"The Bibi Files," which premiered Monday night at the Toronto International Film Festival, provides a rare glimpse into the corruption investigations surrounding Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. The Prime Minister is seen slamming his fist on the table and berating investigators over allegations against him. "They're lying," Netanyahu forcefully declared.
"They're liars, lying shamelessly. They're saying things that never occurred, I instructed them," Netanyahu asserted, again pounding the table and telling investigators: "And you're taking it seriously."
The film also showcases excerpts from the questioning of Netanyahu's wife, Sara, where she tells investigators, "They're slaughtering me," referring to her media portrayal.
The Guardian provided additional details about the film's content. The renowned British newspaper reported that the interrogation videos featured in the film were recorded by the Israel Police between 2016 and 2018, prior to the formal filing of corruption charges against Netanyahu.
'The Bibi Files': Documentary reveals the police interrogations behind Netanyahu's graft trial
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The footage captures Netanyahu addressing allegations that he and his wife received luxury gifts, including expensive champagne, Cuban cigars, and jewelry from Hollywood producer Arnon Milchan. The Guardian noted, "Netanyahu is heard minimizing the champagne and cigars as simply gifts from a friend, while denying knowledge of the jewelry."
Several witnesses who worked for Milchan and Netanyahu are also shown in police interviews. One of the alleged benefits received by the couple, as described, includes a minor extension of a tax benefit that favored Milchan (known as the Milchan Law).
Netanyahu maintained that his unusual intervention regarding the tax benefit was in the nation's interest, not for Milchan's personal gain. Meanwhile, the producer of "L.A. Confidential" corroborated much of the witness testimonies, though in one segment, he gently requests the police avoid using the term "bribe," concerned about potential negative implications.
The film also shows Netanyahu vehemently refuting claims that he approved regulations benefiting Israeli media mogul Shaul Elovitch. The Prime Minister repeatedly and dramatically labeled one of his senior aides, Nir Hefetz, a liar for making such assertions. Other witnesses allege that Elovitch reciprocated the supposed favors by allowing Netanyahu to directly influence his family's coverage on the Israeli news website Walla.
The screening, which will be repeated tonight (Tuesday), saw heightened security measures, with police officers and K-9 units visible on site. Outside the venue, families of hostages held a protest.
Netanyahu's "performances"
Alex Gibney, one of the film's producers, addressed the film's distribution restrictions in Israel: "It's a special law for Israel [that] doesn't affect the rest of the world." Notably, Netanyahu had petitioned the court to block the film's screening entirely, but his request was denied. However, one of the producers, journalist Raviv Drucker, is required to respond to the court by tomorrow.
Gibney explained that he brought "The Bibi Files" to Toronto as a work in progress due to the urgency of presenting it while "the death toll in Gaza continues to rise," but also because the team is seeking distribution partners at the festival, aiming for a swift global release.
Though the documentary doesn't unveil new information, Gibney suggests that for viewers familiar with Netanyahu's carefully orchestrated public appearances, witnessing his demeanor under interrogation, as his composure begins to falter, is "eye-opening." He added: "Even in the interrogation videos, you see performances," Gibney notes. "But you see performances that aren't finely tuned; that are delivered to an audience of three people; that he doesn't expect will leave the room."
Israelis in the film
The documentary features appearances by Drucker, former Shin Bet chief Ami Ayalon, state witness and former advisor Nir Hefetz, as well as Netanyahu's childhood friend, Uzi Beller. Beller claimed that the prime minister once told him his son Yair Netanyahu could be his successor.
After the screening, director Alexis Bloom lamented the reluctance of many individuals to speak candidly on camera. She told The Guardian that one anonymous interviewee compared Netanyahu's administration to the series "House of Cards." "One said to me, 'Well, you know, I might go into politics myself one day, so I need to be careful,'" she added.
The ongoing war in Gaza was also addressed during the screening. Bloom became visibly upset after an audience member alleged the film contained "a bunch of lies," referring to Hamas-run health ministry reports of over 40,000 casualties in Gaza. "You don't know that," he challenged. "Are you trusting Hamas?" he asked her, to which Bloom responded, "I think they're corroborated." He retorted: "You are putting a false narrative out there."
