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The Bibi Files

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The Bibi Files
Official poster
Directed byAlexis Bloom
Produced by
CinematographyAvner Shahaf
Edited by
  • Andy Grieve
  • Halil Efrat
  • Graeme Butler
Music byWill Bates
Production
companies
  • Jigsaw Productions
  • Drucker & Goren Media
Distributed by
Release date
  • November 14, 2024 (2024-11-14) (Doc NYC)
Running time
113 minutes
CountryUnited States
Languages
  • Hebrew
  • Arabic
  • English

The Bibi Files is a 2024 American documentary film directed by Alexis Bloom. The film features leaked interrogation footage from the trial of Benjamin Netanyahu. It was screened as a work-in-progress film at the 2024 Toronto International Film Festival, and had its official world premiere at Doc NYC on November 14, 2024. It will later be released on direct-to-consumer film platform Jolt in the United States on December 11, 2024.

Background

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Main article: Trial of Benjamin Netanyahu

As part of the investigation into bribery and fraud allegations against Benjamin Netanyahu, Israeli police recorded thousands of hours of interrogation footage from 2016 to 2018.[1] This footage was leaked to filmmaker Alex Gibney in late 2023.[2] In addition to Netanyahu, the film features footage of his wife Sara, son Yair, friends, and associates, as well as household workers at Beit Aghion.[3][4] It also includes interviews with insiders who were willing to speak on the record about Netanyahu, including former prime minister Ehud Olmert, former Shin Bet head Ami Ayalon, and journalist Raviv Drucker, who also serves as one of the film's producers.[5]

While the interrogation audio had been previously published, the footage had not been.[5] Gibney stated, "These recordings shed light on Netanyahu's character in a way that is unprecedented and extraordinary. They are powerful evidence of his venal and corrupt character and how that led us to where we are at right now."[3]

Production

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Gibney and director Alexis Bloom had been working on the film prior to the October 7 attacks in 2023.[1][5] Bloom noted that she interviewed many individuals, including former chiefs of staff, heads of Shin Bet, and other senior officials, who were willing to speak with her about Netanyahu, but only off the record. One compared Netanyahu's premiership to the Netflix television series House of Cards.[5] Bloom stated, "Honestly, these stories about Netanyahu are fairly well known in Israel. So many Israelis along the way have said to me, 'You need to get this out to the wider world'."[6]

Release

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On September 2, 2024, the film was added to the 2024 Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF) lineup as a work-in progress film, three weeks after the full festival schedule had been released.[3][7] Goodfellas acquired the sales rights on September 6, and it was screened at TIFF on September 9 and 10.[8][9] It was also screened at the 2024 Woodstock Film Festival.[10]

On October 29, 2024, the film was acquired for distribution by September Film in Belgium, the Netherlands, and Luxembourg; Dulac Distribution [fr] in France; Against Gravity [pl] in Poland; Filmin in Spain; Dogwoof in the United Kingdom; Madman Entertainment in Australia and New Zealand; PT Falcon in Indonesia; and Teleview in the Middle East and Turkey.[11]

The film had its official world premiere at Doc NYC on November 14, 2024.[11][12] The following day, on November 15, it received a limited theatrical run at the Laemmle Monica Center in Santa Monica, California.[2][13] It will be made available to stream on direct-to-consumer film platform Jolt in the United States on December 11, 2024.[14][15]

Netanyahu response

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On September 8, 2024, one day before the film's TIFF screening, lawyers representing Netanyahu petitioned the Jerusalem District Court for an injunction against journalist Raviv Drucker, one of the film's producers, for publishing footage from a police interrogation without the court's permission.[1][16] Judge Oded Shaham denied the request on September 9, and the film was screened at TIFF later that day.[17][18] On September 17, 2024, lawyers representing Netanyahu petitioned Israel's Attorney General, Gali Baharav-Miara, and Police Commissioner, Daniel Levy [he], to open an investigation into Drucker. They also requested a gag order to be placed on the leaked trial footage.[19]

The film is banned in Israel due to privacy laws.[20][21] Regarding its distribution, Gibney stated, "There's a legal restriction at the moment in Israel, by agreement with the source. Everywhere else in the world, there's no restriction. So, we plan to distribute it as widely as possible and still stay within the bounds of our promise, or my promise, to the source."[6]

Reception

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Jason Gorber of Collider rated the film 7 out of 10 and wrote, "The Bibi Files serves as a testament that there are voices – millions of voices, in fact, both in and outside Israel – that call for an end to [Netanyahu] and his coalition that tie directly the horrific events of October 7, 2023, to the policies of the current administration, and say unequivocally that the [Israel-Hamas] war is being perpetuated not for the greater security of a people, but to inflict suffering for ideological reasons, and to avoid being held accountable for some pretty clear indications of bribery and corruption."[22]

Frank Scheck of The Hollywood Reporter called the film "a revealing look at the machinations of power" and that it "paints a damning portrait of arrogance".[23] Leela Jacinto of France 24 called the film "an almost Shakespearean tale of the corruption of one man and how it can infect the body politic of a nation at war, once again, against a people with no country".[6]

Ofer Matan of Haaretz wrote, "The linkage between Netanyahu's corruption trial and the [Israel-Hamas] war is perhaps the film's greatest achievement. This connection is almost intuitive for Israelis who oppose Netanyahu and protest against him and his government, but it's not obvious, or sometimes even known, to international audiences, including Jewish ones."[24]

Mittal Balmes Cohen of the Hebrew University of Jerusalem stated, "We won't see a substantial change in public opinion in Israel, but in the international arena [the film] has great significance."[25]

References

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  1. ^ a b c Stern, Itay (September 11, 2024). "'The Bibi Files.' Benjamin Netanyahu fails to block documentary from screening". NPR. Retrieved September 11, 2024.
  2. ^ a b Carey, Matthew (November 11, 2024). "'The Bibi Files' Trailer: Leaked Videos Show Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu Grilled By Police On Corruption Allegations". Deadline. Retrieved November 11, 2024.
  3. ^ a b c Morfoot, Addie (September 2, 2024). "Alexis Bloom Doc Featuring Never-Before-Seen Police Interrogation Footage of Benjamin Netanyahu to Screen at TIFF (EXCLUSIVE)". Variety. Archived from the original on September 17, 2024. Retrieved September 9, 2024.
  4. ^ Lee, Benjamin (September 5, 2024). "From Hard Truths to Nightbitch: 10 films to look out for at Toronto film festival 2024". The Guardian. Retrieved September 9, 2024.
  5. ^ a b c d Simonpillai, Radheyan (September 10, 2024). "'I've never seen the depth of moral corruption': controversial Netanyahu doc screens at Toronto". The Guardian. Retrieved September 10, 2024.
  6. ^ a b c Jacinto, Leela (September 10, 2024). "'The Bibi Files': Documentary reveals the police interrogations behind Netanyahu's graft trial". France 24. Archived from the original on September 10, 2024. Retrieved September 10, 2024.
  7. ^ Bergeson, Samantha (August 13, 2024). "TIFF 2024 Announces Additional Films: Francis Ford Coppola's 'Megalopolis' Set for Gala". IndieWire. Archived from the original on September 9, 2024. Retrieved September 9, 2024.
  8. ^ Goodfellow, Melanie (September 6, 2024). "Goodfellas Boards Sales On Benjamin Netanyahu Exposé 'The Bibi Files' – Toronto". Deadline. Archived from the original on September 15, 2024. Retrieved September 9, 2024.
  9. ^ Kay, Jeremy (September 10, 2024). "Benjamin Netanyahu doc 'The Bibi Files' screening again in TIFF despite Israeli government efforts to block". Screen Daily. Retrieved September 10, 2024.
  10. ^ Carey, Matthew (September 16, 2024). "25th Woodstock Film Festival Announces Lineup Featuring 'Anora,' 'Blitz,' Paul Shrader Tribute, 'The Bibi Files,' World, U.S. Premieres & More". Deadline. Archived from the original on September 19, 2024. Retrieved September 22, 2024.
  11. ^ a b Goodfellow, Melanie (October 29, 2024). "Benjamin Netanyahu Doc 'The Bibi Files' Secures Release In Multiple Territories As Goodfellas Posts Deals". Deadline. Retrieved October 29, 2024.
  12. ^ Carey, Matthew (October 18, 2024). "'Will & Harper,' 'No Other Land,' 'Frida,' 'Queendom,' 'The Bibi Files' & More Make DOC NYC Shortlist Of Year's Best Documentaries". Deadline. Retrieved October 22, 2024.
  13. ^ Goldsmith, Jill (November 15, 2024). "Sideshow/Janus Films Debuts Payal Kapadia's Acclaimed Cannes Grand Prix Winner 'All We Imagine As Light' – Specialty Preview". Deadline. Retrieved November 16, 2024.
  14. ^ Morfoot, Addie (October 21, 2024). "'The Bibi Files' – the Docu That Benjamin Netanyahu Doesn't Want You to See – to Launch on Jolt (EXCLUSIVE)". Variety. Retrieved October 21, 2024.
  15. ^ Kilkenny, Katie (October 24, 2024). "'The Bibi Files' to Distribute on Jolt: "A Lot of the Major Outlets Just Were Nervous"". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved October 29, 2024.
  16. ^ Assaly, Richie (September 9, 2024). "Israeli court rejects Netanyahu's request to block screening of TIFF documentary". Toronto Star. Archived from the original on September 9, 2024. Retrieved September 9, 2024.
  17. ^ Zeitchik, Steven (September 10, 2024). "TIFF: Anti-Netanyahu Film Premiere Goes Forward in Toronto After Court Motion Fails". The Hollywood Reporter. Archived from the original on September 10, 2024. Retrieved September 10, 2024.
  18. ^ Carey, Matthew (September 10, 2024). "Explosive Documentary Critical Of Benjamin Netanyahu Premieres In Toronto After Attempt To Block It Fails; Film Contains Leaked Footage Of Israeli Leader's Police Interrogation". Deadline. Archived from the original on September 10, 2024. Retrieved September 10, 2024.
  19. ^ Breuer, Eliav (September 17, 2024). "Netanyahu demands criminal investigation into 'Bibi Files' leak". The Jerusalem Post. Archived from the original on September 25, 2024. Retrieved September 18, 2024.
  20. ^ Edelson, Daniel (November 12, 2024). "The Bibi Files to air around the world: 'Netanyahu is the architect of chaos'". Ynet. Retrieved November 12, 2024.
  21. ^ Liebman, Lisa (November 15, 2024). "The Bombshell Documentary Benjamin Netanyahu Doesn't Want You to See". Vanity Fair. Retrieved November 16, 2024.
  22. ^ Gorber, Jason (September 22, 2024). "'The Bibi Files' Review: Timely Documentary Showcases the Worst of Political Power | TIFF 2024". Collider. Retrieved September 22, 2024.
  23. ^ Scheck, Frank (November 15, 2024). "'The Bibi Files' Review: Alex Gibney-Produced Benjamin Netanyahu Doc Paints a Damning Portrait of Arrogance". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved November 15, 2024.
  24. ^ Matan, Ofer (September 15, 2024). "'Bullshit!' 'Liars!': 'The Bibi Files' Exposes the Netanyahus' Attempts to Turn Israel Into a Banana Republic". Haaretz. Retrieved September 18, 2024.
  25. ^ מורג, גלעד; לוקש, אלכסנדרה (September 10, 2024). "חשיבות ציבורית, לא רעידת אדמה ראייתית: "תיקי נתניהו" והאפשרות שיוקרן בארץ". Ynet (in Hebrew). Archived from the original on September 10, 2024. Retrieved September 10, 2024.
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