Two years after the October 7 attacks, filmmakers in Israel and around the world are still grappling with how to tell the story of that day — and everything that has unfolded since. Through documentaries, short films, and narrative dramas, directors have tried to capture not only the brutality of the events but also the resilience, grief, and moral complexity that followed.
As the second anniversary approaches, these films and shows offer more than just a recounting of history — they’re a way to bear witness, honor lives lost, and deepen our understanding of how Oct. 7 continues to shape Israeli society, global Jewish communities, and the wider world. Whether you’re looking for firsthand testimonies, investigative reporting, or artistic reflections, here are some of the most powerful films to watch.
“Red Alert”
“Red Alert” is a four-part Israeli miniseries that dramatizes the events of October 7 through five intertwined true stories of civilians, police officers, and first responders. Blending scripted drama with real footage, the series follows people like Bat Sheva, who flees with her daughters as her son is abducted; Ohad, a father who sacrifices himself to protect his family; and Nofar, a border police officer wounded in the line of duty.
Premiering in Israel on Oct. 5, 2025, and streaming globally on Paramount+ starting Oct. 7, the series aims to capture the chaos, heroism, and human cost of that day, offering a visceral, personal window into the attacks and their immediate aftermath.
“One Day in October”
“One Day in October” is a seven-episode Israeli anthology drama that portrays multiple personal stories from the Oct. 7, 2023, attacks. Blending dramatization with survivor testimony and real footage, the series focuses on individuals from different walks of life — residents of Kibbutz Be’eri, Nova music festivalgoers, first responders, and soldiers — each confronting unimaginable terror as the day unfolds. Rather than following a single narrative, each episode spotlights a different perspective, creating a mosaic of experiences that together capture the scope and chaos of the attacks.
The series originally aired in Israel in October 2024 on yes Drama and quickly drew widespread attention for its unflinching but deeply human portrayal of the events. Now set to stream internationally on HBO Max on Oct. 7, 2025, “One Day in October” offers global audiences a raw, intimate window into the personal stories behind the headlines.
“The Road Between Us: The Ultimate Rescue”
“The Road Between Us: The Ultimate Rescue” is a 2025 Canadian documentary directed by Barry Avrich that recounts the dramatic true story of retired Israeli Major General Noam Tibon and his daring journey to rescue his son, daughter-in-law, and two young granddaughters from Kibbutz Nahal Oz during the Oct. 7 attacks. As the film unfolds, viewers witness his decision to drive from Tel Aviv into a war zone, navigating active gunfire and chaos to reach his family, while archival and bodycam footage place his personal mission against the broader horror of that day.
Upon its intended premiere at the Toronto International Film Festival, the film faced controversy: it was initially withdrawn over concerns about legal clearances for Hamas-shot footage, only to be reinstated after public outcry and negotiation. The documentary combines intense real-time drama with emotional interviews from the Tibon family and raises questions about how personal heroism intersects with collective trauma.
Amir Tibon’s book about his father’s journey, “The Gates of Gaza,” is also a great read.
“The Road Between Us” is currently in theaters and is not yet streaming. Find out where you can watch it locally here.
“October 8”
“October 8” is a 2025 American documentary directed by Wendy Sachs that examines the sharp rise of antisemitism in the United States in the wake of the Oct. 7 attacks. Through interviews with students, public figures, and experts, the film traces how anti-Israel sentiment spilled onto U.S. college campuses, social media, and public discourse — and argues that it evolved into more overt antisemitism.
The documentary features voices like U.S. Representative Ritchie Torres, Senator Kirsten Gillibrand, Noa Tishby, Sheryl Sandberg, Bari Weiss, and others, exploring topics such as the role of student activism (especially Students for Justice in Palestine), online disinformation, and institutional responses to campus harassment and protests.
Currently, “October 8” is streaming on multiple platforms; learn how to watch it here.
“The Children of October 7”
“The Children of October 7” is a 2024 Paramount+ documentary in which singer and activist Montana Tucker conducts intimate interviews with about seven Israeli children, ages 9 to 17, who survived the Oct. 7 Hamas attacks.
These children recount in their own words harrowing experiences: watching parents murdered, being held hostage in Gaza, losing siblings, or hiding during home invasions. The film strips away political framing to center their voices, urging viewers to bear witness to their trauma, resilience, and quest for healing.
“Every moment with each child was emotional because they all had unique stories,” Tucker told Unpacked at a Manhattan screening of the film. “People ask me how I didn’t break down during every single interview. When you watch it, you see the trauma in their eyes, but you see how strong they are. It was a great honor to bring their stories to a major platform.”
“Screams Before Silence”
“Screams Before Silence” is a 2024 documentary directed by Anat Stalinsky and led by former Meta executive Sheryl Sandberg that centers on testimonies of sexual violence during the October 7 attacks. Through interviews with released hostages, survivors, first responders, medical and forensic experts, the film aims to document rapes, assaults, and other forms of sexual brutality committed by Hamas during and after the massacre — particularly at the Nova music festival and in kidnappings into Gaza.
The documentary, about 60 minutes long, was released in April 2024 and is available to watch for free on YouTube. It is a stark, harrowing work intended to elevate voices that have often gone unheard and to confront what its creators describe as a silence or denial surrounding these atrocities.
“We Will Dance Again”
“We Will Dance Again” is a 2024 Paramount+ documentary directed by Yariv Mozer that reconstructs the October 7 attack on the Nova music festival in Israel. The film weaves together more than a dozen survivor testimonies with raw cell-phone and found footage — including recordings taken during the chaos — to offer a minute-by-minute account of how what began as a celebration turned into a massacre.
The documentary does not shy away from graphic detail: it shows the violent intrusion of Hamas militants, the panic of festivalgoers trying to escape or hide, and the human cost of the attack. In doing so, “We Will Dance Again” aims to preserve the memory of the victims, amplify the voices of survivors, and force viewers to reckon with the immediacy and horror of October 7.
“TORN: The Israel–Palestine Poster War on NYC Streets”
“TORN: The Israel–Palestine Poster War on NYC” Streets is a 2025 documentary directed by Nim Shapira that traces how the conflict in Israel reverberated across New York City’s public spaces. After Hamas’s October 7 attacks and the subsequent hostage crisis, local artists launched a “KIDNAPPED” poster campaign memorializing Israelis taken captive. But the posters soon became battlegrounds: some were torn down by critics and activists, sparking street confrontations, social media debates, and tensions around whose voices and grief were allowed in public view.
The film weaves together interviews with hostage family members, artists behind the poster campaign (such as Nitzan Mintz and Dede Bandaid), activists, and New Yorkers caught in the middle. Through archival news footage, social media posts, and on-the-ground encounters, “TORN” explores themes of memory, polarization, identity, and free expression, asking how a distant war can fracture the social fabric of a city far from the conflict zone.
