Tantura

When the state of Israel was established in 1948, war broke out and Palestinian villages saw their populations decimated. In the 90s, graduate student, Teddy Katz, interviewed hundreds of people whilst researching a rumored civilian massacre in the village of Tantura during the war. Based on his findings, Katz concluded the brutal killings did occur. After being sued for defamation, threatened and stripped of his academic credentials, Katz learned the state would go to great lengths to protect its established version of events. Since then, his hundreds of hours of tapes have sat in silence. Decades later, Director Alon Schwarz revisits the controversial recordings, this time presenting them to former Israeli soldiers, scholars, and government officials, many of whom insist the massacre never happened. Through interrogating why the “Nakba” is still considered a taboo in Israeli society, Tantura exposes how silencing and protected narratives sculpt history.

Alon Schwarz is a guest of the festival. The screening will be followed by a live Q&A.

Supported by Plus61J Media