We Will Dance Again is a 2024 documentary film written and directed by Yariv Mozer. It focuses on the Nova music festival massacre and abductions to the Gaza Strip during the Hamas-led attack on Israel, on 7 October 2023. It is an international co-production between the United States (Paramount+), the United Kingdom (BBC) and Israel (Hot).
The film received mostly positive reviews and in 2025 won the News and Documentary Emmy Award for Outstanding Current Affairs Documentary.
Background
On 7 October 2023, the Izz al-Din al-Qassam Brigades, the military wing of the Palestinian nationalist political organization Hamas, initiated a sudden attack on Israel from the Gaza Strip. As part of the attack, 364 individuals, mostly civilian,, were murdered and many more wounded at the Supernova Sukkot Gathering, an open-air music festival during the Jewish holiday of Shemini Atzeret near kibbutz Re'im. Hamas also took 40 people hostage, and men and women were reportedly subject to sexual and gender-based violence.Thousands flee rocket and gunfire at all-night desert 'Nature Party'; dozens missing The Times of Israel. 7 October 2023Israel releases horrific eyewitness account of rape carried out by Hamas The Forward. 8 November 2023
Synopsis The film reconstructs the October 7 attack through a series of interviews with survivors of the Nova music festival massacre.Documentary "We Will Dance Again" shares survival stories from Nova Music Festival attack CBS News. 23 September 2024 Phone videos and footage taken by Hamas is also used to create a timeline of the massacre. The killing of Aner Shapira and the abductions of Hersh Goldberg-Polin and Shani Louk are also told in the film."We Will Dance Again Goes Deep Into the Hell of the Oct. 7 Nova Music Festival Massacre" The Hollywood Reporter. 23 September 2024
The film begins in the evening of 6 October in the Negev Desert, where thousands gather for the music festival. Rockets mistaken for fireworks begin to appear in the sky as the party continues at 6.30 am. Confusion reigns and fear mounts as Hamas arrive at the festival and begin to murder the festival-goers.
Release
In the United States, the film had a two-day theatrical run at select theaters nationwide on 29 August and 1 September."Iconic Events Releasing brings documentary We Will Dance Again to select theaters Jewish News Syndicate. 28 August 2024 In addition it received a week-long theatrical run in Los Angeles. The film was released by streamer Paramount+ in the United States on 24 September 2024."Paramount+ Sets Premiere for We Will Dance Again Documentary About Oct. 7 Hamas Terrorist Attack" The Hollywood Reporter. 5 September 2024
Executive producer Susan Zirinsky favored a streaming release over broadcast television: "Ultimately, I thought we could not [run it on CBS] because there's no way possible to break for commercial", continuing "With streaming, you're making a conscious choice to put this on.""We Will Dance Again Producer Susan Zirinsky Says Oct. 7 Doc Too Intense for Broadcast TV" The Hollywood Reporter. 24 September 2024
In Israel, the film premiered on 25 September on Hot 8.Supernova music festival documentary debuts on TV The Jerusalem Post. 25 September 2024 It received its premiere at the National Library of Israel.Brown, Hannah (1 October 2024) Israeli theaters to mark October 7 anniversary with special screenings The Jerusalem Post. Retrieved on 5 January 2025
In the United Kingdom, the film was broadcast on BBC Two on 26 September 2024, before becoming available for streaming on iPlayer."Surviving October 7th: We Will Dance Again BBC Two. Retrieved on 24 December 2024
The film has also been broadcast in other territories, such as Australia, where it became available for streaming through the Nine Network.When terror stole their freedom The Australian Jewish News. 26 September 2024"Australia's Nine Network Latest to Buy Israeli Doc We Will Dance Again" Deadline Hollywood. 6 August 2024 The film premiered in Germany on 2 October on the RTL network."RTL Picks Up We Will Dance Again Documentary", World Screen. 12 September 2024
The film has also received a number of special screenings. It received its London premiere at the JW3 Jewish community centre. Emma Barnett, a BBC journalist, hosted a post-screening panel with Mozer and festival survivors, as well as the father of murdered festival-goer, Aner Shapira, whose story is featured in the film.
Reception Rachel Aroesti gave the film 4 out of 5 stars in her review for The Guardian. Aroesti wrote: "the documentary's focus is very clear: it tells the story of these Israeli citizens – utterly defenceless in the face of Hamas' indiscriminate onslaught – and it does so unflinchingly, exhaustively and movingly.""Surviving October 7th: We Will Dance Again review – an unflinching, moving account of Hamas' attack" The Guardian. 27 September 2024
Ben Kenigsberg reviewed film positively in his New York Times review, praising the lucidity of the interviews and concluding that "if the shock of that day's violence has faded after a year, We Will Dance Again aims to keep it visible, and to memorialize it viscerally.""We Will Dance Again Review: Remembering Oct. 7" by Ben Kenigsberg The New York Times. 24 September 2024
Rachel Cooke wrote about the film for the New Statesman as an impactful viewing experience: "It will destroy you; sleep was impossible for me afterwards. But it is an astonishing thing, almost beyond description." Cooke added, "It is like the Book of Exodus. Someone says it, but I'm already thinking it.""The horrors of Storyville's Surviving October 7th: We Will Dance Again New Statesman. 27 September 2024
Film critic Gili Izikovich wrote about the film for Haaretz in Israel: "We're not lacking chilling eyewitness accounts or horrific scenes from October 7. However, what happened at that party is particularly heartbreaking. The celebration of humanity, the emotion that is at the heart of the electronic music festival, the young and beautiful victims, and the chilling violence in which their lives were cut short – all these make for a scene that's hard to withstand." Izikovich continued: "The film We Will Dance Again doesn't spare its viewers in this regard", Izikovich continued. "The trigger warning at the beginning of the film is meant to warn of disturbing images. Those exist in the film, but what is even harder is the dire contrast between a party meant to celebrate freedom, liberty and life, and the scene of the massacre. Between the confusion, disorientation and feelings of abandonment – and the lack of anyone to save them."
Ricardo de Querol wrote about the film for El País in Spain: "It is not an easy experience to endure, nor advisable for sensitive people, but as a historical and journalistic document, it is very valuable.""La película del ataque de Hamás al festival Nova es difícil de soportar. Todo es real", El País. 10 October 2024 (in Spanish)
American actor and director, Sean Penn has spoken in favor of the film: "We bandy about the term 'must-see film', and yet rarely do films live up to that in any literal sense. As heartbreaking as it is revelatory, We Will Dance Again is truly a must-see film in our time.""Industry Heavyweights Aim to Drive Oscar FYC Buzz for We Will Dance Again Nova Music Festival Documentary" Variety. 7 December 2024
Film director, actress and singer, Barbra Streisand wrote about the film in an Instagram post, where she described it as "a powerful documentary", continuing, "The stories from survivors of the massacre that day were powerful, heartbreaking and amazing. While it is sometimes painful to watch, it is important to never forget.""Barbra Steisand post on We Will Dance Again", Instagram. 23 October 2024
Awards and nominations Wins Outstanding Current Affairs Documentary – News and Documentary Emmy AwardsSchneider, Michael (26 June 2025). "Documentary Emmys Winners List: Nat Geo, Netflix Lead, MSNBC's The Sing Sing Chronicles Lands Top Prize and Bill Moyers Is Paid Tribute", Variety. Retrieved on 27 June 2025(27 June 2025). "We Will Dance Again: Nova's Oct. 7 Hamas Massacre Documentary Wins Emmy", Haaretz. Retrieved on 27 June 2025 Best in Category – Doc Edge"We Will Dance Again" Doc Edge. Retrieved on 24 December 2024 Best Editing – Doc Edge
Nominations Outstanding Editing – Documentary category (Yasmine Novak and Roy Balbirsky) – News and Documentary Emmy Awards Outstanding Producer of Documentary Motion Picture – Producers Guild of America"Producers Guild Feature Documentary Nominees Include Super/Man, Mountain Queen, Porcelain War Variety. 10 December 2024
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