When questioned over his repeated criticism of Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu, The Gatekeepers director Dror Moreh on Friday retorted that he is not "representing Netanyahu at the Oscars," during an interview with Channel 2 aired two days ahead of the award ceremony.
The film, nominated under the category of Best Documentary, consists of extensive and rare interviews with the six surviving former heads of the Shin Bet (Israel Security Agency) in Israel: Ami Ayalon, Avi Dichter, Yuval Diskin, Carmi Gillon, Ya’acov Peri and Avraham Shalom.
Reacting to comments by Netanyhau that he has no intention of watching the film, Moreh told Channel 2 that if the prime minister doesn't want to watch a documentary that deals the Palestinian-Israeli conflict through the eyes of six people who he worked with, "it says more about him than about the film."
He said that the documentary is not left-wing, but practical and realistic. In view of accusations that the film is one-sided the director stressed that "all six men stand completely behind the message of the film" - and end to the occupation.
Five Broken Cameras, co-directed by Palestinian Emad Burnat and Israeli Guy Davidi will go head-to-head with The Gatekeepers at the Oscars on Sunday.
Hannah Brown contributed to this report