Media & Film
OctoberDoc: preserving history while it is still being written
In October 2025, the Tel Aviv Cinematheque hosted OctoberDoc, the first festival devoted entirely to documentaries about the October 7 attacks and the war that followed, produced by Kastina Communications and supported by Israel at Heart.
Between October 3 and 5, 2025, the Tel Aviv Cinematheque became the meeting place for Israel's leading documentary filmmakers, journalists, photographers, producers, and storytellers. OctoberDoc was the first festival devoted entirely to documentaries about the October 7 attacks and the war that followed.
Produced by Kastina Communications, Israel's leading creator of documentary content about October 7, and supported by Israel at Heart, the event reflected the major impact the war has had on Israeli documentary filmmaking.
Among the featured speakers and participants were veteran journalist Ilana Dayan, political commentator Amnon Abramovich, journalist and bereaved father Shimon Elkabetz, veteran columnist Sima Kadmon, communications strategist and former IDF spokesperson Avi Benayahu, and former IDF spokesperson and minister Nachman Shai, alongside leading filmmakers, photographers, producers, and creators whose work has documented the events of October 7 from their earliest hours.
Through premieres, screenings, interviews, and panel discussions, participants explored not only what happened, but how those stories should be told: with accuracy, sensitivity, and historical responsibility.
For Israel at Heart, OctoberDoc reflects a belief that has guided many of its own initiatives: history does not preserve itself. It depends on people who choose to bear witness, ask difficult questions, and record testimony before memory fades. Long after headlines disappear and political debates evolve, documentary films remain.
