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Israeli rescue film wins top Toronto prize after festival U-turn
Barry Avrich’s 7 October documentary “The Road Between Us” takes TIFF’s People’s Choice Award despite earlier withdrawal
A Canadian documentary about retired Israeli general Noam Tibon’s daring mission to save his family during the Hamas massacre of 7 October has won the top audience prize at the Toronto International Film Festival – weeks after being briefly cut from the programme.
The Road Between Us: The Ultimate Rescue, directed by Barry Avrich and produced by Mark Selby, secured the People’s Choice Documentary Award following its sole screening on 10 September. The showing went ahead under heavy police security as pro-Israel and pro-Palestinian protesters gathered outside.
The film had sparked controversy ahead of the festival when organisers removed it, citing “legal clearance” issues over certain footage. TIFF later reinstated it, with CEO Cameron Bailey admitting the submission process had been mishandled. Bailey denied reports that Avrich had been told to secure rights for Hamas bodycam footage of the atrocities.
Photo Credit: Deadline / courtesy of Noam Tibon.
Despite the earlier tensions, Avrich struck a conciliatory note as he accepted the award on Sunday: “I appreciate everything that TIFF has done for us.” Selby also praised the team: “I hope all the filmmakers of this festival feel as supported as Barry and I did during this whole process.”
The documentary retraces how Tibon, a retired IDF major general, rushed from his Tel Aviv home to southern Israel as Hamas gunmen stormed kibbutzim and communities. He rescued his son, daughter-in-law and grandchildren – along with several others – from the carnage. The 7 October attack killed some 1,200 people and saw 251 hostages taken into Gaza.
Voting for the People’s Choice Awards is restricted to festival-goers, with cross-checks to ensure ballots reflect actual attendance.
While The Road Between Us topped the documentary category, Chloé Zhao’s Shakespeare drama Hamnet, starring Paul Mescal and Jessie Buckley, claimed the overall festival prize and is already being tipped as an Oscar frontrunner.
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