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SARAJEVO, September 17 (FENA) – The world premiere of the film "Holy Redemption", which explores the actions of extremist settler groups in Israel, was held as part of the Competition Program at the AJB DOC Film Festival in Sarajevo. One of the film's three authors, Aslıhan Eker Çakmak, spoke to FENA about the production process, filming preparations, going to the West Bank, establishing contacts with the military and government officials, infiltrating Israeli settler groups, and the importance of exposing the truth about systemic Israeli land grab from the Palestinians.
The preparatory phase began before October 7 last year, and filming started in December, a few months after the war in Gaza began.
The film's creators, José Carlos Soares, Tanju Şahin, and Aslıhan Eker Çakmak, who are part of the TRT World investigative team, gained access to the West Bank in December last year by infiltrating extremist Israeli settler groups, including the notorious Hilltop Youth organization.
The war Israel has been waging in Gaza has now lasted nearly a year with no signs of abating, but violence against Palestinians is also prevalent elsewhere, particularly in the West Bank.
Eker Çakmak warns that the violence Palestinians face in the occupied West Bank has been intensifying in recent months.
"Attacks by Israeli settlers are becoming increasingly violent, and the number of illegal outposts (officially unrecognized under Israeli law) that later become Israeli settlements, illegal under international law, are growing in number every day," she noted.
The film "Holy Redemption" presents the colonialist mindset and actions of extremist Jewish groups driven by the vision of Greater Israel through a series of interviews and detailed reports.
Discussing the lengthy pre-production process, Eker Çakmak highlights that TRT has a team of very skilled journalists with excellent sources.
"Of course, as journalists, we do not reveal our sources, and we would never do that. But in such work, whether it involves making documentaries or news, you need a good network of contacts and experience, and we have that as a team. I also think intention is important," she said.
Eker Çakmak added that they have believed in this project for a long time, even before the Gaza war began.
"We have been following events and wanted to make this film for a long time. When you really want to do something, you find ways and the right people," she stated.
Commenting on the individuals featured in the film, she emphasizes that it is important to note that not all Israelis share the same views.
"There are people who think differently, who criticize the ongoing situation. As a journalist, if you know the region and have the right network, you can achieve this, and we did," Eker Çakmak stressed.
Regarding the film's choice to exclusively present opinions within Israeli society, including current or former members of the military (IDF), politicians, and parliament members, Eker Çakmak emphasizes that the primary and conscious goal from the beginning was to avoid the accusations of being biased.
"Yes, that was our intention from the start. This story has been told many times from different perspectives. There are documentaries, short videos, and so on, but we wanted to give a different perspective. We wanted Israelis to tell their own story. We were very careful; we did not want to include anyone from outside," she explained.
Eker Çakmak highlights that in today's world, any commentary about Israel immediately brings the risk of being labeled as antisemitic.
"We realized this is a serious issue, and we did not want to be stigmatized as antisemites, so we decided to make the film in a way that Jews themselves tell the story. That’s why we chose this perspective from the beginning," she explained.
Speaking about the promotion and visibility of the film through various media formats, she emphasizes that they have already achieved significant success on social media platforms.
"We have received many reactions and interactions. We had a premiere in Istanbul and invited internationally renowned activists who continued to share the film and were amazed by it. The reactions and comments are incredible and come from all over the world," she said.
Eker Çakmak concluded that the film's special value lies in helping people understand what the Israeli occupation truly is.
"I believe it will educate people. Yes, something like this is brutal to watch and what we see in the film may be hard to swallow, but for months we've been swallowing a lot of brutal things. We’ve seen almost everything, so it’s not about brutality but about education, understanding the real picture, the big picture of what this occupation is really about. It's not about Hamas or self-defense; there is another reason and motivation behind all of this. Unfortunately, when we look at it generally, people are really uninformed about this issue. Although it has been present all along, from the very beginning," concluded one of the film's authors, Aslıhan Eker Çakmak, in an interview with FENA.
(FENA) S. R.
