On Oct. 21, the Beverly Hills Temple of the Arts hosted the United States premiere of “Oz’s List,” a documentary film about Oz Davidian. Davidian rescued 120 people in Israel near the Nova Music Festival during the Oct. 7, 2023 Hamas attacks. After the event at the Saban Theater in Beverly Hills, Temple of the Arts Rabbi David Baron hosted a Q&A featuring Davidian and co-producer Yossi Eli. The Saban Theatre was nearly packed for the screening.
As the film recounts, Davidian made 15 trips in his white pickup truck to rescue festival attendees. He was fired upon by Hamas troops as he made his way from the area near the festival to safety. Davidian was working as a traffic attorney at the time but knew the area so well because he’d previously worked the land as a farmer there. Three people working alongside Davidian were killed during the rescue efforts.
Baron introduced JNF-USA’s Women for Israel (WFI) Chair Frances Bilak, whose family assisted in hosting Davidian while he visited Beverly Hills. He said the family was “one that stood up and said, ‘We want to be involved in this.’”
Bilak told the Courier that two other families contributed financially to hosting Davidian. The idea, she said, came after a meeting between her Rabbi and Davidian in Tel Aviv. Eager to have more people hear Davidian’s story, she also wanted to do something for the WFI, which had recently named her as chair. “I wanted to do a thank you, not asking for funds. I really wanted them to come and see the movie and meet Oz,” said Bilak.
Much of the film focuses on individuals that Davidian saved or saw during that day. There are scenes of him visiting people he rescued and family of those who were lost. Davidian spends time with a Bedouin villager who helped during the rescue efforts. The film also includes Davidian in his everyday life with his family in Moshav Maslul, a small village of about 1,000 people in southern Israel near the Gaza border.
Since Oct. 7, Davidian has become known as a symbol of Israeli national pride in the wake of attacks, even as he’s occasionally criticized the slow response of the Israeli Defense Force. The film focuses partially on a trip to the United States he made to speak at universities. On Oct. 30, Israel’s President Isaac Herzog will present him with the Medal for Civilian Bravery, the country’s highest non-military honor.
Davidian first learned of the attacks as emergency sirens blared through the area. He then received a WhatsApp message from his sister that there were children at their farm panicking. In the film, Davidian tearfully recounts telling his sister he’d begin to help.
Interspersed throughout the film is footage taken during his rescue trips. Much of it is shot from Davidian’s vehicle dash camera as well as GoPro and helmet camera footage taken by Hamas troops during the attacks. Some moments show Davidian struggling with post-traumatic stress disorder. He describes in the film seeing dead bodies.
Much of the film shows Davidian driving through the area of the attack. One scene in which Davidian recounts running his vehicle into two Hamas troops drew applause during the screening. He surveys the area along Route 232 where Hamas burned cars, took hostages and shot civilians. At one point on camera, Davidian tearfully asks the producers for a break while pointing out areas of Route 232 where the road still showed scorch marks.
The producers of the film would not provide details on the next steps for distribution of the film, but Eli mentioned they are “working on it.”
Davidian told the Courier via an interpreter that watching the film was very emotional for him. “It took me back to a year ago when I first experienced these things,” he said.
He added that he participated in the film to “remind the world what happened to us on October 7,” and “to remind the world that we won’t accept this, and that we will fight against terrorism.”
