DocuText returns to Jerusalem with documentaries on October 7, Israeli culture, and Jewish identity

The National Library of Israel’s DocuText festival will return to Jerusalem from August 16 to 20, presenting a lineup of documentaries focusing on themes such as Israeli culture, Jewish identity, and historical events, including the October 7, 2023, Hamas-led attack on southern Israel. Now in its 11th year, the five-day event will feature dozens of screenings, Israeli premieres, filmmaker meetings, workshops, archival exhibitions, and outdoor performances. The festival’s theme, “Uncertainty,” reflects the current national mood amidst ongoing international tensions. The festival will open with the premiere of Ran Tal’s The Sixteenth Sheep: The Reunion, a documentary chronicling the return to the stage of one of Israel’s most beloved musical projects. The film centers on the 1978 children’s album created by lyricist Yehonatan Geffen and composer Yoni Rechter, which featured songs set to Geffen’s poetry. The album, originally performed by musicians Yehudit Ravitz, Gidi Gov, and David Broza, became a cultural phenomenon during the height of the Yom Kippur War. The project began as a small series of performances but evolved into a widespread sensation. Tal will attend the screening, which is already sold out, though a waitlist is available for interested attendees. The festival will conclude on August 20 with the screening of Tomer Heymann’s 2003 documentary Aviv, which explores the life and career of Aviv Geffen, the son of Yehonatan Geffen. The film will be followed by a live outdoor performance by Aviv Geffen and his band, HaTa’uyot. This marks the first time the documentary will be shown publicly since its initial release, nearly two decades ago. A significant portion of the festival’s programming will highlight the contributions of writers and their personal archives. One notable entry is Things Were Like That, directed by Adi Arbel, which delves into the life and work of Israeli novelist Meir Shalev, who passed away in 2023. The film draws heavily from Shalev’s books, recordings, and personal documents. On August 19, the screening will be accompanied by a special exhibition titled An Israeli Novel, showcasing items from Shalev’s archive at the National Library. Another highlight is Life as a Rumor, a 2013 documentary by Adi Arbel and Moishe Goldberg, which features the late actor and director Assi Dayan recounting his life in his own words. Before the August 19 screening, the National Library will host Assi’s Drafts, an exhibit displaying selected items from Dayan’s personal archive. Additionally, prior to the screening of LAISHA, The Story of a Women’s Magazine, audiences will have the opportunity to participate in the Can You Hear My Voice? tour, which showcases writings by women preserved in the National Library. The tour includes manuscripts, early editions, and other works that illustrate the gradual rise of women in Hebrew and Jewish literary culture. The festival will also include several English-language films. Among them is Sapiro v. Ford: The Jew Who Sued Henry Ford, directed by Gaylen Ross, which recounts the largely unknown story of Aaron Sapiro, a Jewish lawyer who challenged Henry Ford over antisemitic publications in Ford’s newspaper, The Dearborn Independent. The film will screen on the festival’s opening day. Other notable entries include Lips, a documentary about a wedding band that introduced Moroccan culture to the Israeli stage, and Wetland, which chronicles the history of the Hula Valley and Lake Hula before they were drained in the 1950s. LaIsha explores the influence of the Israeli women’s magazine, launched in 1947, on Israeli popular culture. The festival will also screen Safe Room, a film documenting the experiences of a doctor and his spouse who sheltered four families during the October 7, 2023, Hamas attack. The screening will be followed by a discussion in English with filmmaker Haley Geffen and individuals directly involved in the events depicted. Additional films include Saved by the Ball, which follows the soccer team from Kibbutz Kfar Aza in the aftermath of October 7, and The Campaign, which analyzes the social media discourse surrounding the war. International offerings such as Natchez and We Met at Grossinger’s provide perspectives beyond Israel, examining the political dynamics of plantation tours in Mississippi and the history of a renowned East Coast Jewish resort, respectively.