.Alex’s Group | A DocuNation Campaign

A film by Yonatan Nir | 60 minutes | Israel | 2023 Hebrew | Hebrew and English subtitles Four women and four men, representing a mosaic of Israeli society, meet over the course of one year in a therapeutic photography group at Lev Hasharon Medical Center, led by Israel Prize-winning photographer Alex Levac. Each participant is connected to trauma in a different way: a mother of a son living with post-traumatic stress, the wife of a person coping with trauma, the daughter of a father affected by it, a woman who served as a military observer, and four men of different ages, some of whom have never been formally diagnosed or recognized as living with PTSD. Drawing on Levac’s iconic photographs and images taken and shared by the participants themselves, an honest conversation begins to unfold. The group explores trauma as a personal, familial, and social phenomenon; the ways it can reverberate across relationships and generations; and the possibility of post-traumatic growth through sharing, recognition, creativity, humanity, and compassion. A Film Created Before October 7 - Now Carrying New MeaningAlex’s Group was released theatrically in 2023 and screened for approximately six months at Lev Cinemas and cinematheques across Israel, as the country approached the 50th anniversary of the Yom Kippur War. Its theatrical run ended only days before the events of October 7. Since then, the questions raised by the film have taken on new urgency. Many individuals, families, and communities in Israel are living with bereavement, anxiety, displacement, injury, and ongoing exposure to war. At the same time, people carrying earlier traumas have found those experiences resurfacing. The film does not offer simple solutions, nor is it a substitute for professional care. It offers a language through which pain can be seen, acknowledged, and discussed – and through which individuals, families, and society can consider the possibility of growth. Israel Beyond the HeadlinesSince October 7, Israel has largely been seen through images of war, political arguments, and breaking-news reports. Amid this noise, it is easy to lose sight of the people themselves – the families, relationships, fears, hopes, and diverse voices that make up Israeli society. Alex’s Group allows audiences to encounter another Israel: a complex society examining its wounds, living with old and new traumas, and searching for ways to speak, listen, create, and grow. As part of DocuNation’s vision, the film does not attempt to explain Israel through slogans. Instead, it enables audiences to encounter the country through real people and personal stories. The screening and accompanying conversation with the filmmakers create a human connection that cannot be reduced to a headline, a political position, or a news image. Why We Need Your SupportDocuNation is working to bring the film and the conversations it inspires to new audiences in Israel and around the world. Contributions will help us: • Hold screenings in communities, educational institutions, organizations, and professional settings • Accompany screenings with a talk by filmmaker Yonatan Nir about docutherapy and post-traumatic growth • Create translations, subtitles, marketing materials, and discussion resources • Build partnerships with organizations working in mental health, trauma, and community resilience • Introduce the film to international festivals, broadcasters, platforms, and distributors • Enable audiences worldwide to encounter Israel beyond the headlines With your support, we can bring the conversation about post-traumatic growth to audiences around the world, create space for listening and recognition, and reveal the human and complex faces of Israeli society.