AMY GOODMAN: This is Democracy Now!, democracynow.org. I’m Amy Goodman.

We end today’s show with another film that’s been shortlisted for the Academy Awards in the best documentary feature category, Holding Liat. On October 7, 2023, during Hamas’s attack on Israel, the Israeli American Liat Beinin Atzili was taken hostage along with 250 others, at least 12 of them U.S. citizens.

Holding Liat is an intimate lens into the heart-wrenching fight by Liat’s family to free her. The film follows her parents, Yehuda and Chaya Beinin, as they cope with the fear and uncertainty of their daughter’s captivity while witnessing Israel’s war on Gaza unfold in real time. This is the trailer for Holding Liat.

ISRAELI OFFICIAL: [translated] Our intelligence says your daughter Liat is being held by terrorists in the Gaza Strip.

YEHUDA BEININ: [translated] Wait, wait, wait, wait.

CHAYA BEININ: It is so hard not knowing what’s going on with her. My biggest worry is that she’s not with us anymore.

YEHUDA BEININ: We’re being led by crazy people, whether it’s on the Israeli side or whether on the Palestinian side. And the result is always death and destruction.

CHAYA BEININ: Yehuda and I deal with problems differently.

YEHUDA BEININ: The struggle for peace and reconciliation is the best way to respect Liat and Aviv and provide a human side to the story.

NETTA ATZILI: I’m not going to thank them for attacking my parents and murdering my acquaintances.

TAL BEININ: Let’s just figure out where Liat and Aviv are. Let’s just focus on that, Aba.

JOEL BEININ: We want to be supportive of the family. And on the other hand, I’m here, and I disagree politically.

TAL BEININ: Sometimes it’s better to just be quiet, because you know what? For getting Liat and Aviv back, put a yarmulke on your head.

YEHUDA BEININ: No, I’m not going to run away. I’ll stand my ground.

CHAYA BEININ: There’s no way of knowing how much longer this is going to go on.

TAL BEININ: Who’s holding her? Is she in a house? Is she in a cave? Is she being fed? Does she have her glasses? The longer it takes, the harder it is to stay positive.

YEHUDA BEININ: There’s no guarantee that either of them are coming out of this alive.

ISRAELI OFFICIAL: [translated] We just got the list. And unfortunately, Liat is not on today’s list.

AMY GOODMAN: In this clip of Holding Liat, Liat’s father, Yehuda Beinin, travels to Washington, D.C., to advocate for Liat, his daughter’s release.

YEHUDA BEININ: Whatever happens with Aviv and Liat, it’s not in my hands. But it’s not in my nature just to sit around and to wait for things to happen. This is not a future that I envisioned for either of my children. When has war ever ended well? Liat, actually, because she’s smarter than me, understands this, understood this a long time ago, much before, much before me.

AMY GOODMAN: For more, we’re joined by Liat Beinin Atzili, high school history teacher, subject of the film Holding Liat — she was held hostage in Gaza for 54 days, released in November 2023 — and Brandon Kramer, director of Holding Liat, which has been shortlisted for the Oscars in best documentary feature category.

We welcome you both to Democracy Now! And my condolences, Liat, on the death of your husband. You were both taken from the Kibbutz Nir Oz. You did not know during that whole 54 days that he had been killed?

LIAT BEININ ATZILI: I didn’t know. And thank you. I didn’t know what had happened to him, and I didn’t know what had happened to my two sons who were on the kibbutz. I have a daughter, my youngest, who wasn’t — who wasn’t on the kibbutz on that day, so I knew that at least she was alive. That was what kept me going during those days.

AMY GOODMAN: And talk about who held you.

LIAT BEININ ATZILI: I was held at first by a family for about 36 hours. They were the family of the person who took me from my house. He was a member of Hamas. I don’t know what his family’s politics were, but they treated me very well. I have to say that.

AMY GOODMAN: It was his mother?

LIAT BEININ ATZILI: Yeah, his mother and his sister. And after about 36 hours, I was transferred to a different place, where at first there were about 10 Hamas people, and eventually I stayed with two that — 

AMY GOODMAN: With two men?

LIAT BEININ ATZILI: With two men who were with me until I was released.

AMY GOODMAN: You and another hostage?

LIAT BEININ ATZILI: Me and another hostage.

AMY GOODMAN: Woman?

LIAT BEININ ATZILI: Yes.

AMY GOODMAN: How did they treat you?

LIAT BEININ ATZILI: They told us from the beginning that it was — we were very isolated, which is a little bit different than what most of the other hostages experienced. And we didn’t see anybody, other than each other. And they kept telling us that they had no idea what was going on with other hostages, and that it was their job to keep us safe and to keep us healthy until we were released in a hostage deal. And that’s what they did.

AMY GOODMAN: And we go through the agony of your family. We interviewed your uncle, Stanford professor Joel Beinin, well known as a deep critic of the Netanyahu government, talking about you, but wanting you to tell your own story here, which is why it is an honor for you to be here. And, Brandon Kramer, in the little time we have left, why you decided to do this film about Liat?

BRANDON KRAMER: Yeah, I mean, Liat and Aviv, they’re relatives of mine. And when we —

AMY GOODMAN: Aviv, her husband.

LIAT BEININ ATZILI: Yeah.

BRANDON KRAMER: Aviv, her husband. And when we found out that Liat and Aviv were taken, we felt this responsibility to pick up our camera and start documenting what their family was going through. And as we started to film, you know, we were documenting Liat’s father, who, within days of Liat being released, was very vocal, saying, “I don’t want my daughter and son-in-law’s captivity to be used as justification or weaponized to perpetuate violence against Palestinians in Gaza. I want the opposite. I want peace. I want reconciliation.” And in that moment in time, that was not a story that was being told. The narrative was very different. And that’s why we made the film.

AMY GOODMAN: And, Liat, your message to the world two years later, your feelings today?

LIAT BEININ ATZILI: Well, it’s very difficult speaking after watching — after watching parts of the film The Voice of Hind Rajab. Really, it’s so moving and touching. And I think that the most important thing that people remember is that there aren’t any conflicts that aren’t — that there aren’t any conflicts that are unsolvable. It’s just a matter of people wanting, wanting to speak to each other and wanting to listen and to understand each other’s stories, and that if we don’t do that, we’re just allowing violence to take over. And like my dad says in the film, in the parts that we saw, more — 

AMY GOODMAN: Three seconds.

LIAT BEININ ATZILI: More violence and more killing aren’t going to get us anywhere.

AMY GOODMAN: We’re going to do Part 2 and post it online at democracynow.org. Liat Beinin Atzili, held by Hamas for 54 days. Brandon Kramer, director of Holding Liat.

Amy Goodman will be moderating the post-film Q&A at Film Forum on Friday, January 9.