‘The Bibi Files’ Film Review: Alex Gibney’s Netanyahu Documentary

Benjamin Netanyahu’s critics may be disappointed to find no big revelations Bibi ArchivesDocumentary by Alexis Bloom about the corruption allegations that have surrounded the Israeli prime minister since 2016. , his wife Sara and son Yair, which led to Netanyahu’s attempt to have the film banned by an Israeli court.

Following an early screening at the Toronto International Film Festival, the film had its official world premiere at DOC New York, shortly before its theatrical and streaming release. Bibi Archives Paints a horrific account of its subjects’ machinations to stay in power.

The above-mentioned accusations led to prosecution in 2019 for multiple crimes including breach of trust, bribery and fraud, and the case is still pending. Netanyahu’s request to delay the latest part of the trial because of his ongoing war with Hamas has led many to suspect that his management of the conflict stems as much from his desire to avoid prosecution as from his oft-declared “goals.” Total victory. As investigative journalist Raviv Drucker (one of the film’s producers) said, “War becomes another tool to maintain power.”

Although the investigation transcripts have been previously released, Bibi Archives Delegates had their first chance to see actual footage. It really speaks volumes, even just to see the consummate politician and media guru vent his frustration when asked about accepting gifts like expensive cigars. “So is this a crime?” he snapped. “It’s terrible!”

Of course, not all the gifts he received were so trivial—as evidenced by a piece of jewelry worth tens of thousands of dollars that Israeli filmmaker Arnon Milchan gave to his wife Sara. a little(The Revenant and Twelve years a slaveand many others).

Netanyahu mostly displayed an unflappable coolness during questioning: “Time flies when you’re having fun,” he said wryly at the end of one meeting. But sometimes he would lose his temper, banging his fists on the table and shouting “Liar! Liar!” when told of a witness’s accusation. But he most often showed an apparently poor memory, answering “I am” to question after question. I don’t remember.” It’s an ethos he shares with another politician he shares much in common with, Donald Trump.

Sara, on the other hand, is a true work, which makes one interviewee’s comment “I think Bibi is afraid of Sara” completely believable. She was allegedly an alcoholic with a bad temper and did not like being asked whether she accepted gifts of wine and champagne. “There was a terrorist attack and you asked about the bottle?” she said angrily.

However, both pale in comparison to their son Yair, who is considered more right-wing than his father. He expressed disdain for the media and law enforcement who dared go after his family. “You are investigating because the Israeli police have become the Stasi secret police, trying to overthrow the government,” he sneered. “A police force made up of mafias.”

In addition to these interesting parts, the film also features former Netanyahu aide Neil Hefetz, former Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert and Israeli politician Ami Ayalon (Israel Shin Bet, the former head of the security agency, and others. Among the more serious accusations involves Netanyahu’s manipulation to ensure positive news coverage by outlets such as the Walla news website. “We feel like a restaurant that only serves one person,” one reporter commented, adding that code words like “less paprika” meant the story should be less important.

The documentary’s producers include Alex Gibney, who convincingly argues that Netanyahu supports Hamas for his own political purposes. Of course, he didn’t quite think so, as one of his quotes shows godfather He described his strategy this way: “Keep your friends closer, keep your enemies closer,” he told his interrogators.

Bibi Archives It inevitably ends with harrowing footage of the October 7 attacks and the resulting war between Israel and Hamas, which critics suspect Netanyahu is prolonging for the sake of his own political survival. In a moving testimony, one survivor of the attack expressed hope that all the facts will come out and that peace will eventually be achieved. It’s a welcome positive in a movie filled with ugliness.