Yes Studio’s new series includes ‘Shtisel’ spinoff and October 7 stories
Israeli TV studio invested $26 million in works about the Hamas massacre, which it calls its contribution to Israel advocacy
Jessica Steinberg, The Times of Israel's culture and lifestyles editor, covers the Sabra scene from south to north and back to the center
Heroic ambulance volunteers, survivors from the Nova party and Kibbutz Be’eri, and a “Shtisel” spinoff appear in the latest series and documentaries produced by Yes Studios for the 2024-2025 season.
The Israeli production studio announced that it invested NIS 100 million (around $26 million) in TV shows and films that tell the stories of the October 7 Hamas attack, part of their own efforts toward Israeli advocacy worldwide.
“We’re doing what’s necessary, especially now, in the time of war,” said Ilan Sigal, CEO of Yes Studios.
Actors Yuval Semo, Yael Abecassis and Naomi Levov star in “Red Dawn,” which tells true stories of October 7, including that of an volunteer ambulance driver who drove down south on the morning of October 7, a Kibbutz Be’eri bike rider who hid with a Bedouin youth as they were surrounded by Hamas terrorists, and two Nova partiers who evaded capture in a tiny toilet cubicle.
“Dagan: The Last War” features former head of the Mossad Meir Dagan, who tells his story and rings warning bells about the disaster that befell Israel on October 7.
There is escapist television as well, with a “Shtisel” spinoff called “Kugel,” starring Sasson Gabbay and Mili Avital as the father-and-daughter pair Nochum and Libi, and their life in an ultra-Orthodox neighborhood in Belgium before immigrating to Israel.
The documentary “Noga” follows the dramatic journey of Israeli indie-pop sensation Noga Erez, while “Wonder,” an eight-part futuristic thriller, stars pop singer Noa Kirel, produced by Paramount’s Ananey Studios and also starring Yovel Lewkowski (Netflix’s “All Time High”).
“Wonder” revolves around the death of Noya, a 17-year-old girl killed in a car crash whose father, a retired army officer, and her best friend investigate her death only to discover that she had a secret virtual life as part of a group of teenagers involved in playing a new and mysterious virtual reality gaming app.
