A documentary narrated by Jason Alexander about the 1976 Entebbe hostage crisis will make its world premiere at the Dances With Films festival in Los Angeles on Monday, June 22, at the TCL Chinese Theatre.
According to Deadline, sales company Go2Films has boarded rights to the film, titled To Kill A Nazi. Directed by Penn State professor Boaz Dvir, the 101-minute film is a USA and France co-production. Its international premiere is set for July 26 at the Croatian International Film Festival in Šibenik.
The documentary follows Michel Cojot, described as "a French family man tormented by his father's murder at Auschwitz." After discovering the signature of Gestapo Commander Klaus Barbie on his father's arrest papers, Cojot tracks Barbie, known as the Butcher of Lyon, to Bolivia. He corners Barbie in a La Paz alleyway with a loaded pistol but does not pull the trigger. That decision follows him until a year later, when he and his 12-year-old son are among the hostages on the hijacked Air France flight at the center of Operation Thunderbolt.
The film also takes aim at long-standing myths about the raid. Producers say eyewitnesses describe how Wilfried Böse, commander of the Revolutionary Cells, actively turned his weapon away during the commando operation and directed captives to safety rather than executing them.
The film features exclusive interviews with Olivier Cojot-Goldberg, Entebbe hostage spokesperson Ilan Hartuv, and mission commander Rami Sherman. It was also produced by Matthew Einstein and Gayle Zachmann.
Hedva Goldschmidt, founder and CEO of Go2Films, said: "To Kill A Nazi is a gripping and deeply human story that explores memory, justice, and the lasting impact of history across generations. Working with Boaz Dvir has been truly inspiring, his ability to transform complex historical events into an emotional and cinematic journey makes this film both timely and unforgettable."
Director Dvir framed the film's relevance in terms of the raid's broader legacy. "The Raid on Entebbe has become a blueprint for the expansion of special operations forces across the world," he said. "As Operation Thunderbolt's 50th anniversary approaches, To Kill a Nazi reexamines this mission as a story borne of fragile decisions under extreme pressure."
