A new documentary, "The Bridge," offers a look at how ten Israeli musicians, survivors of the Oct. 7 Hamas attacks, found a path toward healing by collaborating with renowned rock musicians in Los Angeles. The film, produced by veteran producer Kevin Bright, documents their experience at the Rock ‘n’ Roll Fantasy Camp.
These musicians lost loved ones, friends, and homes during the Oct. 7 attacks, which killed over 1,200 people and led to more than 240 being taken hostage. Their participation in the camp, which has been run by founder and CEO David Fishof for nearly 30 years, occurred months after the attacks and amidst a rise in anti-Israel protests on college campuses.
During the camp, the Israeli musicians worked with members of bands such as Guns N’ Roses, Van Halen, and Black Sabbath. The experience culminated in a performance at the Viper Room in Los Angeles. "That final performance at the Viper Room, they kind of tee it off by saying, this is the first time that Hebrew has ever been spoken on the stage of the Viper Room," Bright told Fox News Digital.
Director and editor Brad Allgood highlighted the personal significance of the final performance for many participants. "Tuval [Haim] was playing drums, and he was playing 'My Hero' for his brother. Bar was playing with everything he had in honor of his father. Raz and Dov were singing in honor of their friends who died that day," Allgood said. "Everybody was playing for somebody else, and you could feel it in the music."
Raz Shifer, who was at the Nova Music Festival where over 300 people were killed and dozens taken hostage, shared her experience. She escaped the festival but had friends taken hostage, including one who later died in captivity. Allgood described Shifer's journey, noting that the music provided a crucial outlet. "It was her first time really sharing her story in public," he said. "After they shared their stories, they played ‘With a Little Help from My Friends’ and some other songs. And it was the first time that she was able to get on stage and just sort of let everything out."
Filmmakers emphasized that "The Bridge" focuses on the human experience of trauma and resilience, deliberately avoiding the political aspects of the conflict. "This was a human story, a human situation. People were traumatized and hurt. And it was about giving them a path forward to reach out and give something of yourself to give a path forward," Bright stated. "I think the music took all of the politics and religious judgmental aspects of it out and just made it about the music."
Bright explained the documentary's title, "The Bridge," as symbolizing the transition from grief to healing, with music acting as the conduit. "The bridge is between trauma and healing, and music being the conduit or the suspension of that bridge that people walk through to come to the other side," he said.
The documentary premiered in Jerusalem on August 19, 2026, with U.S. Ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee and former Israeli President Reuven Rivlin in attendance. "The Bridge" is scheduled to open in select North American venues on October 5, with a wider release planned for November.