calcalist by baba
Avi Nesher's new film, "Our Loves," premieres this week, focusing on the will to live during the October 7th attacks, contrasting with Dani Avichzer's "12 Hours in October," which emphasizes the violence. The author found Nesher's film, released three years after the event, to be a cathartic experience that offered unexpected optimism. The film highlights the resilience of ordinary people amidst historical trauma, with strong performances from Shalom Michaelashvili and Amir Bani.
The story in 5 lines · by baba
- Avi Nesher's film "Our Loves" focuses on life and resilience during the October 7th attacks.
- The film contrasts with Dani Avichzer's "12 Hours in October," which is described as focusing on death and violence.
- The author experienced catharsis and unexpected optimism after watching "Our Loves."
- Nesher's film explores the lives of ordinary people amidst historical events.
- Performances by Shalom Michaelashvili and Amir Bani are highlighted as strong points in the film.
Avi Nesher's new film, "Our Loves," is set to premiere, focusing on the events of October 7, 2023, but emphasizing life and resilience rather than the violence of the day. This comes nearly concurrently with another film, "12 Hours in October," directed by Dani Avichzer, an English-language Israeli-American production that was released briefly in the summer. While both films explore the intersecting stories of individuals trying to survive on October 7th, Nesher's film is characterized as being about life, in contrast to Avichzer's, which is described as being about death.
The article suggests that Avichzer's film, by graphically depicting the Hamas attacks, may inadvertently serve the terrorists' narrative by focusing on their ideology and actions, with Israelis primarily portrayed as victims. Nesher's "Our Loves," however, is presented as a counterpoint, drawing a parallel to "From Here to Eternity" and focusing on the desperate will to live and move forward.
The author notes that both films are being released relatively soon after the events, with "Our Loves" coming out three years after October 7th. The author reflects on the timing of such films, citing Paul Greengrass's "United 93" released five years after 9/11 and "From Here to Eternity" released 12 years after Pearl Harbor as more appropriate timelines.
Despite initial apprehension about the film's subject matter and timing, the author experienced a profound catharsis watching "Our Loves." The film, which explores the lives of ordinary people caught in extraordinary historical events, helped the author process the panic, anxiety, and rage accumulated since October 7th, ultimately offering an unexpected sense of optimism and empowerment. The author highlights performances by Shalom Michaelashvili and Amir Bani as particularly strong.
Nesher's directorial approach, consistently focusing on the "small people" at the margins of major historical events, is seen as consistent with his past work. The title "Our Loves," the author suggests, is a subtle reference to "our wars," reflecting Nesher's lifelong theme of human connection amidst conflict.
