Tantura (2022) User Reviews

Finally an honest account of history

[ianovicizohar · 10/10 · 5 December 2022]

I cannot fathom how much courage the director had to gather to make an honest film about our history.

For anyone who grew up on myths promoted by state propaganda, this film is bound to be hard to watch but ever more so, very much necessary.

Masterfully made. The director deserve all the praise he can get and I wish him the best of luck fending against the immense backlash it created.

The movie serves the honorable purpose of speaking truth to power, with no restraints or filters and for that it is a must watch for anyone who thinking they have an idea about the history of Israel and Palestine.

Insanity

[joaosantos20 · 10/10 · 16 October 2023]

Powerful account of atrocities that should never have happened, it's hard to watch but explains a lot. And the cover up at the highest levels makes it even worst and it's hard not to draw similitude to what the nazis did, it's the same thing

To imagine that just 3 years after being hunted by the nazis, the same people decided, you know what is a good idea, lets do the same to someone else.

And to top it all of they were rounding up, chasing and judging the nazis while at the same time doing the exact same thing. Insanity

And it's really hard to see people telling about this crimes and laughing, these aren't people, these are animals.

Hearr wrenching

[sarrahmohammed-56658 · 9/10 · 5 January 2023]

My heart was tight during the entire documentary. It was infuriating the level of denial and lack of remorse the interviewees felt. The laughing and jeering whilst mentioning awful acts of depravity, made me want to throw my remote at the television.

This is one of the only documentaries I have seen uncover truths about the palestinian history of the nakba. I hope it inspires a new genre of documentaries uncovering more truths. The pain within the diaspora is palpable. Their realities and stories are important.

The director deserves praise due to his bravery in releasing such a controversial documentary.

Finally!

[narid-40811 · 10/10 · 3 December 2022]

Palestinian struggles have always been underplayed by the international community. Despite being able to just google "list of international crimes committed by Israel" and actual lists appearing, all the abuse is denied. It wasn't until recent that the UN recognized the Nakba (despite Nakba deniers existing still) and that Israel is declared an apartheid state.

The only reason films like this and Farha are getting bad reviews is not because of the accuracy but because Zionists find these facts offensive. Until this day, most children in Palestine do not even make it to adulthood. This film is from Israelis. They are vouching for the human rights violations that occurred. How is it that all Palestinians in diaspora have the same memories of their parents and grandparents harrowing treatment under occupation and during the formation of the state of Israel? How delusional do zionists have to be to imagine that somehow, all the Palestinian refuges scattered in South America, America, the Gulf, Europe, and so on during their forced expulsion conjured up the Nakba and continued with this "lie"? There are actual documentation alongside this oral history such as the village files that show the deliberate and brutal treatment of Palestinians at the expense of the Zionist regime. This film was amazing.

Catastrophe 💔💔💔💔

[fatimazahraaahmed · 10/10 · 5 November 2023]

The phrase "Never Forget" has long been associated with the Holocaust. It's a pushback against the type of willed, collective amnesia that allows not just the perpetrators of atrocities but their descendants to go through life unburdened by guilt for war crimes and the privileges accrued as a result of their commission. The documentary "Tantura" shows how selectively the phrase is applied when the subject is the founding of Israel, which killed and displaced Palestinians and had a negative multigenerational ripple effect that continues into the present day. The movie focuses on the fate of Palestinian residents of the title village in the summer of 1948. A mass murder by Israeli soldiers was part of a grim event that included beatings, rapes, and looting.

Tears for Tantura

[DrD3 · 10/10 · 28 November 2023]

This is a very revealing film which documents the horrendous massacres committed against the indigenous people of Palestine. The interviewer skillfully exposes the repetitive lies and excuses concocted by certain members of the zionist militias as they ransacked village after village with the peaceful seaside hamlet of Tantura being the focal point of this documentary. It was refreshing to hear the truth being told from time to time. Interviewing Ilan Pappe for this film was excellent as he is the foremost Israeli scholar on the events that transpired during The Nakba. Very educational and well worthy of a watch.

Haunting

[info-89992 · 10/10 · 3 February 2024]

My previous review was canceled without any explanation; my only thought is that it must have contained a spoiler.

This is an important film to see. I think the director did a great job telling a forgotten story about the creation of Israel. We are offered a glimpse into history from the perspective of the Israeli soldiers who participated in the massacres of the Palestinian villages that were ethnically cleansed during the creation of the state of Israel. I am amazed that this film was made and screened at US festivals, given the censure these types of films typically receive. It's a tough watch, but a necessary one.

Important

[rabiabashar · 10/10 · 2 February 2024]

This movie should be seen from an educational perspective. When they say that history repeats itself it is important to understand why. If one wants a reminder as to why, they should consider watching this. It leaves you with many mixed emotions. You feel like you are watching an episode of Law and Order with no legal trial. You feel you are watching CSI with no evidence presented. You feel you are watching a legal drama where there is truth being hidden like in the movie primal fear. It leaves you with a feeling of what people are capable of out of fear and trauma where there is no impunity. Its a must see for a open mind.

Well-Informed, but uneventful at the same time

[chenp-54708 · 6/10 · 21 April 2022]

Originally premiered at the 2022 Sundance Film Festival in the World Cinema Documentary Competition.

Tantura is about in the war of 1948, where hundreds of Palestinian villages were depopulated. Israelis call it 'The War of Independence. Palestinians call it 'Nakba"'. The film examines one village- Tantura and why "Nakba" is taboo in Israeli society. Directed by Alon Schwarz, there is a lot to appreciate here. For starters, there is really good production value throughout this documentary, purposeful archival footage to support the arguments from the participants and directors, and really good discussions from the main participants.

However, some of the participants answers feels kind of dishonest and really fake. As if they are not being really truthful to their answers and all. Some of the discussions feel really stale especially towards the second act.

Overall, a decent documentary.

Rating: B-

1948 Never Ended

[mysticwit · 9/10 · 4 February 2024]

First person accounts, a master's thesis, a newspaper article about the thesis, and the scandal of truth makes Tantura is a gateway documentary about truth vs the manufactured myths of state creation.

Told in non-linear format, individuals connected to an Arab village recall 1948 events on camera as well as through decades old audio interviews. Memories and rationalizations clash as the true and hidden stories of atrocities are revealed.

All but exclusively interviewing Israelis, Tantura the documentary might be better entitled, Testimonies of Tantura, as only a few Arab voices are heard. While there are some village witnesses who survived interviewed, the focus is on Israeli perspectives, peeling away layers of taboo and myth to reveal the shocking truths, some told so casually, and justified so brazenly, that anyone watching will rightly start questioning the creation myth of the state of Israel.

Tantura is more than examination of an obscured massacre, it's an examination of the relationship Israelis have with the truth.

Pair Tantura this with 1948: Creation & Catastrophe (2017), another documentary relying on first-person accounts to gain better insight into the history of Israel and current events in Palestine.

Captures Small Details SO WELL

[lindsaysproul · 10/10 · 2 February 2024]

Of course this film's topic is absolutely essential and I am so glad this story is being told. As for the way the film portrays details (the eerie points where people smile, the reaction of the dog and other animals, the inflections of the people being interviewed) is what made this film so terrifying and so strong. It's also why I recommend watching it multiple times-you'll notice more detail each time. I've watched it twice, a year apart, and found myself catching so many more small details. This film is essential if you want to educate yourself about Palestine and its history, and about the way people lie to themselves to keep their "morality" intact. Ultimately, what I found myself feeling again after watching is this: being afraid to learn, to adapt and to admit when you were wrong is essential to liberation. Every time someone in this film says "I don't think about that anymore," it's so clear that they think about it every day.