Veteran documentarian Alex Gibney, known for addressing complex issues throughout his decades-long career, didn’t plan on making a film about Israel — until he came across a remarkable leak last year.
This leak turned out to be like a deluge.
Suddenly, through a source who contacted him on the Signal messaging app, Mr. Gibney was being offered access to copious video recordings of police interviews with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, his wife Sarah, his son Yair and several associates. Was. The beneficiaries were all prosecuted as part of a wider corruption case against Mr Netanyahu. It surprisingly contained over 1,000 hours of tape.
The Oscar-winning filmmaker didn’t speak Hebrew but thought it was a big deal. Mr. Gibney says he turned to the longtime Israeli investigative reporter Raviv Drucker, who dug deep into the material and showed him “we had something very explosive.” Mr. Gibney then hired his colleague Alexis Bloom, who had worked in Israel, to direct.
The result: “The Bibi Files,” a hard-hitting documentary that certainly has time on its side, was released on streaming this week as Mr. Netanyahu took the stand in the long-running case.
If the timing is serendipitous, the film faces other obstacles. For one thing, Mr. Gibney and Ms. Bloom had to raise money without telling potential backers what they had, given the secrecy involved. Many potential backers and distributors were also nervous about getting involved, especially once war broke out following the Hamas-led attack on Israel on October 7, 2023.
Then there was the biggest hurdle of all: the film could not be legally shown in Israel, due to privacy laws regulating such proceedings.
However, that doesn’t mean Israelis aren’t watching it. Many people have managed to watch the film by using virtual private networks (VPNs) to bypass streaming restrictions or by watching leaked versions that have surfaced on social media. “The film is being pirated like wildfire in Israel,” Ms. Bloom says.
And it has caused a predictable stir, as Mr Netanyahu becomes the first sitting Israeli leader to take the stand as a criminal defendant. On Tuesday (December 10) he boldly promised to reject the “absurd” corruption allegations against him.
The longest-serving prime minister in Israel’s history has been charged with fraud, breach of trust and bribery in three separate cases. He is accused of accepting thousands of dollars worth of cigars and champagne from a billionaire Hollywood producer in exchange for favors for personal and business interests and promoting favorable terms for media moguls in exchange for favorable coverage.
In the leaked police video, the 75-year-old leader is sitting at his desk in a surprisingly cramped office, with a map of the area behind him. He expresses outrage at the proceedings, calls the witnesses liars, and notes that he has more important matters to attend to. At one point, when asked about the number of champagne bottles he owned, he said he spent his time counting not bottles, but missiles threatening Israel. Often their answer is that they do not remember.
“We have a number of people on record telling us what a wonderful memory they have,” says Mr Gibney. “And almost every question that could possibly be incriminating, he says ‘I can’t remember.'”
Reviews in Israeli media for “The Bibi Files” have been mostly positive, although they highlight its harsh portrayal of Mr. Netanyahu. Not surprisingly, the public reaction reflected deep divisions around the polarizing leader. Mr Netanyahu and his supporters claim he is the target of a witch-hunt led by a hostile media and a biased justice system determined to undermine his rule.
TV critic Nir Wolf of the Israel Hayom paper, a friend of Netanyahu, wrote, “Netanyahu’s opponents will swear by the film and become even more convinced that he is corrupt, drunk on power and leading us to destruction.” “His supporters would like to embrace him more.”
Mr. Netanyahu has also got his eye on the film. In September, his lawyer asked the country’s attorney general to investigate Mr. Drucker, who is Mr. Gibney’s co-producer, accusing him of trying to influence the legal proceedings. No investigation has been initiated. (In the film, Mr. Drucker notes that Mr. Netanyahu has sued him three times before.)
The film, which combines police footage with commentary from former officials, Mr. Netanyahu’s aides, journalists and other analysts — often including Mr. Drucker — begins with the prime minister sitting down for his first interview.
Nimrod Novick, a former adviser to the late Prime Minister Shimon Peres, comments, “With Netanyahu, nothing focuses his attention more than the sound of the prison gate closing behind his back.” One of the key arguments Mr. Gibney and Ms. Bloom will make will be that Mr. Netanyahu’s fear of potential jail time has influenced his policy decisions – from judicial reform to war.
Mr. Netanyahu appears angry the entire time. “You are asking me confusing questions,” he tells his questioners. “This is absurd and insane.”
In other footage, the billionaire Hollywood mogul, Mr. Netanyahu’s friend and, most recently, prosecution witness Arnon Milchan, describes giving Sara Netanyahu fancy pink champagne on demand, sometimes himself, as part of alleged gifts. Take the cooler. Favor Scheme. Elsewhere, Sara Netanyahu sits to question herself. “How are you not ashamed of yourself?” She gives a stern warning to interviewers. She tells them that outside Israel, her husband is properly welcomed as a king.
The footage also includes interviews with Israeli-American billionaires Sheldon and Miriam Adelson. Sheldon Adelson expressed discomfort over the friendship – “I don’t think I would continue a relationship with him” – and dismay at the price of Mr. Netanyahu’s favorite Cuban cigars: $1,100 for a box of 10.
And the couple’s 33-year-old son, the belligerent Yair Netanyahu, tells his questioners: “You are investigating me because the Israeli police has become the Stasi secret police, which wants to overthrow the government.”
Director Bloom emphasizes that the film is not intended to preach to the choir — that it is made not for Mr. Netanyahu’s left-wing opponents, but for centrists.
“You know, a staunch BB-ist will probably remain a staunch BB-ist,” says the director. “But there are a lot of centrists. …and it’s absolutely a family portrait. “I don’t think it’s anti-Israel at all.”
The filmmakers say they paused after the October 7 attack and were trying to think how to deal with it. As part of the historical context in the film, they include hair-raising scenes of the attack on Israel and the subsequent war in Gaza.
“What was that supposed to mean?” Mr Gibney says he was surprised. “Over time, it became clear that this story we had started before October 7 ended up being a story of corruption – the size of the corruption got bigger and bigger and bigger.”
The film, which began streaming on new service Jolt.film on Wednesday (Dec 11), makes a direct connection between Mr Netanyahu’s legal troubles and the war. Through various commentators, it has been argued that the criminal cases prompted the Prime Minister to launch a campaign to weaken the country’s judiciary. This, in turn, led to mass protests and division, creating an image of national insecurity that encouraged Hamas to attack. (Mr Netanyahu denies all such allegations).
Ms. Bloom says she hopes people will consider the idea that “term limits are a good idea” after watching “The BB Files.” (Mr Netanyahu has served as prime minister for a total of 17 years.)
And she also hopes they take away a simple concept. “It’s OK to criticize the prime minister of Israel, and it’s not anti-Semitic and it’s not anti-Israel,” the director says. “He is a political leader like any other.”
published – December 13, 2024 01:13 PM IST
