Tantura

Of course this film's topic is absolutely essential and I am so glad this story is being told. As for the way the film portrays details (the eerie points where people smile, the reaction of the dog and other animals, the inflections of the people being interviewed) is what made this film so terrifying and so strong. It's also why I recommend watching it multiple times-you'll notice more detail each time. I've watched it twice, a year apart, and found myself catching so many more small details. This film is essential if you want to educate yourself about Palestine and its history, and about the way people lie to themselves to keep their "morality" intact. Ultimately, what I found myself feeling again after watching is this: being afraid to learn, to adapt and to admit when you were wrong is essential to liberation. Every time someone in this film says "I don't think about that anymore," it's so clear that they think about it every day.

The phrase "Never Forget" has long been associated with the Holocaust. It's a pushback against the type of willed, collective amnesia that allows not just the perpetrators of atrocities but their descendants to go through life unburdened by guilt for war crimes and the privileges accrued as a result of their commission. The documentary "Tantura" shows how selectively the phrase is applied when the subject is the founding of Israel, which killed and displaced Palestinians and had a negative multigenerational ripple effect that continues into the present day. The movie focuses on the fate of Palestinian residents of the title village in the summer of 1948. A mass murder by Israeli soldiers was part of a grim event that included beatings, rapes, and looting.

First person accounts, a master's thesis, a newspaper article about the thesis, and the scandal of truth makes Tantura is a gateway documentary about truth vs the manufactured myths of state creation.

Told in non-linear format, individuals connected to an Arab village recall 1948 events on camera as well as through decades old audio interviews. Memories and rationalizations clash as the true and hidden stories of atrocities are revealed.

All but exclusively interviewing Israelis, Tantura the documentary might be better entitled, Testimonies of Tantura, as only a few Arab voices are heard. While there are some village witnesses who survived interviewed, the focus is on Israeli perspectives, peeling away layers of taboo and myth to reveal the shocking truths, some told so casually, and justified so brazenly, that anyone watching will rightly start questioning the creation myth of the state of Israel.

Tantura is more than examination of an obscured massacre, it's an examination of the relationship Israelis have with the truth.

Pair Tantura this with 1948: Creation & Catastrophe (2017), another documentary relying on first-person accounts to gain better insight into the history of Israel and current events in Palestine.

My previous review was canceled without any explanation; my only thought is that it must have contained a spoiler.

This is an important film to see. I think the director did a great job telling a forgotten story about the creation of Israel. We are offered a glimpse into history from the perspective of the Israeli soldiers who participated in the massacres of the Palestinian villages that were ethnically cleansed during the creation of the state of Israel. I am amazed that this film was made and screened at US festivals, given the censure these types of films typically receive. It's a tough watch, but a necessary one.

My heart was tight during the entire documentary. It was infuriating the level of denial and lack of remorse the interviewees felt. The laughing and jeering whilst mentioning awful acts of depravity, made me want to throw my remote at the television.

This is one of the only documentaries I have seen uncover truths about the palestinian history of the nakba. I hope it inspires a new genre of documentaries uncovering more truths. The pain within the diaspora is palpable. Their realities and stories are important.

The director deserves praise due to his bravery in releasing such a controversial documentary.