In 1999, Igal Hecht, an Israeli based in Toronto, Canada, created Chutzpa Productions Inc. His award-winning films have been described as controversial and thought provoking. They have dealt with human rights issues as well as pop culture. Throughout his 20-year career, Hecht has been involved in the production of more than 50 documentary films and more than 20 television series. His work has been screened internationally on Netflix, Amazon Prime, BBC, Documentary Channel, CBC, YES-TV (Canada) and HBO Europe, among other outlets.
Grégoire Canlorbe: The Killing Roads investigates Gaza's jihadi pogrom against Israel on October 7, 2023. How did you gather the testimonies?
Igal Hecht: When October 7th unfolded, I began collecting and archiving every piece of footage that emerged—raw, unfiltered, and often horrifying. As the days passed and the scale of the atrocities became undeniable, it became clear that a film was needed.
In November, Haaretz and The New York Times published articles about the massacres, but when I began speaking to survivors, it seemed clear that, aside from Israeli TV, no one was truly exposing what happened. On Routes 232 and 24 alone, Palestinian terrorists, Hamas, Islamic Jihad, and civilians from Gaza murdered around 250 innocent people.
A few months in, my trusted collaborator, Lior Cohen, and I set off to Israel. In early 2024, we spent a month filming in and around those routes, Sderot, the Nova festival grounds, kibbutzim, and cities like Sderot and Ofakim. Ultimately, we focused on seven stories.
We incorporated footage from survivors, Hamas propaganda videos, security footage, and, thanks to Hatzalah, we obtained 50 hours of raw material from ambulance teams. These first responders documented everything. Every horror, every burned-out car, every bullet-ridden body, from the moment the attack began.
This was not just a massacre; it was a Nazi-style atrocity committed by Palestinian terrorists. The Killing Roads unfiltered documentation. It must be seen so that no one can ever deny or rewrite what took place.
On October 7th, Palestinian terrorists and civilians from Gaza committed a mini-Holocaust against Jews in Israel. They did not "just" murder—they raped, burned, and mutilated women, infants and men because they were Jews. If that was not enough, their progressive and Islamist sympathizers in Europe, the U.S., Canada, and Australia also celebrated the bloodshed. That is the grotesque reality Jews around the world face today.
Canlorbe: You had already made documentaries on genocidal attacks such as those in Holocaust, Rwanda, Bangladesh, Cambodia, and the Yezidi slaughters. How did it feel, this time?
Hecht: This time, it was personal. My family lives in that region. I had family members in Sderot fighting off terrorists. I lost brave colleagues. The victims were not nameless figures from history books; they were my people.
What made it worse was the reaction in Canada. People I had thought were friends, colleagues I had worked with, openly supported or excused the butchery. October 7th stripped away the masks. It revealed a deep-seated antisemitism that had always been there, just beneath the surface.
Making this film was not just about documenting history; it was a mission. It was my way of saying f*** you to every person who tried to justify, minimize, or celebrate this slaughter. That is why I made The Killing Roads freely available online. Unlike many filmmakers who compromise to appease broadcasters—like not calling Hamas "terrorists"—I would not "sanitize" the truth.
This film shows with clarity what Israelis endured that day without concern for political correctness or the fragile sensibilities of those who sympathize with murderers.
Canlorbe: In Canada, what is the average perception of Israel, the Hamas (and similar organizations like the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine), as well as US President Donald Trump's Middle-East policy?
Hecht: Under Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, Canada has become the leading hub for support for Islamic terrorism in North America. Sadly, that seems to be the fact.
The very day of the October 7th massacre, Muslim activists and their antisemitic allies flooded the streets of Toronto and Montreal, and chanted in Arabic for the extermination of Jews. I filmed it. Nothing happened. Apparently, Canadian police cannot find a single Arabic translator.
From the start, the Trudeau government's priority appeared not to be justice—it was appeasement. Canada, like the UK and much of Europe, chosen to "bend the knee" to Islamic jihadi fundamentalism.
The average Canadian gets their information from a publicly funded broadcaster that pumps out anti-Israel propaganda daily, much like the BBC. These journalists take Hamas press releases as gospel and issue weak retractions only after the damage has been done. We've seen it repeatedly, from The New York Times parroting Hamas casualty figures to the BBC recently producing outright propaganda films.
The result? A 630% rise in antisemitic attacks in Canada. Synagogues vandalized. Jews beaten on the streets. Jewish students in Toronto, Montreal, and Vancouver physically blocked from attending school—just as in Nazi Germany. Yet, the media downplays it, and politicians look the other way.
If this unchecked immigration and tolerance for Islamist extremism continue, Canada will follow the path of the UK, France, and the Netherlands. In 10-15 years, we shall see the same no-go zones, the same normalization of antisemitism, and the same erosion of Western values. That is the trajectory unless people wake up.
Canlorbe: Do you see some impact of the Abraham Accords with respect to the partnership between Israeli filmmaking and the movie industry in Saudi Arabia, Morocco, and other Sunni states?
Hecht: To be honest, I do not know. It is not my world.
What I do know is that the Abraham Accords were a game-changer, and President Trump deserves a Nobel Peace Prize for them. Of course, he will not get one—Obama got his for ostensibly good intentions, while Trump actually delivered peace. That tells you everything.
The Sunni states are waking up to a simple truth: the main obstacle to peace is not Israel. Rather, it is the so-called Palestinians and their genocidal fantasies, like a perpetual cancer. Remove that factor from the equation, and Israel and the Arab world can thrive together. More Arab leaders are starting to see that. Hopefully, the rest of the world will, too.
Canlorbe: You wrote, produced, and shot Streets of Jerusalem and several other documentaries set in Jerusalem. How do you approach such a city cinematographically?
Hecht: Jerusalem is visually unparalleled. It is not just a setting, it is a character. I've filmed there for 25 years, and there isn't a corner of the city my team and I haven't explored. The aesthetic contrast is breathtaking. The ancient architecture interwoven with the modern, the energy of the people, the ever-present layers of history. You can set up a camera in the Old City or Mahane Yehuda market and capture something cinematic without even trying. Every frame tells a story. It is why I keep going back.
Canlorbe: Please tell us about Easter in the Holy Land, which covers Christian pilgrimages in the Land of Israel in the Easter season. When it comes to conveying mystical experience, the movie is as eloquent as a painting,
Hecht: Easter in the Holy Land is a feature-length documentary (or a three-part series) that I worked on alongside the cinematographers Lior Cohen and Gabriel Volcovich. We filmed across some of the most sacred Christian sites: Bethlehem, Nazareth, the shores of the Sea of Galilee, and, of course, Jerusalem, particularly the Old City. The film is a visual and spiritual celebration of Easter, offering audiences an intimate view of the deep significance of this holy season in the very land where it all began. More than that, it highlights how Christian pilgrims in Israel experience absolute religious freedom.
Despite the lies spread by far-right Christian antisemites and Arab nationalist propagandists, Israel is the only country in the Middle East where Christians can freely and safely celebrate their faith. In contrast, throughout the surrounding region, Lebanon, Egypt, Jordan, Iraq, and the Palestinian Authority-controlled areas, Christians face persecution, intimidation, and violence. Yes, there have been isolated incidents in Israel, and they are regrettable. But unlike in many other places, here, those who commit crimes against Christians are arrested and held accountable.
Ultimately, Easter and Christmas in Israel serve as testaments to the reality that Christian minorities here can observe their holiest days without fear. This is something that is virtually impossible anywhere else in the Middle East.
Canlorbe: Do you plan to direct an equivalent documentary on Jewish and Muslim pilgrimages in the Holy Land?
Hecht: I haven't given that much thought, but it would be fascinating to create a trilogy covering all three Abrahamic faiths. The challenge, as always, is funding and securing a broadcaster willing to take it on. People do not realize how difficult it is to produce content that explores faith and religion, especially for mainstream television. It is not impossible, but there is a definite bias against it. The reality is that many networks shy away from religious content unless it fits a specific agenda.
Canlorbe: What is your view about a film treatment of Jerusalem in the time of the crusades? How do you assess, for instance, Ridley Scott's Kingdom of Heaven?
Hecht: Aesthetically, Kingdom of Heaven is a stunning film. This is exactly what you would expect from a director like Ridley Scott, with his massive budget and extraordinary craftsmanship. Beyond that? It's all subjective. The film, like most historical dramas, takes artistic liberties. But that is the nature of cinema, especially when dealing with a time period as complex and politically charged as the Crusades.
Canlorbe: In another recent documentary, The Jewish Shadow, you address the condition of Ukrainian Jews in the 1970s, under Soviet rule. What did you choose to highlight about their condition—and how it has been evolving after the Soviet Union's fall?
Hecht: The Jewish Shadow, which was shot long before the war in Ukraine, focuses on the life my parents lived under Soviet rule. To be honest, I have mixed feelings about it. I told my parents we were making a documentary about our family's roots, but in reality, I pushed them to confront the antisemitism they endured. In the end, I apologized to them for putting them through that.
Ukraine has a dark and undeniable history of antisemitism -- one that still lingers today in certain parts of the country. But when the war broke out, it complicated everything. My view of Ukraine is shaped by generations of Jewish persecution, whereas my parents, despite everything they went through, still have a deep attachment to the place. They lived there. They had friends, careers, and a sense of home... even if antisemitism was a constant shadow over their existence.
That, in many ways, encapsulates Jewish life in the Diaspora. We integrate, contribute, and flourish; until we are reminded that, no matter how much we belong, we will always be seen as different. Because of that so-called "difference" in the minds of antisemites, the hatred against us, to them, is justified. Or, as we are seeing now in places like Canada and many parts of Europe even encouraged and celebrated.
Canlorbe: Is there anything you would add?
Hecht: You can watch The Killing Roads at thekillingroads.com or catch it on the Documentary Channel at documentarychannel.com.
For additional information about Igal Hecht and his films, visit chutzpaproductions.com
