Liat is forcibly abducted from her kibbutz by members of Hamas on October 7, 2023, and shortly afterwards Brandon Kramer starts filming with her family. He’s right there with them, up close, as the parents Yehuda and Chaya try to deal with their fear – or to sway the fate of their adult daughter and her husband in dialogue with the authorities.

As a US citizen, Yehuda flies to the USA, accompanied by Liat’s son, who is burdened by more than the public attention, and Liat’s sister, who will try to cushion Yehuda’s temper and anger. Because even within this family views are polarised: despite his pain, the father takes a critical view of Israel’s role in the Middle East conflict. “A candid film of the hour. Insights don’t come from politics, but from Liat’s family.” (Christiane Büchner and Barbara Wurm)

Brandon Kramer is a Washington, DC-based filmmaker and co-founder of Meridian Hill Pictures with his brother Lance. He directed THE FIRST STEP, CITY OF TREES and the “Webby Award”-winning independent documentary series THE MESSY TRUTH, which screened on CNN. Additionally, he regularly works with Kartemquin Films – and as a teacher for the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts. He holds a Bachelor of Arts in film and cultural anthropology from Boston University.

Filmography: 2015 CITY OF TREES, 2016 THE MESSY TRUTH (TV series), 2021 THE FIRST STEP, 2025 HOLDING LIAT.

Awards (selection): Award for Best Documentary and Prize of the Ecumenical Jury (Berlin International Film Festival, Germany 2025)

Nominated for the Amnesty International Wiesbaden Film Award for Best Film about Human Rights. A three-member expert jury will decide the winner of this competition.