All films deal with the 7/10 disaster – and will be screened to an international audience in January 2026

The film department of Haifa's Municipal High School No. 5 has achieved an extraordinary achievement on the international stage: three final films by students of the department, all dealing with personal and national disasters related to the dates of October 7, 2004 and October 7, 2023, have been accepted to the International Jewish Film Festival in Miami, a prestigious festival that does not usually screen student films. The films will be screened on January 21, 2026, and will be accompanied by a discussion on memory, coping, and commemoration.

Personal stories that connect private pain to national disaster

Two films focus on the events of October 7, 2023:

• The film about Eden Liz Ohayon, late, who was murdered at the Nova party.
• The film about Tomer Keren, late, a graduate of the school and a Golan fighter, who fell on the northern front in the "Iron Swords" War.

The third film returns to October 7, 2004 and tells the story of Yael Niv, a high school teacher, who lost her mother and brother in the attack at the Hilton Taba Hotel.

Behind the three films are graduates of the film department:
Noy Rotenberg (Class of 2024), Yuval Ruger (Class of 2025) and Liane Peres (Class of 2025).

"I felt like I was making something bigger than a film" – Voices of the Creators

Noy Rotenberg, Liz Ohayon, who directed the film about Eden, describes a deeply personal process: "I met Maureen, Eden's family, and I felt like I was helping to immortalize her. It was a privilege."

Yuval Ruger, who directed the film about the late Tomer Keren, says: "We felt obligated to tell his story. We made the film for him and for his brother, Ben, who was with us in class."

Families on Stage – A Spotlight on Memory and Coping

The Irouni H school was represented at the festival by:

• Maureen Ohayon, Eden's sister
• Ben Keren, Tomer's brother
• Yael Niv, school teacher

They will participate in a discussion following the screening, which will focus on memory, mourning, and personal and national coping.

Yael Niv, a teacher and educator at the Irony High School, says: "My film is a personal journey of coping with the loss I experienced on October 7, 2004, but it is also a deep connection to the national disaster that befell us all on October 7, 2023. The educational work with the students gives me strength and healing, and the ability to tell my personal story against the backdrop of public consciousness is very important to me."

Ben Keren He adds: "When I realized that the film about Tomer would be shown in Miami, it moved me very much. This is not just a work of art but a way to commemorate Tomer and tell the world who he was. As long as there are people who know him through the film, I have achieved my goal. I want to thank everyone who took part in the process, it is not something that can be taken for granted."

Maureen Ohayon Shares: "Throughout working on the film, I couldn't sleep. I felt a huge responsibility to immortalize Eden exactly as she was. The longing for her never lets up, but knowing that she would have been proud of me gives me the strength to continue."

International recognition for the leading trend in Haifa

The festival's artistic director, Igor Sternberg, was enthusiastic about the films and decided to screen them even though they were not student films, an extraordinary decision that testifies to their quality.

The mayor, Yona Yahav Congratulations: "The students turned deep pain into an artistic creation that moves audiences around the world."

Ilana Truk, Head of Education Department The municipality: "This is an example of educational innovation that gives youth tools for personal and meaningful expression."

School Principal Itzik Shalem Kaminsky He added: "The final films allow students to tell their life stories. From their work emerges the Israeli experience, great pain alongside a passion for life." And he praised Moshiko Hekman, director of the upper division and coordinator of the program: "He leads the program to extraordinary international achievements."