The Road Between Us: The Ultimate Rescue retraces Major General (Res.) Noam Tibon’s mission to save his family from Hamas terrorists on October 7.

This is a documentary that tells a harrowing true story reminiscent of Taken. On October 7, 2023, retired Israeli general Noam Tibon received a desperate message from his son, Haaretz journalist Amir Tibon—terrorists had stormed his home, and he, his wife Miri, and their two young daughters were in imminent danger at their home in Kibbutz Nahal Oz. With the country in chaos and the IDF seemingly missing in action, Noam and his wife, Gali, set out on a perilous ten-hour mission to save their family.

Drawing on instincts and years of military training, Noam faced ambushes, roadblocks, and a fractured security system in a race against time. Directed by Canadian filmmaker Barry Avrich, the film reconstructs the ordeal step by step, fusing firsthand testimony with the raw immediacy of a survival thriller. In addition to members of the Tibon family, Avrich interviews members from the Nahal Oz security team and the widow of Ilan Fiorentino.

Set during one of Israel’s darkest days, the documentary is both a cinematic retelling of a miraculous rescue and a stark reflection on both resilience and the failure of the Israeli government. At its heart, The Road Between Us is a deeply human story about bravery, family bonds, and the enduring force of love in the face of unthinkable terror.

Like other October 7 documentaries, the film includes Hamas’s live-streamed GoPro footage. At the Q&A, it was noted that little has changed from earlier screenings aside from highlighting those clips. The footage is not easy to watch, but it is necessary. It forces us to bear witness to the most barbaric attack against Jews since the Holocaust. Those who deny what happened on October 7 are no different from Holocaust deniers.

Films like The Road Between Us deserve to play at the world’s most prestigious festivals. Sadly, we live in a time when films about Israelis are often shunned for no reason other than antisemitic sentiment. This is our reality. As I wrote in my review of TORN back in March, empathy is missing from the conversation. I would add that nuance is also missing. While most TIFF selections received multiple screenings, The Road Between Us was given just one—but TIFF made it count by placing the film in its largest venue, Roy Thomson Hall.

During his introduction of The Road Between Us, TIFF CEO Cameron Bailey personally apologized for the hurt that was caused to the Jewish community.

“I want to thank you, here today, to watch the powerful story that unfolds. I want to apologize, especially to the Jewish community, for mistakes I made in the lead-up to this day. In an environment of rising, dangerous antisemitism, I want to apologize.”

His apology, which was met with applause, is a start in making amends but I would love to see TIFF get back to the days of having a half-dozen Israeli films screening at the festival.

Security was unsurprisingly heavy, with Toronto Police present as protesters gathered across from the ticket line. Yet The Road Between Us itself has no political agenda. It is simply about a retired Israeli general who risked everything to save his family from Hamas terrorists. Not mentioned on screen but worth noting: Noam Tibon is among Prime Minister Netanyahu’s fiercest critics. The government failed its citizens on October 7, when terrorists breached the border and the IDF was nowhere to be found. Nearly two years later, 48 hostages remain in Gaza—far too many of them already dead.

I do not know how many of my non-Jewish colleagues in Toronto attended the screening, but I hope they see The Road Between Us when it reaches wider release or future festivals. I also hope they watch the other October 7 documentaries, especially October 8. The people who most need to see these films are, tragically, the least likely to give them a chance. I extended my TIFF trip by two days to attend the world premiere because, as a Jewish critic who believes in Israel’s right to exist, it felt urgent that I be there.

The Road Between Us: The Ultimate Rescue joins a growing canon of October 7 documentaries but stands out as a reminder of a father’s refusal to let anything stand in the way of saving his family—and his refusal to leave anyone behind. It is an apolitical film, and that point cannot be stressed enough.

DIRECTOR/SCREENWRITER: Barry Avrich
FEATURING: Noam Tibon, Gali Mir-Tibon, Amir Tibon, Miri Tibon, Beri Meirovich, Sharon Fiorentino, Nissan Dekalo

The Road Between Us: The Ultimate Rescue holds its world premiere during the 2025 Toronto International Film Festival in the TIFF Docs program. Grade: 5/5

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