Z32

Revenge, war crimes, responsibility – gnawing at his conscience. An Israeli ex-soldier who participated in a revenge operation in which two Palestinian policemen were murdered seeks forgiveness for what he has done. His girlfriend does not think it is that simple; she raises issues he is yet not ready to address. The former elite soldier willingly testifies for the camera as long as his identity is not exposed. Director Avi Mograbi experiments with different ways of making the soldier and his girlfriend unrecognisable, to illustrate that he, too, is looking for answers. "Do you think I'm a murderer?" the man asks his girlfriend. She doesn't know. Concealed under a digital mask, they discuss the question of guilt and absolution. But after all, couldn't anybody be behind that mask? The organisation "Shovrim Shtika" (Breaking the Silence) collects testimonies of people who took part in "revenge actions" in the Occupied Territories. Z32 is the code name for the case which the film, its anonymous protagonist and the filmmaker are grappling with.

Non Fiction/Documentary Prize, Gijon International Film Festival 2008