Sharone Lifschitz: The Line and the Circle

Taking the process of developing photographs in a darkroom as its narrative structure, the film tells the story of Kibbutz Nir Oz, which was attacked and destroyed by Hamas on October 7, 2023. The images of the kibbutz’s early years were taken by the artist’s mother, photographer Yocheved Lifschitz, when she was a young Chaluza (Hebrew: pioneer). While the film captures the photographs—and with them the story of Nir Oz—slowly taking shape, mother and daughter discuss the history of the kibbutz and their family. Nir Oz (English: Meadow of Strength) is one of the kibbutzim run by Artzi, the left-wing socialist kibbutz movement. It was founded in 1955 on 20 square kilometers of land in the immediate vicinity of the Gaza Strip; among other things, it grows and exports asparagus.

Prior to the Hamas massacre, Nir Oz had a population of around 350. 80 of its inhabitants were kidnapped and taken to the Gaza Strip; 20 were murdered. Among those abducted were the parents of Sharone Lifschitz, who grew up in Nir Oz. Yocheved Lifschitz (85 years old) was released on October 23, while Hamas continues to hold her husband, Oded Lifschitz (83 years old), who was active in the Israeli peace movement and helped sick Palestinians from the Gaza Strip receive treatment in Israeli hospitals.

With the film presentation of The Line and the Circle, the Jewish Museum not only narrates the story of the destroyed kibbutz, but also joins the relatives’ initiative “Bring Them Home Now,” which calls for an unconditional commitment to the hostages’ return. The film complements the sound installation in the museum’s forecourt, which commemorates the hostages with their names and ages.