“Politically thought-provoking… intimate… structured and edited in such a way as to emphasize narrative clarity and the emotional content of its family portraiture.”
— Jonathan Romney,
“Politically potent and emotionally gripping… a lucid portrait… Brandon Kramer does an impressive job revealing the personal and geopolitical aspects of a heartbreaking true story.”
— Jordan Mintzer,
“Kramer's film succeeds where other documentaries made after October 7th have been less successful—it walks the fine line between very complex psychological and political positions… Its human statement is almost incomprehensible in its nobility but also in its simplicity…”
— Shani Litman,
“HOLDING LIAT is a first draft of history, yet one that is open and sensitive to the nuances of Middle Eastern history and politics.”
— Nick Holdsworth,
“Kramer […] reveals a greater awareness of the political mechanics at play, and the place his movie occupies, by touching on how the pain of hostage families can be weaponized.”
— Siddhant Adlakha,
“A more nuanced view… Brandon Kramer has not only made a film that makes the trauma of the terrorist attack and the hostage-taking tangible; it also offers a complex, extremely thoughtful look at the spiral of violence in the Middle East.”
— Felicitas Kleiner,
“Sensitive camera work and a keen sense of the emotional dynamics within the family. An important contribution… Holding Liat is a moving testimony to human resilience and a powerful appeal for peace and reconciliation.”
ABOUT THE FILM
LOGLINE
After Liat Beinin Atzili is kidnapped on October 7th, her Israeli-American family faces their own conflicting perspectives to fight for her release and the future of the places they call home.
LONG SYNOPSIS
On the morning of October 7, 2023, Israeli-American Liat Atzili and her husband Aviv were at home when Hamas attacked their kibbutz. By nightfall, Liat and Aviv are captives in Gaza along with 250 other people—12 of whom, like Liat, are American citizens.
Caught between international diplomacy and a rapidly escalating war, their family must face their own uncertainty and conflicting political perspectives in the pursuit of Liat and Aviv’s release. This agonizing process, and the ultimate fate of their loved ones, challenges how the members of the family understand themselves and their place in the conflict.
Through the intimate lens of a family’s experience, HOLDING LIAT poses complex questions of identity across generations, as the family is thrust into the epicenter of a global conflict rapidly unfolding in real-time.
An independent production of Protozoa (Black Swan) and Meridian Hill Pictures (The First Step).
Director Brandon Kramer
Producers Darren Aronofsky, Lance Kramer, Yoni Brook, Ari Handel, Justin A. Gonçalves
Executive Producers Elliott Joseph, Janine Frier, Alexandra Shiva, Ted Haddock
Co-Producer Hilla Medalia
Consulting Producers Marilyn Ness, Libby Lenkinski
Editor Jeff Gilbert
Cinematographers Yoni Brook, Omer Manor
Sound Design Tristan Baylis
Music Jordan Dykstra
Story consultants Ra'ana Alexandrowicz, Carol Dysinger, Gordon Quinn
Cast Yehuda Beinin, Liat Beinin Atzili, Chaya Beinin, Tal Beinin
FESTIVALS
2025: Berlinale Forum (World Premiere)
AWARDS
Documentary Film Award (Berlinale)
AVAILABLE TERRITORIES
The World
EXHIBITION FORMATS
DCP, Digital Download
PRESS KIT
Download Press Kit
AVAILABLE PRESS IMAGES (click to preview)
