Gaza Conflict Echoes In Hollywood As Israeli Doc Debuts At Toronto Film Festival

A controversial documentary about an Israeli ex-soldier, which had initially been removed from the Toronto International Film Festival schedule, is now set to premiere on Wednesday, sparking heated debate within Hollywood over the ongoing Gaza conflict.

The film, titled The Road Between Us: The Ultimate Rescue, follows retired Israeli general Noam Tibon as he attempted to save his family and others during the Hamas-led October 7, 2023 attacks. Produced in Canada, the documentary incorporates Hamas bodycam recordings of the assault that left 1,219 people in Israel dead, mostly civilians, according to an AFP tally based on official figures.

Festival organizers had earlier withdrawn the film, citing a lack of legal clearance for the bodycam footage. However, after backlash and accusations of censorship, the decision was reversed. Over a thousand entertainment industry figures, including actors Amy Schumer and Debra Messing, had signed a petition condemning the withdrawal as an attempt to silence Jewish voices.

Director Barry Avrich expressed doubts about the organizers' justification, remarking during a Toronto panel that Hamas was unlikely to have a“licensing division.” The festival later issued a statement saying that it had resolved its safety, legal, and programming concerns, while also apologizing for the hurt caused by its initial decision. Avrich noted that he felt proud of the film community in Hollywood for rallying in response to the controversy.

Divisions With-in Hollywood

Still, divisions in Hollywood remain sharp. Veteran journalist Sharon Waxman argued in a New York Times op-ed that the Gaza conflict had created a deep rift within the entertainment industry. She observed that in a largely liberal space where support for Israel has long been influential, the issue had become highly polarizing.

On the same day, more than 1,500 actors and film professionals, including Olivia Colman and Mark Ruffalo, released an open letter pledging not to collaborate with Israeli cinema institutions, which they accused of being complicit in the Gaza offensive. According to figures from the Hamas-run health ministry, considered credible by the United Nations, Israeli military action has resulted in the deaths of at least 64,522 people in Gaza.

The tension has also been visible at other festivals. The Venice Film Festival began with calls to boycott Israeli actors and ended with The Voice of Hind Rajab, a film about a five-year-old Palestinian girl killed by Israeli forces, winning the second-highest award. Directed by Kaouther Ben Hania, the film combines actual Red Crescent recordings of a failed rescue attempt with dramatized reenactments and received backing from high-profile names such as Brad Pitt and Joaquin Phoenix. The filmmaker revealed that she and her team had faced thousands of threatening messages following the film's release. In Toronto, Ben Hania emphasized the need for Hind Rajab's story to resonate globally and appealed for assistance in evacuating the child's surviving relatives from Gaza.

In anticipation of protests during Wednesday's screening of The Road Between Us, Avrich explained that he intended to hire his own security team to complement the festival's. While Toronto police confirmed they were maintaining a strong presence across the festival, they declined to give details about security for the premiere.

The documentary, styled as an“action thriller,” portrays how Tibon traveled from Tel Aviv to the Nahal Oz kibbutz to rescue his son-an established journalist-along with other family members. It uses a mix of new interviews, kibbutz surveillance footage, and Hamas bodycam recordings.

Avrich characterized Tibon as a heroic figure reminiscent of action characters such as Liam Neeson in Taken. He stressed that the work should not be seen as overtly political but rather as a personal story about a family's survival. Whether Hollywood interprets it in that light, however, remains uncertain.

(With Imputs From AFP)

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