JIFF: Holding Liat

Holding Liat

“Politically potent and emotionally gripping … revealing the personal and geopolitical aspects of a heartbreaking true story.” – The Hollywood Reporter 

“Emotionally rich, politically thought-provoking … helps bring nuance and understanding to a continuing crisis.” – Screen Daily

NSW Premiere

Brothers Brandon and Lance Kramer (director and producer, respectively) started capturing unfolding events after their elder relatives, Yehuda and Chaya Beinin, learnt that their daughter Liat and her husband had been abducted from the Nir Oz kibbutz in the October 7, 2023 Hamas attacks.

As the Beinin family grapples with this devastating crisis, their differing personal politics emerge. Yehuda, Liat’s father, is a staunch leftist who opposes Benjamin Netanyahu’s regime. Tal, Liat’s sister, is more moderate, and Netta, Liat’s adult son who survived the Nir Oz attack, is filled with rage at Hamas. Can they set personal politics aside as they fight for Liat’s release?

Winner of Best Documentary at the 2025 Berlin International Film Festival, Holding Liat offers a profoundly intimate account of one family’s experience following the Hamas attacks, and the challenges that arise when personal struggles become entangled in thorny politics.

Rating

Unclassified 15+

Duration

97 min

Country

United States

Language

English, Hebrew (English subtitles)

Director

Brandon Kramer