Director Alon Schwarz's documentary 'Tantura' excavates the dark legacy of a long-suppressed story from 1948 Arab-Israeli War.
Details of what took place in Tantura more than 70 years ago had remained secret, a taboo subject that contradicts the idealized self-image of the Israeli state. But in the late 1990s, scholar Teddy Katz interviewed many of the soldiers involved as part of his master’s thesis.
After the media learned of Katz‘s findings, the Alexandroni men retracted their statements and sued him, effectively ending his career and silencing the truth. Now Katz has shared the tapes with Schwarz, who uses excerpts, as well as new interviews with those soldiers still alive, to construct a damning exposé of a nation unwilling to admit its primordial sins.Some of those who agree to speak with Schwarz, now in their 90s, admit to having witnessed the crimes, but deny taking part in them.
Therein lies the earth-shattering power of “Tantura,” because as long as the perpetrators refuse to acknowledge responsibility for what happened, healing cannot commence. But neither the veteran soldiers, nor the Israeli government, will own up to this history, because admitting to the massacre would challenge the legitimacy of the state as a whole. And if the recognition of any wrongdoing seems unfeasible, then so are any talks of reparations.
Only a couple of Palestinians with memories from the time offer their testimony. Their presence serves as a reminder of the devastation that families endured. While the Alexandroni soldiers have enjoyed longevity and veneration, their victims’ remains never received a proper burial, and, as Schwarz’s research implies, they may now be lost forever.
United States Latest News, United States Headlines
Similar News:You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.
‘Fate: The Winx Saga’ Producer Judy Counihan Joins Pulse Films as Scripted Creative Director (EXCLUSIVE)“Gangs of London” banner Pulse Films has hired “Fate: The Winx Saga” producer Judy Counihan as its new scripted creative director. Counihan, who was most recently creative director at Archery Pictu…
Read more »
Rep. Jim Jordan calls out ATF Director Steve Dettelbach over Biden administration gun rulesIn a Monday letter to Dettelbach, Jordan accused the ATF of ignoring or failing to sufficiently respond to Jordan’s past requests for documents and information about the bureau’s efforts to regulate firearms through the rulemaking process.
Read more »
WVSports - West Virginia expected to tab Baker as new Athletic Director
Read more »
A heist in Artesia’s Little India fuels director Ravi Kapoor’s comic ‘Four Samosas’Inspired by Quentin Tarantino and Wes Anderson, the gentle comedy features unlikely LA diamond thieves. “We didn’t have to answer to anybody and could just make an American movie that happens…
Read more »
An Israeli director sparks outrage in India over a film about Hindu persecutionControversy has surrounded one of India’s top film festivals after the screening of a movie with Hindu nationalist themes. “It felt to us like a propaganda vulgar movie,” the festival’s head juror said.
Read more »