42 | SEPTEMBER 19 • 2024 
J
N

A

lthough the Hebrew-
language film Kissufim was 
filmed before the attacks 
of Oct. 7, 2023, the streaming 
release on Netflix strikes a chord 
with viewers still feeling the impact 
of the terrible events that saw 
Israeli kibbutzim, including the 
real-life Kissufim, devastated by 
Hamas terrorists.
Following the daily lives of a 
group of young soldiers and friends 
volunteering at Kissufim (in the 
northwestern Negev desert in Israel 
adjacent to the Gaza Strip), the 
film is set in 1977, just four years 
after the Yom Kippur War. Yet, its 
themes continue to hit hard today.
In addition to mounting 
antisemitism and the enduring 
tension between Israel and its Arab 
neighbors felt both in the film and 
today’s world, the real Kissufim 
kibbutz was targeted by Hamas 
terrorists, who killed 14 members. 
Many of these individuals worked 
closely with the Kissifum film 
crew during filming, though the 
events to follow couldn’t have been 

predicted.
With its sense of place, themes 
and geopolitical conflict relevant 
to today’s times, Kissufim sheds 
light on the decades of survival 
Israel has faced since becoming 
a nation in 1948. Still, despite 
its unprecedented connection to 
the modern age, Kissufim has a 
heartwarming and compelling story 
full of friendship, love, sexuality, 
morality, freedom and the end of 
innocence.
The coming-of-age period film 
showcases the highs and the lows 
of life at Kissufim for young friends 
working at the kibbutz at the end 
of their army service. By day, they 
work hard in the fields, and at 
night they let loose and have fun. 
They even swim at the beach in 
Gaza, which, in 1977, was under 
Israeli control. Back then, Israelis 
would visit the Gaza Strip to shop 
and eat.
However, as it does today, 
conflict ensues between Gazans 
and kibbutz residents. 1977 marked 
a pivotal year when then-Egyptian 

president Anwar Sadat 
visited Jerusalem, but the 
border region continued 
to exist in a state of 
crisis and tension. The 
story captures the tough 
reality of life on the border and the 
threats that civilians face on either 
side. Life in a war zone is full of 
danger and the 20-year-old soldiers 
come face-to-face with death on 
countless occasions.
Kissufim is a powerful drama that 
may be fictional but is inspired by 
real events and people.
Israeli writer-director Keren 
Nehmad’s father once volunteered 
at Kissufim as a soldier, and 
his memories helped create the 
backdrop of the film. Yet Nehmad’s 
feature debut instilled a more 
feminine narrative in which women 
hold the power both on screen and 
behind the camera.
While we won’t reveal the 
dramatic ending, Kissufim has an 
eerie similarity to today’s kibbutzim 
and the dangers that still remain a 
part of everyday life for its hard-

working citizens. 
Kissufim has already won 
Best Foreign Feature and Best 
Cinematography at the Orlando 
Film Festival. It also won the 
Golden Aphrodite, Best Score and 
Best Editing at the Cyprus Film 
Festival. Its Netflix debut is in 
its original Hebrew language but 
includes English subtitles.
Dazed and Confused with an 
Israeli twist, Kissufim pulls at the 
heartstrings for more reasons than 
one — though its connection and 
semblance to the Oct. 7 events may 
be extraordinary.
A must-watch film, Kissufim is a 
potent reminder of both the beauty 
of life and its fragility. 

ARTS&LIFE
FILM REVIEW

Now streaming on 
Netflix, Kissufim has an 
eerie resemblance to 
today’s events.

 Life on 
 an Israeli 
 
 
 Kibbutz

ASHLEY ZLATOPOLSKY CONTRIBUTING WRITER

BY LIGHT STREAM PRODUCTIONS

Screenshot 
of Kissufim

RATING: 

