From nightlife to nightmare — Tel Aviv and October 7

In the summer of 2023, DW’s Kai Steinecke was in Tel Aviv filming a lifestyle series. He met nightclub owners, creatives, restaurateurs, LGBTQ activists and architects, all working in what was a lively, liberal metropolis. Then came October 7th, and everything changed. In May of 2024, the same people return to speak about their experiences in the wake of the attack, how daily life has changed for them, and what the future may hold for their country. The result is a moving personal documentary and a portrait of a very different city to the one that was recorded a year ago. The square in front of the Tel Aviv Museum of Art has been renamed "Hostages Square", with empty chairs commemorating the kidnapped. At the once-bustling Carmel Market, many stalls are now deserted. And cultural center Habima Square, famous for its theatre and orchestra, now has a large illuminated sign stating: "Bring them home”. We accompany several people into their personal spaces as they show us how their individual, day-to-day lives have changed. The documentary lays these contrasts bare by juxtaposing present-day scenes with those filmed before October 7th, back when Tel Aviv was the "capital of cool" — a world-famous party city with the Middle East’s largest spaces devoted to queer life and culture. Now, the city and the country are in shock. One example is fun-loving bureka vendor Kobi Shmuel, who was drafted into the army and had to close his stall at Carmel Market. He was initially deployed in the Gaza Strip, where one of his comrades was killed. Or architect Shiraz Solomon, who showed us last year how she turned an old Templar building into luxury housing. Now the architect is helping others build bunkers for Israelis and accessible apartments for those injured in the war. The Palestinian workers that used to work on her construction sites are no longer allowed to enter the country. Muhammad Zoabi, a university student and LGBTQ activist from an Arab-Muslim family, is dealing with the fact that a friend and fellow student was kidnapped at the Nova Festival on October 7th and has not been heard from since. Shani Goldstein had led DW host Kai Steinecke through Tel Aviv in the original 2023 production. But now, because of the October 7th attack, the co-presenter has lost her jobs as a model and radio host. She doesn’t understand why Israel is becoming increasingly internationally isolated as an agressor. These stories and others provide personal insights into a traumatized society. The film is a contemporary document that, despite deep sadness, also offers hope for a time after the war.