The Gatekeepers

An Oscar nominee for Best Documentary, Dror Moreh's astonishing behind-the-scenes look at Shin Bet—aka the Israel Security Agency—offers an illuminating insider's view of the Arab-Israeli conflict since the Six-Day War in 1967, when one million Palestinians came under Israeli control in the West Bank, Gaza Strip, and the old city of Jerusalem. As six eloquent, introspective former heads of Shin Bet explain the situation—backed by archival footage—their feelings of hopelessness and helplessness are pervasive. These are tough intelligence operatives who have never before publicly discussed their beliefs. Indeed, during their years of leadership, they staunchly maintained their anonymity, even to their fellow citizens (in Hebrew, the name Shin Bet translates as the “defender that shall not be seen”). Their controversial revelations encompass a wide range of subjects: terrorism and its effects, the cultivation of informers who spoke flawless Arabic, the uses of interrogation and torture, targeted assassinations, and the inability of their countrymen to compromise on a two-state solution. “In the war against terror, there is no morality,” argues Avraham Shalom. Israeli cinematographer-turned-filmmaker Moreh credits documentarian Errol Morris's The Fog of War as the inspiration for his candid, challenging interviews, which seek to uncover “truth,” at least as interpreted by each of these influential spymasters who came to power during a different era, worked under a variety of Prime Ministers, and made diverse historical decisions. “The tragedy of Israel's security debate is that we don't realize that we face a frustrating situation in which we win every battle, but we lose the war,” Ami Ayalon concludes. A powerful documentary about a longstanding, tragic situation, this is highly recommended. Editor's Choice. [Note: DVD/Blu-ray extras include audio commentary by director Dror Moreh, a Q&A with Moreh (43 min.), and trailers. Bottom line: a solid extras package for this powerful Oscar-nominated doc.] (S. Granger)