A new documentary film, fronted by David Baddiel with narration from Stephen Fry, turns to the past for answers about the creation of the state of Israel with a fresh exploration into the life of Theodor Herzl – the writer and political thinker considered the ‘founder’ of Zionism.
But when filmmakers James Dann and Dominic Howlett first set out to make Theodor Herzl: The Man Behind Israel, well before the 7 October attack by Hamas on Israel in 2023, they could never have predicted how the long-running Israeli-Palestinian conflict would erupt into one of its darkest chapters in decades.
The project was already in full swing, but in light of the intensifying humanitarian crisis in Gaza, producer Dominic Howlett says the film’s historical lens is more vital now than ever.
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“The humanitarian situation in Gaza is reaching a critical point,” says Howlett, founder of Window Zebra Productions, which is co-producing the documentary with Manchester-based New Take Films, Generation Films and Middlemarch Films.
“Two Israeli embassy staff were killed near a Jewish museum. In a world where things seen as non-biased are becoming more problematic, I can understand why someone would ask, ‘How can you have no bias based on what’s going on? Surely, you should be condemning Israel?’
“I do think what is happening there is awful. But we’re in this really interesting place where the actions of the state are being conflated with the state itself, which is being conflated with what it means to be Jewish. I think it’s really important that we don’t do that.”
Howlett hopes the documentary will spark more informed conversations around the conflict, as it digs into Herzl’s life, his legacy, the formation of the Israeli state, its relationship with neighbouring countries, and the continuing conflict in Gaza.
“James and I want people to be able to go away and reflect. No one’s listening to each other. And I think people need to reflect on why the state was created in the first place? What were they trying to achieve?
“It’s a really complicated situation – and I think the more people educate themselves around it, not just to use it in an argument, then that will be a much better place, and we can have a real conversation.”
The idea behind the documentary – and how Fry and Baddiel became involved
I first met with James Dann, filmmaker and founder of New Take Films, in a small coffee shop tucked under the railway arches in Manchester’s Deansgate last year. He has collaborated with co-production company Window Zebra Productions on a number of projects, after becoming good friends with its founder Dominic Howlett.
Over coffee, Dann explained how the idea for the documentary on Herzl had first taken shape.
“I made a documentary three years ago on the last survivors of the Holocaust, where they returned to Auschwitz to tell their stories,” says Dann.
“I followed a tour group and filmed them, but I had so much footage I edited it into a long-form documentary. I met someone on that trip who remembered when I left my camera on the bus by accident and took my number.
“Her father decided he wanted to make a film about the formation of Israel. So we all met in a cafe, discussed the idea for many months and the rest is history.”
Although the project began well before the outbreak of the latest war, the filmmakers are keen to make clear this is no reactive piece.
“This idea has been bubbling away for years with the producers and backers of the film [Generation Films],” says Dann. “We were talking about this and filming in 2023, way before 7 October. It’s not a reaction to the attacks – but it feels more needed now than ever.
“It follows Herzl’s footsteps across Europe and Israel from where he was born, how he navigated through life, how Zionism came about, what was happening in Europe at the time, and then we end up at the formation of Israel.
“Everyone knows about 7 October, everyone knows about the attacks that happened. But most people don’t know, myself included, until I started this, how Israel came to be.”
In a recent chat with both Howlett and Dann for updates on the progress of the film, the duo revealed how they were able to get actor and broadcaster Stephen Fry, plus author and comedian David Baddiel on board.
“We thought Baddiel would be great to present the documentary because he’s very clued up on Jewish heritage and culture. He describes himself as Jewish but not a Zionist – and is neutral,” explains Howlett.
“It’s a very complicated subject. When we started filming before 7 October, it was even more contentious after that happened, and the world was looking at the conflict again in a way they hadn’t for several years.
“When we were speaking to him about our idea, he hadn’t heard that much about the history of Herzl and he was really interested.
“Working with him was an absolute delight. In the film, he reflects on everything he had learnt and the places he had been to. It’s a combination between historical facts and David’s reflections.”
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To bring Herzl to life, the filmmakers turned to Stephen Fry to narrate his diary entries, weaved in with animation.
“Stephen Fry was an obvious choice. We needed someone who could convey Herzl’s complexity. We reached out – and luckily, he said yes,” says Howlett.
As the film nears a potential release, with distribution discussions currently on-going, the duo say their aim was never to provoke, but to inform. And in response to any potential backlash the film might receive, Howlett says the team “always wanted to show both sides and present balance”.
“A lot of what we’re talking about is mainly historical and a lot of it happens before the foundation of Israel even started. It’s about why it happened, and then reflecting on the consequences of it happening.
“Everyone that we spoke to is aware of the controversies. If there is a backlash, or any form of controversy around it, I think people have sort of missed the point.
“This is a topic that needs to be talked about. If you don’t understand the history of why these things happen, on both sides and how both sides feel, then you’re essentially just screaming into the void.”
