Holding Liat

Liat is kidnapped from the kibbutz during the October 7 attacks, and her ordeal exposes the family to fear, uncertainty, and the fragility of safety. Her release marks a turning point that forces her to confront trauma while trying to reclaim a sense of normalcy. Through hospital visits and media scrutiny, she becomes the emotional anchor of the family’s grief and resolve.

Aviv is Liat's husband who is abducted alongside her; a blood finding confirms his fate, yet his body remains missing. His disappearance catalyzes profound grief and shapes the family’s public and private responses to the war. His absence drives the action and foregrounds the ethical questions the family grapples with.

Yehuda is Liat's father who channels fear into public activism, traveling to the United States with Tal to rally support and critique perceived inaction. His insistence on political action strains his relationship with other family members and exposes ideological rifts, particularly in discussions with his brother Joel. He embodies the tension between personal grief and collective political obligation.

Chaya is Liat's mother, a steadying force who navigates fear and mourning while supporting her family. She participates in the public discourse around the ceasefire and remains a source of emotional resilience for the kin. Her presence highlights the everyday impact of war on parental love and communal memory.

Tal, Yehuda's youngest daughter, accompanies him to Portland and becomes a vocal critic of both Israeli and American positions on the ceasefire. Her generation’s perspective brings a brisk, unfiltered critique of established narratives, illustrating a clash between youthful dissent and political diplomacy. Her stance adds urgency to the public debates depicted in the film.

Joel is an American academic and Yehuda’s brother who lectures on the Nakba, challenging some of the kibbutz’s founding myths and socialist ideals. His dialogue with Yehuda reveals deep-seated ideological differences about Zionism and state formation. As an outsider voice, he broadens the film’s lens to include international historical criticism and dialogue.