Violent clashes at screening of 'movie of horrors' for Hollywood executives

300 Hollywood executives were shown the IDF spokesman's informational film detailing the atrocities that took place on October 7 at the Museum of Tolerance in Los Angeles on Wednesday.

The screening was held, thanks to the initiative of Israeli actress Gal Gadot and her husband Yaron Varsano.

During the screening, violent clashes broke out outside the museum, during which people were beaten and sprayed with tear gas.

Guy Nativ, Oscar winner and director of the film Golda, said after watching the film:

“An hour ago, I came out of the 45-minute raw footage that Hamas shot of all the slaughter, rape, beheadings, torture, and burning of Jewish babies, children, women, men and the elderly.”

“My heart is broken into a billion pieces. I need a few days to digest what I just saw. It’s not something the human mind can really process.”

Happening right now on Pico Blvd in Los Angeles right next to the Museum of Tolerance.

Hamas lovers going after Israelis on the streets. They only know violence and it must stop!!#Israel ⁦@LAPDHQ⁩ pic.twitter.com/UPtutamf6u

— Rabid Dentite 🇮🇱 (@PatrioticCoach) November 9, 2023

Israeli journalist Yigal Ravid also watched the screening in Los Angeles and said that it should be adapted in order to optimize the informational work:

“There is a failure in bringing the material and the clips without context and explanations. If you don’t know what it is you have no way to deal with it. There is no translation of the terrorists’ words in Arabic,” he said.

Ravid added, “The viewers received a barcode and can show the movie with it. It’s already out. Adjustments need to be made, perhaps blur the faces. The world needs to see.”

Yesterday, a group of actors and celebrities from the Broadway artist community gathered for a special music video designed to draw the world’s attention to the kidnapped hostages who have been held in the Gaza Strip since October 7th.

About two weeks ago, more than 350 celebrities signed an open letter in which they thanked President Biden for his support of the Jewish people and called for the release of all the abductees in Gaza.

In a letter to the director-general of the Health Ministry, Moshe Bar Siman Tov, the National Post Trauma Council warned this week about the consequences of watching the film.

The director of the council, Prof. Eyal Fruchter, emphasized in the letter that the use of the film should be limited and that it cannot be used for wide viewing.

In an interview with Kan Reshet Bet, Prof. Fruchter warned that “watching the film can lead to an outbreak of full-blown mental illness.”

He further clarified that “the difference from the Holocaust films is in the ability to distance. Not everyone who is exposed to the film will develop post-trauma, but the risk exists and there is no reason to expose a wide public.”

Yesterday, the IDF spokesman offered the Knesset members another screening of the film, which Knesset members Ayman Odeh and Ahmed Tibi from the Israeli-Arab Hadash-Ta’al party registered for.

More than 50 former and current Knesset members were present at the first screening that took place last week.

Some of them burst into tears when they left the screening, others needed medical treatment due to exposure to the harsh scenes.

Written by KAN reporters Ram Brandes, Dov Gil-Har and Dorit Asraf Mizrahi.