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Epoch Times
30-04-2025
- Entertainment
- Epoch Times
‘The Children of October 7': Testimony of Children-Hostages
NR | 36m | Documentary | 2025 During the filming of this documentary, psychologists specializing in youth trauma were always present, in case the interview subjects needed their services. It is easy to understand why, because what they endured was so inconceivably cruel. Hamas showed no regard when they took children-hostages during their Oct. 7 terrorist campaign. However, these young survivors wanted their testimonies to be heard, so they sat down with dancer-influencer-activist Montana Tucker to bear witness in Asaf Becker's short documentary, 'The Children of October 7.' Fighting anti-Semitism (probably better termed 'Jew-hatred') and championing the young victims of Hamas terrorism might have cost Tucker some followers, but it reflects her deeply held values, as the granddaughter of Jewish maternal grandparents who survived the Holocaust. Tucker considered this project an extension of her Holocaust remembrance efforts. Perhaps, even more importantly, Tucker is a sensitive listener, who quickly establishes a rapport with young people, as viewers easily see throughout this documentary. The eyewitness accounts they share with Tucker are truly harrowing. For instance, Rotem Matias, a mere 16-year-old on Oct. 7, hid beneath his mother's dead body for several hours. She shielded him from the barrage of bullets Hamas sprayed throughout their 'safe room,' which, tragically, was not safe enough. Related Stories 3/17/2025 6/5/2024 Matias noticed he had also been shot in the stomach. Yet, somehow, he found the strength to carry on because, as he explains, wasting his parents' sacrifice on his behalf would have been 'disrespectful.' Similarly, Yael Idan, a shockingly young 11 years at the time, witnessed the murder of her beloved older sister Maayan. Forced out of their insufficiently-safe room, Idan and her parents were tormented by Hamas kidnappers, who broadcast their sadism over her mother's Facebook page. Montana Tucker talks with Amit Cohen, a child-hostage in the documentary, "The Children of October 7." Paramount+ Ultimately, Yael was left behind, but her father Tsahi was abducted. During the filming, hope persisted he might still be alive, but his remains were subsequently released in late February. Eitan Yahalomi worried greatly for the health of his wounded father Ohad, while they were both held simultaneously but separately as Hamas's hostages. The younger Yahalomi was released as part of a hostages-for-imprisoned-terrorists swap, but his father died during his captive ordeal. From the teen's description of the conditions he endured in Gaza, it is only too easy to understand how his weakened father perished. When not confined to solitary isolation, young Yahalomi was forced to watch violent recordings of the Oct. 7 murders. His sporadic meals consisted of one piece of pita bread and perhaps a slice of pickle. Frankly, the savagery documented in this film would cause severe emotional distress for adults much older than the children interviewed by Tucker. For instance, Ella Shani, 14 years old that day, revisits her late father's house with Tucker, where she sees for the first time the blood-stained spot in the attic where he was executed. Media poster of Montana Tucker and Ella Shani, one of the children featured in the documentary, "The Children of October 7." Paramount+ Crimes Against Humanity It is vitally important to understand these young survivors want to explain what happened to them, to help 'process' their pain and hopefully attain some closure. They also want these crimes against humanity permanently entered into the public record, so they cannot be denied later. Viewers see the proof, like the chilling footage of Hamas terrorizing the Idan family, which they themselves recorded and disseminated. Hamas's apologists continue to deny the crimes the terrorists so documented. 'The Children of October 7' remains scrupulously nonpartisan and nonpolitical. The mere act of documenting these acts of terror provides a rebuke to the extremists hoping to obscure or even justify the carnage, for ideological reasons. Tucker and Becker simply let the youthful survivors speak for themselves. Hopefully, young people around the world will listen. Becker and Tucker could have easily collected considerably more survivor's accounts, but 'The Children of October 7' was deliberately kept short. The film is meant to appeal to the TikTok generation, who have been alarmingly susceptible to propaganda in general, and particularly with respect to Israel and anti-Semitic conspiracy theories. The resulting film is haunting. It is a documentary that needs to be seen because ignoring these horrors constitutes a form of complicity. It is quite remarkable to watch Tucker create an atmosphere of trust in which the survivors feel sufficiently comfortable to offer their devastating oral history. These are horrific atrocities that are deeply unsettling to face, but the assembled survivors will make you remember, through the honest power of their words. Very highly recommended. 'The Children of October 7' now streams on Paramount+. 'The Children of October 7' Documentary Director: Asaf Becker Running Time: 37 minutes Release Date: April 23, 2025 Rating: 4 stars out of 5 What arts and culture topics would you like us to cover? Please email ideas or feedback to
Yahoo
24-04-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
New doc focuses on Israeli children swept up in Oct. 7 attacks
(NewsNation) —TikTok creator Montana Tucker has a new documentary on Paramount+, 'The Children of October 7,' which tells the stories of children who survived the deadly 2023 Hamas incursion into Israel. 'We want this film to get outside of the echo chamber,' she tells 'CUOMO.' Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
23-04-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
TikToker Montana Tucker Gets Serious With ‘Children of October 7'
In the documentary The Children of October 7, which debuts Wednesday on Paramount+, performer and activist Montana Tucker sits down with young survivors of the Hamas attack on Israel on Oct. 7, 2023, to hear their emotional stories. Tucker was previously known for upbeat TikTok posts but has since focused her social media presence on advocating for those impacted by the attacks that left more than 1,200 Israelis dead. Producers for The Children of October 7 reached out to Tucker to lead the on-camera conversations with the young people, who describe being held captive during invasions of their homes and witnessing the loss of family members. More from The Hollywood Reporter Imax Posts Sharply Higher Quarterly Profit Amid Record China Box Office Europe Hits Meta, Apple With $790M in Antitrust Fines Annecy Unveils 2025 Lineup (Full List) During an interview with The Hollywood Reporter for director Asaf Becker's film that airs Thursday on MTV and is currently streaming on Paramount+, Tucker discusses how she approached her time with the children, the significance to its release date and why she believes the documentary can be appreciated without viewers needing to pick sides in the ongoing Gaza war. How did you get involved with this documentary? A production company from Israel reached out to me because I have done a lot of work with children. I've always had a very special connection with them, and this was the first time I did something that was so serious and so intense with children. Some of the kids knew me from seeing my TikTok dance videos, so they felt a bit more comfortable with me being the one to share their stories. When I got asked if I wanted to be a part of this project, it was an immediate yes. How did the production get in touch with these children? Every Jew around the world pretty much had a connection to somebody who was affected by October 7th. Everyone in Israel is just one big family, and everyone is connected to somebody, somehow. When finding the children to do this documentary, it was just a lot of people knowing people in Israel to make this come through, and the filmmakers did such an incredible job with the research and reaching out. On set, we had a psychologist there. We were very, very sensitive to the children and to their families and making sure that everything was approved by them and that they were comfortable. What stands out in your mind from speaking with the children? This film was mentally really tough on everybody. I certainly didn't sleep at all while I was filming. People ask me, 'How did you not break down in every moment while filming?' There are some moments in the film that I did break down, but what did keep me going is, I would look at these children in the eyes while I was interviewing them. If they were able to recount their testimony a year after it all happened, and they're able to look me in the eyes and stay strong, I have to be able to look them in the eyes and be strong for them. But definitely every night after filming, it was very emotional for me. These kids are so strong and incredible, and all they want is peace, and they want a future for themselves. What is your hope for the project? A few things. One, we have to note that it is coming out on April 23rd — which is Yom HaShoah, or Holocaust Remembrance Day — and that is not by accident. We thought that was a very powerful date. And we need to make sure that people know this film is not political at all. We don't dive into the conflict. We don't ask people to take sides. These are just real testimonies from innocent children that had nothing to do with a conflict or a war or any politics, whatsoever. I hope that people really hear from these children and go into this film with an open mind and have empathy. It's a tough film to watch, but it's a really important film. I really recommend parents showing it to their children, specifically. After this year's Oscars, there has been debate surrounding the documentary win for . How do you feel about film and TV projects that have focused on the Gaza situation? Listen, this is such a sensitive subject, and I really do know that. There are always documentaries that come out after wars, and storytelling is so important. That's why I have been on the ground in Israel five times [since Oct. 7], and I continue to go and meet with survivors. My film specifically is told directly from the children. There's no questioning if this is political; this is just real-life testimonies. My grandparents gave their testimonies to Steven Spielberg's Shoah Foundation, where he interviewed Holocaust survivors. These are October 7th survivors sharing their testimonies, and that's it. Best of The Hollywood Reporter "A Nutless Monkey Could Do Your Job": From Abusive to Angst-Ridden, 16 Memorable Studio Exec Portrayals in Film and TV The 10 Best Baseball Movies of All Time, Ranked 20 Times the Oscars Got It Wrong
Yahoo
23-04-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Inside the ‘Hard Battle' of Bringing ‘The Children of October 7' Doc to Paramount+
For Shari Redstone, the president of National Amusements and the chairwoman of Paramount Global, 'The Children of October 7' is more than just another documentary airing within her media empire. It's part of a larger calling. 'I've been fighting racism and antisemitism for a long time, but after Oct. 7, it became my life,' Redstone said during a paneled discussion for the doc on Tuesday night. 'It became the most important thing that I can do with my time — that I can teach my children, that I can bring people together to not just watch this movie but to share this with people they know, to tell the truth, to tell the stories.' Hosted at the The Paley Center for Media, the premiere for the Paramount+ documentary saw several notable celebrities, including Jason Isaacs and his wife Emma Hewitt, singer Gloria Gaynor, producer Nancy Spielberg, 'My Unorthodox Life' star Miriam Haart, UJA-Federation CEO Eric Goldstein, Anti-Defamation League CEO Jonathan Greenblatt and CNN senior legal analyst Elie Honig. Noa Argamani, who was kidnapped by Hamas during the Re'im music festival massacre, was also in attendance. 'The Children of October 7' is simply that. It is a collection of testimonies from children who were impacted by the Hamas-led attack on Israel that took place on Oct. 7, 2023. The ages of the subjects range greatly from Yael Idan, who was only seven years old when her sister Maayan Idan was murdered by Hamas terrorists, to Rotem Matias, who was 16 when he hid from terrorists under his mother's body. Yet the sheer horror each of these children faced is disturbingly the same. Guided by social media activist Montana Tucker, the documentary gives these children a platform to tell their harrowing stories in their own words. The idea for 'The Children of October 7' came from A Town Shorts, director Asaf Becker and Kastina Communications, who approached Tucker about leading the project. After the doc was finished, the team wanted it to reach the biggest platform possible. That's where CBS vice president of communications Andrea Ballas came in. She and Tucker met at an event, and the VP quickly became a cheerleader for the project. That's how it eventually landed in Redstone's lap. Redstone emphasized that it was important to her that the documentary aired on Paramount+ given the platform's younger audience base. During a time when many in Hollywood are adverse to projects about the Oct. 7 attacks due to the hot button nature of the subject matter, Redstone was adamant about finding a place for the film in her media empire. Both Redstone and Tucker emphasized that the movie is 'not political.' 'My dad once said 'Content is king.' And what I've always said is content can lead to conversations that can lead to change. One of the most powerful forms of content — specifically, what we just saw — is film, is just watching something together,' Redstone said. 'This was easy. It might have been a hard battle, but it was easy to fight for.' Both Redstone and Tucker emphasized that the larger point of this project is to remember the stories of these victims and fight for these children. 'You're getting it told by the children. The Holocaust survivors, we didn't get any survivors as children sharing their stories. You got them later on in life,' Tucker said during Tuesday night's panel. 'This is still currently happening. Everything in this film is still currently happening.' Redstone also sees the documentary as part of a larger battle against misinformation. 'I spent some time with the IDF [Israel Defense Forces], and one of the things that they're really concerned about is AI,' she said. 'They're so afraid that as AI evolves, years from now the content is going to come from the web and the content is going to come from all these stories that are false … That's one of the reasons why this film is so important, why the testimonials are so important.' Ultimately, the hope is that this film will encourage more people to fight against antisemitism and terrorism. 'When you leave here tonight, you need to have those conversations, and you need to fight to create the world that we want for our grandchildren,' Redstone said. 'The Children of October 7' is currently available to stream on Paramount+. It will air Thursday at 9 p.m. ET on MTV. The post Inside the 'Hard Battle' of Bringing 'The Children of October 7' Doc to Paramount+ appeared first on TheWrap.
New York Post
23-04-2025
- New York Post
In new documentary, the children of Oct. 7 reveal bravery, horror — and hope
On Wednesday, as Holocaust Remembrance Day begins, the world will bear witness to the stories of 'The Children of October 7.' As a performer, I've always tried to use my platform to spread light. But after the evil of Oct. 7, when Hamas terrorists slaughtered more than 1,200 innocent people in Israel and kidnapped over 250 others — even babies — this granddaughter of Holocaust survivors couldn't just keep dancing and singing. So I did what I knew I could do: I went to Israel to see everything for myself. I sat down with seven young survivors of the massacre — children who lived through horrors that no child should ever face — and I listened. I cried. And I promised them the world would hear their stories. This documentary, a collection of children's testimonies, is not political. Rather, it's a powerful message of resilience and bravery, as well as innocence — and, I truly believe, hope. I spoke to then-12-year-old Yael Idan, whose home was targeted by Hamas on Oct. 7. She and her family hid in their safe room — but the terrorists shot through the door. Their bullets hit Maayan, Yael's sister, and Yael saw her die right before her eyes. Yael describes how the invaders used her mom's cellphone to capture the carnage on a Facebook livestream for her friends, family and the entire world to see. She shares her grief at the loss of her father Tsahi, who was abducted to Gaza. His captors released proof of life for him, but he was eventually murdered there, his body finally released in the last hostage deal. Eitan Yahalomi, 13, was kidnapped with his entire family on Oct. 7. Terrorists separated him from his mother and sister — only later did he learn that they managed to escape. Eitan was taken alone into Gaza. He talks about how he was held in isolation for most of his 52 days in captivity. His father Ohad, who was shot while attempting to protect the family, was taken hostage and then killed by Hamas. His body came home to Israel in February. Yael, Eitan and the others who speak in the film didn't ask for any of this horror. They want to play with their friends, go to school, live their lives. Now they wake up with nightmares. Some can't sleep at all. They lost their families. They lost their childhood. I made this film to give the children of Oct. 7 a voice. And more than that: To give them space to grieve, to be heard and to show the world the truth of what they lived through. Their testimony hit close to the bone for me, because I grew up hearing stories of the Holocaust from my grandparents. My grandmother was only 13, Eitan's age, when she was taken to Auschwitz. She watched as her own mother was beaten nearly to death before being dragged to the gas chambers. My grandmother lived. Her family did not. Keep up with today's most important news Stay up on the very latest with Evening Update. Thanks for signing up! Enter your email address Please provide a valid email address. By clicking above you agree to the Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. Never miss a story. Check out more newsletters I always believed that the world had learned from that history. That something like the Holocaust could never happen again. But on Oct. 7, Jewish families were once again hunted. Babies were murdered. Women were raped. Children were taken hostage. And now, a year and a half later, people are questioning whether it even happened. They're blaming the victims. They're justifying the terror. Young viewers need to hear the truth. Too many of our kids are getting their news from TikTok — where antisemitism is rising faster than most realize. I know, because I've experienced it firsthand. I've seen my content removed, simply because it expresses the truth about the continuing assaults on Israel. I see Hamas propaganda going viral. I receive death threats daily. The parallels between my grandmother's experience and those of these children of Oct. 7 are hauntingly similar. That's why my documentary is premiering on Yom HaShoah, Holocaust Remembrance Day. This film is a wake-up call — a reminder of what can happen when we ignore evil. And I hope that young people will feel empathy, understanding and even outrage when they hear directly from their peers. You cannot look these kids in the eyes, hear their voices, and walk away unchanged. This film is also a call to action, inspiring viewers not just to speak out against antisemitism, but to stand up for truth, for humanity — and for the children who never should have had to bear these atrocities. Despite everything, the children of Oct. 7 still believe in hope. They still dream. They still laugh. They still want to grow up and make the world better. But first, they deserve justice. They deserve healing. Most of all, they deserve to be heard. Montana Tucker is an actor, singer and social-media activist whose documentary 'The Children of October 7' is streaming on Paramount+ with MTV Documentary Films.
