Israeli reserve soldiers psychological impact

A Soldier’s Internal Crisis in ‘One Eye Open’

The documentary doesn’t just chronicle the logistics of war; it maps the psychological erosion of those tasked with fighting it. The Jerusalem Post reported that the film traces the quiet voices of reserve soldiers who answered the call to serve only to find themselves staggering under the mounting burden of the conflict. By offering a personal perspective on the war from October 7 to the present, the film avoids the broad strokes of political commentary in favor of raw, human fragility. The prize committee highlighted the film’s ability to capture the intersection of national turmoil and individual collapse. “In an impressive cinematic language and with rare emotional precision, Tom Giat’s debut film follows the cracks that open up in his inner world as a reserve soldier, against the backdrop of the war that is shaking the country.” The Prize Committee

Tom Giat’s Debut and the 400-Day Documentation

The film is as much a feat of endurance as it is of artistry. Director Tom Giat, born in 1998 and a 2025 graduate of the screen-based arts department at the Bezalel Academy of Arts and Design, spent more than 400 days on reserve duty during Operation Swords of Iron. Throughout this period, Giat documented the growing crisis he was experiencing in real time. This immersive approach paid off before the film even reached the Weil-Bloch committee. Produced by Ohad Milstein with backing from the NFCT, the Kadar Foundation, and Mifal Hapayis, the project previously earned the Outstanding Project Award at the DOCLAB incubator, a precursor to its wider festival run.

The Mission and Mechanics of the Weil-Bloch Film Award

Established in 2020, the Weil-Bloch Award is designed to elevate cinema that tackles the most friction-filled aspects of Israeli identity. The award specifically targets films addressing racism, immigration, and the complexities of a shared society, prioritizing projects that demonstrate courage in both subject and execution. The award structure provides significant financial runways for films in their final stages of completion:

• Best Film Prize: $50,000 (Awarded to One Eye Open)
• Jury Prize: $40,000
• Special Mention Prize: $15,000

The strategic intent behind these grants is to ensure that high-concept, socially relevant art reaches an international audience. NFCT CEO Orel Turner emphasized that the fund views cinema as more than entertainment. “The fund, over its decades of activity, supports Israeli films that constitute high art, but also serve as a tool for social change.” Orel Turner, NFCT CEO Turner further noted that the focus on shared society remains a critical necessity for the region’s cinematic output. “For six years, the Weil-Bloch prizes have been encouraging films that deal with conflicts in Israel’s shared society, a subject that never stops being relevant. Tom Giat’s film does this in a precise and uncompromising voice,” Orel Turner, NFCT CEO

Tel Aviv Premiere at Docaviv 2026

The industry’s first look at the finished work arrives this week. One Eye Open is scheduled for its world premiere at Docaviv 2026, the international documentary film festival in Tel Aviv. The film will be featured in the main Israeli competition, placing it at the center of the national conversation regarding the psychological toll of recent military operations. The festival will run from May 28 to June 6, with screenings hosted at the Tel Aviv Cinematheque and various other venues across the city. For Giat, the premiere marks the transition from a soldier documenting his own descent into crisis to a filmmaker presenting that crisis as a mirror for a society still grappling with the aftermath of October 7. By securing the Weil-Bloch prize, the film joins a lineage of previous winners including Ari Folman and Orit Fouks Rotem, signaling that Giat’s “uncompromising voice” has already found its footing in the upper echelon of Israeli documentary cinema.