EXCLUSIVE: As the anniversary of October 7 approaches, the first scripted series about the devastating attack has emerged.
Fox Entertainment Studios and Israel‘s yes TV are co-producing One Day in October, a four-part anthology series which the pair are calling the “first scripted representation of the personal stories that emerged from Oct. 7.”
Created by Oded Davidoff and Daniel Finkelman, the drama series, which is filmed on location in Israel, centers on four narratives of love, courage, survival and loss. From parental sacrifice and moments turning to torment to beacons of hope amid chaos, each story reveals profound truths about the “senseless carnage of this assault,” according to its backers. Cast includes Swell Ariel Or (The Beauty Queen of Jerusalem), Noa Kedar (The Malevolent Bride), Naomi Levov (Yona, On the Spectrum), Hisham Suliman (Fauda, Munich), Wael Hamdoun (Fauda), Yuval Semo (Elisha, Superdaddy), Avi Azulay (Testament: The Story of Moses), Naveh Tzur (Valley, Noble Savage) and Yael Abecassis (Shabatot VeHagim, Prisoners of War).
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On October 7, Hamas militants stormed into Israel attacking, amongst other places, a number of kibbutzes and the Nova Music Festival, killing around 1,200 people and taking more than 200 hostage, of which only around half have so far returned and a number are presumed dead. The attack was the catalyst for the Israel-Hamas War, which has so far seen the deaths of around 40,000 people in Gaza, according to the Hamas-run health ministry.
One Day in October is one of the first projects for Fox Entertainment Studios banner Tideline, which Deadline revealed was launching earlier this year at Sundance. The anthology, which is being produced by Finkelman’s New York-based production company Sparks Go and Israel’s ZOA Films, will premiere on yes TV in October and be distributed globally by Fox Entertainment Global.
“One Day in October is among the most powerful projects I’ve seen, let alone been involved with,” said Fernando Szew, head of Fox Entertainment Studios. “Beautifully filmed, yet gut-wrenching, these are stories of people at their best in the midst of unimaginable, horrible circumstances. The survivors portrayed in this series allowed for their horrific experiences to be represented by wonderful talent — both in front of and behind the camera – which will invite the audience to ultimately feel their profound love of, and for, life.”
Finkleman added: “Our goal with this series is to capture and convey the picturesque kibbutz and euphoric music celebration that abruptly crumbled into incomprehensible nightmares. Thanks to the unwavering support of Fernando, Hannah and Tideline, I think we’ve achieved that vision and were able to create this four-part series from start to finish within a year, which is almost unheard of for any production.”
There are already a couple of movies in the works about October 7 and its aftermath including Dani Rosenberg’s Of Dogs and Men, which will world premiere at Venice, while several documentaries are being made about the attack. One Day in October also has shades of Ukraine War anthology series Those Who Stayed.
“At Tideline, our mission is to tell relevant and impactful stories from differentiated voices and perspectives globally,” said Hannah Pillemer, Executive Vice President and Head of Scripted at Fox Entertainment Studios. “One Day in October is seminal, poignant and beautifully told, making it a fitting and essential addition to Tideline’s growing footprint.”
One Day in October features four hour-long episodes written by Liron Ben-Shlush (Next to Her, Working Woman), Davidoff (The Beauty Queen of Jerusalem, The Malevolent Bride), Adam G. Simon (Point Blank, Man Down), and Amir Hasfari and Keren Weissman (Mama’s Angel). It is directed by Davidoff and produced by Finkelman (Menasche, The Performance), Chaya Amor (The Performance), Aviv Ben-Shlush (Matchmaking, Shtisel), Lee Ben-Shlush Kuperman (Road 65, Nafas) and Szew.