The stark reality of human vulnerability and resilience in the face of terror is laid bare in the new documentary, We Will Dance Again. For many, words fail to capture the horror of witnessing people hunted, captured, and killed in real-time. This haunting film, directed by Israeli filmmaker Yariv Mozer, known for works like Ben-Gurion, Epilogue, To Err Is Human, and Snails In The Rain, unflinchingly presents the events of the early morning of October 7, 2023, at the Nova Music Festival. Through the lens of festival-goers’ own videos and Hamas body camera footage, We Will Dance Again shares the harrowing accounts of over a dozen survivors, predominantly young students in their twenties, interviewed in the aftermath of the massacre. They recount the joyous atmosphere of the rave just hours before, contrasted with the chilling dawn that broke at 6:29 a.m. with the first air strikes in the sky, marking the horrific turning point of the day. These young voices, remarkably composed, speak of the unimaginable hell they endured and the profound, lasting scars it has left.
Viewers of We Will Dance Again will grapple with comprehending the unfolding catastrophe, mirroring the festival attendees’ own dawning horror as seen through their continuous filming. The realization of their desperate situation, with limited options for escape or defense, sets in: the event, located near the Gaza border, was in an exposed open field. Armed terrorists breached the border fence at sixty different points with alarming speed. Despite a nearby military base and numerous desperate calls, military assistance was delayed, and initial responses from police and fire departments were inadequate, failing to grasp the scale of the ongoing executions. A chilling recording captures a police officer telling a terrified caller, “I can’t help you right now.”
The agonizing wait for help stretched to six hours before police arrived and eight hours until the army reached the site. We Will Dance Again serves as a stark indictment of the Israeli government’s catastrophic failures. It is almost incomprehensible that a nation as heavily armed and militarized, with mandatory military service and an advanced air defense system like the Iron Dome, could be so utterly unprepared for such a brutal assault. The families of some of the 364 murdered and 44 kidnapped individuals at Nova have filed a pending lawsuit against the government, seeking accountability for this devastating lapse in security.
The critical question for many is: why watch something as painful as We Will Dance Again? The answer lies in the fundamental human need to bear witness, to remember, and to honor both the victims and the survivors. Just as we study the Holocaust, learn about the struggles of Indigenous peoples, or confront the reality of events like the murder of George Floyd, We Will Dance Again serves as a vital act of remembrance and a call to action. The world became familiar with Hersh Goldberg-Polin’s name as his family tirelessly campaigned for his release and that of over 100 other hostages taken on that day. Despite the tragic news of Goldberg-Polin’s murder by Hamas in August, the plight of the remaining hostages, many still believed to be held from the Nova festival, must not be forgotten. This documentary powerfully urges viewers to demand the release of these hostages, to advocate for an end to the indiscriminate killing of Palestinians – a conflict that has tragically claimed over 40,000 lives to date – and to hold those in power responsible for their actions and inactions.
We Will Dance Again is undeniably a harrowing and deeply upsetting film, and it is not intended for every viewer. Director Mozer exercises careful restraint in his presentation, blurring the faces and bodies of the deceased. Yet, within the title itself and in the remarkable resilience of the survivors, there is a vital spark of hope – a powerful and necessary element in these dark times. We Will Dance Again is available for streaming on Paramount+.
