Miami Jewish Film Festival to honor Israeli filmmaker killed in Hamas attack

Friends and colleagues say filmmaker Yahav Winner had promise. He recently finished his short film. He was working on another project. About a month ago, his daughter Shaya was born.

On Oct. 7, his life, career and fatherhood were cut short. Winner, 37, was killed by Hamas militants when they attacked Kfar Aza, a kibbutz community near the Gaza border. His wife, filmmaker Shaylee Atary, said his final act was protecting her and their newborn.

Over 6,000 miles away, the Miami Jewish Film Festival is organizing a memorial screening of Winner’s final film “The Boy” for Saturday at 8 p.m. at the Michael-Ann Russell Jewish Community Center near Aventura. The event is free and open to the public.

Igor Shteyrenberg, the film festival executive director and a friend of Winner, said the event is meant to pay tribute to a talented filmmaker and devoted father. The Miami Jewish Film Festival is committed to showcasing Israeli films, especially by up-and-coming artists like Winner, Shteyrenberg said.

“Yahav is an emerging voice in Israeli cinema,” Shteyrenberg said. “Was an emerging voice in Israeli cinema. And that breaks my heart to have to correct myself that way.”

“The Miami Jewish Film Festival brings our community together, and that is so much a core mission of the work we do,” he said. “The festival serves as a convener, providing a safe haven for audiences and diverse people of all faiths and backgrounds to connect, find meaning and seek solace, particularly in difficult times such as these.”

“The Boy,” which was completed months ago, is an extended short film about a father and son who live in a kibbutz near Gaza, a reflection on his life at Kfar Aza. Shteyrenberg said he hopes Winner is remembered for his heroism and his artistry.

“He spoke truly from his heart. You can see the promise of all there was to come,” he said. “This mature gaze with his camera work. Beautiful compositions and sensitivity to light and color. You’re watching this film and it catches you because you can’t believe this is a short film from an emerging talent. It feels so established.”

Winner and his family are among those who have been affected by violence between Israel and Hamas, which the United States government recognizes as a terrorist group. Since Oct. 7, over 1,300 in Israel and 3,000 in Gaza have been killed, according to Reuters.

Atary shared her story with friends, family and media outlets in the days following the attack. Hedva Goldschmidt, a friend and executive director of Go2Films, which distributed Winner and Atary’s films, shared Atary’s testimony of what happened that morning. (Atary was unable to speak with the Herald.)

The couple was in their bedroom when their home was invaded by Hamas, Goldschmidt said. Winner blocked the window with his body to help his wife and daughter escape, she said.

“When the terrorists came through the bedroom window, we didn’t even manage to say goodbye,” Atary said in a statement provided to news outlets after the attack. “We shared a look and decided that I’ll run away with the baby.”

Atary, clutching her one-month-old, ran and hid. Eventually, a family who was hiding in their home saw her on their CCTV footage and let her inside to shelter with them. After 26 hours, they were evacuated by Israeli Defense Forces and taken to a hospital to recover, Goldschmidt said. But Winner was missing.

Days later, while speaking with Sky News for an interview, Atary learned that her husband had been killed.

“He saved her life and the life of the baby,” Goldschmidt said.

Aviv Ben Shlush, Winner’s cousin and producer, described Winner as strong yet caring. He was his wife’s biggest supporter.

This summer, the family worked together to film a passion project that Winner wrote. Winner, Atary and his father starred in the small budget movie, which was filmed at the Kfar Aza kibbutz with their neighbors as extras. It was the first and last time the cousins were able to work together on a film, Ben Shlush said.

At first, Ben Shlush wanted to hold off on filming until November, but Winner was stubborn about his vision. He wanted to film in the summer, while the fields were a certain color and Atary was still pregnant. The raw footage, which has yet to be edited, is “the last living memory of the kibbutz as it used to be,” Ben Shlush said.

He said his family is touched by the film festival’s tribute for his cousin.

“It’s amazing. I know that it’s one of the things that makes the whole family feel strong,” he said. “To know that we can continue his legacy. A way for him to live after he died.”

Tribute screening for Yahav Winner

When: Oct. 21, 8 p.m.

Where: Michael-Ann Russell JCC; 18900 NE 25th Ave, Miami

Info: Free and open to the public. https://miamijewishfilmfestival.org/events/yahav-winner-tribute

This story was produced with financial support from The Pérez Family Foundation, in partnership with Journalism Funding Partners, as part of an independent journalism fellowship program. The Miami Herald maintains full editorial control of this work.

This story was originally published October 18, 2023 at 4:30 AM.