Film Forum presents the U.S. theatrical premiere of Brandon Kramer’s Holding Liat on Friday, January 9.
In October 2023, two weeks after Israeli-American teacher Liat Atzili and her husband Aviv were kidnapped from their kibbutz by Hamas forces, filmmaker Brandon Kramer, who’s a relative, follows the experiences of Liat’s family,
In the process, he provides an intimate, real-time portrait of their conflicting views, emotions, and strategies to secure their release.
Disappointed and angered by Israel’s response to the attacks, Liat’s father, Yehuda, lobbies members of the US Congress to prioritize the release of the hostages, criticizes Netanyahu, and advocates for peaceful reconciliation with Palestinians.
Netta, Liat’s son (who narrowly escaped the attack), expresses anger toward Hamas and anti-war protestors.
Meanwhile, Liat’s mother Chaya and younger sister Tal both clash with Yehuda, wishing for politics to be left out of the equation.
Yehuda remains steadfast in his convictions, directing his criticism at premier Netanyahu and the humanitarian crisis he created.
Kramer’s emotionally rich and poignant documentary reveals the personal and geopolitical aspects of a heartbreaking true story.
Balancing compassion for the family with varying opinions about the objectives of Israel’s leadership, Holding Liat is a powerful and complex portrait of how one family handles a life-and-death crisis, while trying to hold onto its core humanist values.
Holding Liat had its world premiere at the Berlin Film Fest where it was awarded the Best Documentary prize, and went on to screen at Tribeca Fest, the Hot Springs Documentary Fest (where it won the Critics Prize), DOC NYC, and other venues.
Credits:
Directed by Brandon Kramer.
Produced by Lance Kramer, Darren Aronofsky, Ari Handel, Yoni Brook, Justin A. Gonçalves.
Cinematography: Yoni Brook, Omer Manor.
Editor: Jeff Gilbert.
Composer: Jordan Dykstra.
USA. In English and Hebrew with English subtitles
Runtime: 97 minutes
