Holding Liat follows the Beinin family in the days and weeks after Liat Beinin Atzili was kidnapped by Hamas terrorists on October 7. Unfortunately, her husband, Aviv, was murdered by Hamas during the terrorist attack and his body is still being held hostage by terrorists in Gaza.

I wish we lived in the universe where Holding Liat didn’t need to be made. Unfortunately, we’re living in the universe where it has a reason to exist. Filmmaker Brandon Kramer is among many Americans with family in Israel and when he started checking in on Israeli family members, he learned that his cousin–Liat Atzili–was taken hostage on October 7. A documentary was quickly put into action in a matter of days, if not weeks. The camera follows Yehuda, Chaya, and Tal Beinin during their efforts to fight for Liat’s release, including meetings with congressional legislators.

Kibbutz Nir Oz, like so many along the envelope with Gaza, fell under attack on October 7. It is only about 13 miles from Re’im, just south of the Nova Festival site. As we all know, there were some 250 people taken hostage–12 of which were American citizens, including Liat. With Liat and Aviv taken hostage, one begins to see the conflicting perspectives from family members. Believe me, one can see the stark differences in family members, especially those living in America and did not have their own child taken hostage.

I’ll have a formal interview forthcoming with Holding Liat filmmaker Brandon Kramer but here’s an excerpt form his director’s statement:

Within the first days of filming, we were struck by the multiplicity of perspectives within the family on how to free hostages, end the escalating war, and find a path toward reconciliation. Liat and Aviv’s captivity brought out questions about each family member’s identity and their relationships with one another. Our camera became a place for each person in the family to authentically share without judgment.

When the filmmaker wasn’t asking questions, he did the next best thing: just observe and be present. And really, being present is the least anyone could do, especially during such a trying time like this. At the same time, the Kramers had the sort of intimate access that you can really only get with family members. I haven’t seen A Letter to David but other October 7-related documentaries come off differently than Holding Liat. But then again, so many of them feature graphic violence, as if they’re being made for the non-Jews needing to bear witness to the attacks.

In addition to Congress, Holding Liat follows the Beinin family in their homes and at demonstrations. While in DC, we catch a glimpse of Yehuda watching an anti-Israel rally. Beyond the typical meetings and demonstrations, we also see glimpses of Zoom meetings between State Department representatives and the Israeli-American hostage families. Rachel Goldberg-Polin is ever the wise speaker that we’ve come to see in her efforts to bring Hersh z’l home. But perhaps one of the biggest moments in the film is when Yehuda and Chaya speak with President Joe Biden over the phone, right after Liat was released.

I can tell you right now–Holding Liat will probably not be a film that right-wing Zionists will watch and recommend. This is more or less because the Beinin family holds different views than them–you can tell how they are not fans of Netanyahu and it certainly shows during one conversation while in America. But also, it speaks to a larger difference between Jews living in the United States and Jews living in Israel.

The North American premiere of Holding Liat comes at a stark time for the Jewish community in America. Many of us went into Shabbos after learning that the FBI and Homeland Security issued a PSA that more or less said that America’s Jewish population is no longer safe in America. I’m hesitant to say that Liat Atzili was one of the lucky ones–she endured terrorists in Gaza for some 50 days, her husband was murdered and his body is still not back in Israel.

Holding Liat is just one family’s story, but it’s nevertheless an important reminder of what’s been at stake since October 7.

DIRECTOR: Brandon Kramer

Holding Liat holds its North American premiere during the 2025 Tribeca Festival in the Spotlight Documentary program. Grade: 4/5

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