The filmmakers behind Israel’s 2024 Oscar entry tell the story of an all-female tank unit that defended itself against the October 7 terror attacks

EXCLUSIVEE: The filmmakers behind Israel’s entry for the 2024 International Feature Film Oscar are currently working on a film about an all-female Israel Defense Forces (IDF) tank unit that defended itself against Hamas’ October 7 terror attacks.

Ayelet Menahemi, whose characteristic Seven blessings won this year’s Ophir Prize in Israel, will direct the film and will collaborate again with writer and actress Eleanor Sela, who writes the screenplay and also plays the lead role. Seven blessings.

The film was inspired by the true events surrounding the first all-female armored unit of its kind, which fought fierce battles against Hamas attackers on the day of the massacre on October 7. The battle marked the first time in history that an all-female tank unit took part in combat.

The filmmakers tell us that in addition to the struggle, the film will also explore the formation of unity and the struggle of the young female fighters to prove themselves and be taken seriously in the face of skepticism and sometimes discrimination from their male counterparts. Mixed combat units in Israel have previously been the subject of controversy among some politicians and military officials.

Jewish-Israeli filmmakers Ayelet Menahemi and Eleanor Sela said: “Among the unimaginable stories of courage since October 7, this is one of the most extraordinary and heroic stories. It shows what happens when women take matters into their own hands after men question their rights and ability to fight. These young women made history twice.”

The film is produced by Ehud Bleiberg’s LA-based company Bleiberg Entertainment, which is known for films among other things In the land of saints and sinners, The Ice Cream Man And The group’s visitwith Ronen Ben Tal (Seven blessings).

The film will be an Israeli-international co-production and filming is scheduled to begin in the fall of 2024.

Since the October 7 Hamas attacks, allegations have emerged that some senior IDF commanders refused to heed the warnings of young female surveillance soldiers who were assigned to guard the Gaza border in the weeks before the attacks, citing sexism which was ignored as a factor in their reports. .

Several documentaries about the October 7 attacks have been released in recent months, but this is the first narrative film to be announced.

The Hamas terrorist attack on October 7 left more than 1,200 Israelis dead (there were also reports of several sexual assaults on women). According to the Gaza Strip Ministry of Health, the Israeli government’s subsequent and ongoing military action in Gaza has resulted in more than 17,000 Palestinian deaths.