Avi Mograbi
Breaking the silence
Israel · Cinema
Vanabbee video installation
Israeli documentary filmmaker and activist Avi Mograbi was nominated for the 2025 AFIELD Fellowship for Breaking the Silence, an initiative that collects testimonies of Israeli soldiers to reveal the realities of the occupation and foster public dialogue and accountability in Israel and internationally.
Founded in 2004, Breaking the Silence is a non-governmental organization created by Israeli veterans of the Defense Forces to document and share soldiers’ testimonies from service in the occupied West Bank and Gaza. It exposes the mechanisms of control and violence that sustain the occupation and questions their normalization within Israeli society.
Testimonies are compiled into books, reports, and exhibitions, while educational tours and lectures offer first-hand engagement for the public. In 2024, 64 soldiers gave testimonies, 111 tours were conducted, and online content reached over 24 million people. The initiative collaborates with human rights groups, journalists, and schools in Israel and abroad to create civic dialogue and accountability. Through this work, Breaking the Silence nurtures empathy and moral responsibility, envisioning a future built on justice, dignity, and coexistence between Israelis and Palestinians.
Kika Exhibition, 2019 I Photo by Omri Golan
Avi Mograbi is an acclaimed Israeli filmmaker known for his politically engaged documentaries examining conscience, identity, and state violence. His refusal to serve during the 1982 Lebanon War shaped both his art and activism. His films have been featured at Cannes, Berlin, and Venice for their sharp moral inquiry. In 2004, he co-founded Breaking the Silence with Miki Kratsman and Yehuda Shaul, extending his commitment beyond cinema to social advocacy. Today, Mograbi continues to use film, public dialogue, and education as means to challenge systems of oppression and spark ethical awareness.
Avi Mograbi I Photo by Jose Kattán
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