After the founding of the State of Israel, Zvi Elpeleg was appointed the first military governor of Israel’s Arab citizens. In this personal documentary, director Danel Elpeleg, the filmmaker’s granddaughter, explores a family legacy that was as formative as it was contradictory. As she uncovers a long-hidden family secret that sheds new light on his actions as a military leader and the head of the family, her positive image of her grandfather begins to crumble.

Beginning with an intimate family story, the film develops into a compelling historical portrait of power, memory, and responsibility. In doing so, it reveals just how deeply intertwined personal fates and political decisions can be.

Drawing on interviews with her late grandfather, other family members, historians, and eyewitnesses from the occupied villages, Elpeleg uses an investigative approach to reconstruct a nuanced picture of the past — both of her own family and of the early history of the State of Israel.

Afterward, Laura Cazés will speak with director Danel Elpeleg.