Israel’s leading current affairs programme is preparing a series of eyewitness news packages for distribution at the request of international broadcasters.
“Uvda”, the local equivalent of CBS News’ “60 Minutes”, has prepared a series of documentaries entitled “Inside Israel: This is War.” Currently consisting of seven films, each between 20 and 30 minutes long, they cover all events from the 7 October massacres in Israel to the current war against Hamas in Gaza, and are available as individual shorts or as a package.
They include an in-depth look at one of the most enduring images to emerge from the attacks: the abduction of young mother Shiri and her two redheaded children, 4-year-old Ariel and 9-month-old Kfir. Filmmaker Itai Anghel speaks to members of Shiri’s family, including a heartbreaking interview with her sister Dana.
Anghel’s report on Kibbutz Nir Oz, one of the towns devastated by the Hamas attacks, with 25% of its residents either kidnapped or murdered, is also among the films available. His 20-minute on-the-ground report includes CCTV footage and testimony from victims, giving viewers an eyewitness account of the horrors of that Saturday morning.
In another short documentary, ‘Be’eri’s Nurse’, investigative reporter Ben Shani visits Kibbutz Be’eri, which lost 30% of its population in the attacks and was almost completely burned to the ground. He also speaks to survivors, including a nurse, who were evacuated to a refugee camp by the Dead Sea.
Uvda, which means “fact” in Hebrew, is broadcast locally on the Keshet 12 television network. The show, which has been reporting on both domestic and international topics since 1993, is known for its rigorously objective coverage and has been nominated for multiple international Emmy awards, including the documentary “Last Stop Before Kyiv” earlier this year. (Keshet, which produces and distributes “Uvda”, has also been the target of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s wrath in the past).
Following the 7 October massacres, in which more than 1,400 civilians in Israel were slaughtered and raped by Hamas terrorists, while a further 240 were taken hostage, much of the Israeli broadcasting industry ground to a halt as the networks turned their attention entirely to news coverage. “Uvda” was one of the first programmes to return, less than three weeks after the attacks.
“We hand-picked this package of films with our colleagues at Keshet 12 and ‘Uvda’ in response to requests from our buyers for in-depth coverage from inside Israel of the horrific events of October 7,” said Kelly Wright, managing director of distribution at Keshet International. “Produced by ‘Uvda’s’ internationally acclaimed team of award-winning filmmakers, these reports offer a different perspective to foreign news coverage – one that focuses more on the individuals affected by these devastating attacks and their personal stories of bravery, resilience and trauma. We hope that these films will give international audiences a greater understanding of the devastating impact of the 7 October attacks on the people of Israel.
