Israeli filmmaker murdered by Hamas. His wife wants to retrieve husband's semen
News has spread around the world that filmmaker Yahav Winner is among the victims of a Hamas attack on Israeli civilians. His body was found last night in the Kfar Aza kibbutz in the southern part of the country. The director's wife spoke about the circumstances of her husband's death and confessed that she still wants to continue building their family with him.
7:22 AM EDT, October 12, 2023
A war is underway, declared on Israel by the Palestinian terrorist organization Hamas. Besides Winner, residents of Kfar Aza kibbutz were among those murdered, dying along with their entire families. After Hamas members attacked his home, the filmmaker was initially considered missing. However, the worst suspicions regarding his fate were confirmed yesterday.
Wife on the circumstances of the filmmaker's death
As reported by Deadline, during the attack, Yahav Winner was watching the window in the house, facilitating escape for his disabled wife and their one-month-old daughter Shaya. Director Shaylee Atary, who hid with her child for over a day before she managed to escape, told the Deadline service how her partner died.
- From the testimony of a soldier who found his body, I know that Yahav died from a single shot to the head. He didn't suffer. I also know that he didn't only block the window in our bedroom, but he also tried to barricade the door to the house with Shayi's cart, to stop the terrorists. He didn't run away. He kept trying to save us. That was my husband.
The widow fights for the extension of the family line
In a conversation with Deadline, Atary added that she is on her way to the hospital, where - she hopes - doctors will perform a post-mortem sperm retrieval from her deceased husband, so that their family can grow.
- I hope that a miracle will occur and the procedure will work. All the people who helped me assured that many Israeli women are currently trying to undergo a similar procedure. Lawyers helped them get to court as quickly as possible, and now they are carrying out the same procedure for their deceased husbands. I hope that one day Israeli law will give women the chance to continue their family and I hope it will be called Yahava Winner's law - said the director.
Atary and Winner as beginner filmmakers
Shaylee Atary made her directorial debut in 2020 with the short film "Neurim", which was produced by her husband. The film was shown in Cannes as part of the Cinéfondation section. Her second production, "Single Light", premiered just two weeks ago at the San Sebastian International Film Festival, where Atary appeared alongside Winner.
The murdered filmmaker was also at the beginning of his career. His directorial debut "The Boy" won the award for Best Cinematography at this year's International Student Film Festival in Tel Aviv.
The death of Winner was confirmed by the Israeli distributor Go2Films, which issued an official statement: "The loss of Yahav has left an indelible void in our hearts and we express our deepest condolences to his wife, family, friends, and all who were moved by his artistry and spirit".
"In the face of this tragedy, we find comfort in commemorating the life and work of Yahava. The short film 'The Boy' tells a story that sheds light on life in Kfar Aza, the kibbutz where he was raised, and many other Israeli villages along the Gaza border. These communities have borne a huge burden of losses during the ongoing attacks."
In order to honor his [Winner's] memory and courage, we are making every effort to display the movie 'The Boy' in as many places abroad as possible. For those interested in festivals and programmers, we will also assemble a new version of the film that will include an introduction in which we share the inspiring story of Yahav's courage, as he faced adversity. This introduction will pay tribute to Yahav and ensure that his artistic contribution and the story of his courage are made available to audiences worldwide."
