OXYGEN (2025)
Fiction
95 minutes
LOGLINE
On the eve of a new war, a mother must decide whether saving her son means defying him - and the country that raised him to fight.
SYNOPSIS
Anat, a schoolteacher shaped by language and imagination, awaits her son Ido’s army discharge. When a new war erupts and she learns he has volunteered to fight, their bond fractures. Caught between a father destroyed by war and a son rushing toward it, Anat makes a radical maternal choice just before Ido crosses into Lebanon.
AWARDS & FESTIVALS
Jerusalem Film Festival (2025) — Best Israeli Feature, Haggiag Award
Tallinn Black Nights Film Festival (PÖFF) — Official Selection
Filmfest Hamburg — Official Selection
“The idea for Oxygen was born during a war more than a decade ago, when my son said to me, “Don’t worry, Mom. I run really fast-so when I’m a soldier, I’ll run between the bullets and I won’t die.” That haunting image stayed with me and eventually became the seed of this film. Filmed in July 2023, just three months before the current horrific war, Oxygen has since become heartbreakingly, and even more politically-relevant. At its core, Oxygen is a story of war and love, of motherhood and rebellion.
Anat, the protagonist, undergoes an awakening that begins in the womb-an awakening that is both personal and political. On the national level, she evolves from a normative Israeli mother who accepts the destiny imposed upon her-to raise sons for war-into a woman who dares to resist it, refusing to hand her son over to killing and to being killed. Oxygen tells the story of a mother who rebels against the Israeli ethos of heroism through a radical maternal act of resistance. On an inner, universal level, Anat transforms from a symbiotic mother, bound to her son, into one who understands that true love means letting him go—freeing him from the collective demand for sacrifice, but also from herself. Oxygen is not only about a mother saving her son, but also about a mother who fights him.
The film carries a pacifist spirit that resonates with Israel’s growing refusal and anti-war movement, daring to imagine a world in which, if there are no soldiers, there will be no war.”
- Netalie Braun
INTERNATIONAL PRESS
Variety: Jerusalem Film Festival Winners: Netalie Braun’s Israeli Anti-War Movie ‘Oxygen’ Takes Top Prize
The Hollywood Reporter: “I am quite proud, really, that this year our members nominated films for best picture that were critical of the war and the government,” says Assaf Amir, the chair of the Israeli Academy of Film and Television, which presents the Ophir Awards.
ISRAELI PRESS
Haaretz — Nirit Anderman: An in-depth interview with director Netalie Braun examining Oxygen through the lens of motherhood, ethics, and resistance to militarized structures, situating the film within Israel’s current social and political reality.
Haaretz - Oron Shamir: 'Oxygen' Was the Best Israeli Movie of 2025, a Targeted Torpedo About the Value of Human Life
Ynet — Shmoulik Duvdevani: Coverage of the Jerusalem Film Festival announcing Oxygen as the leading Israeli feature, highlighting the jury’s decision and the film’s impact within the national competition.
Ynet - Smadar Shiloni: An entertainment article reviewing Oxygen, addressing its performances, confined setting, and dramatic structure.
The Jerusalem Post — Hannah Brown: Reporting on Oxygen’s top award at the Jerusalem Film Festival, contextualizing the film as a contemporary anti-war drama resonating with current Israeli realities.
KAN 11 (Israeli Public Broadcasting) A cultural news feature examining Oxygen in the context of current Israeli society, highlighting the film’s themes and its reception following its festival premiere.
Walla! Culture : Festival-related coverage highlighting Oxygen’s screening and reception, with attention to audience and critical response.
103FM (Maariv Radio): A radio interview with Netalie Braun discussing Oxygen, her creative process, and the themes that shaped the film, broadcast as part of the station’s cultural programming.
Channel 13 (Reshet 13): Television coverage introducing Oxygen to a mainstream audience, featuring discussion of the film’s premise, creative team, and public reception.
Portfolio (PRTFL): Coverage of Oxygen focusing on its visual language and cultural positioning, discussing Netalie Braun’s transition into feature filmmaking and the film’s place within contemporary Israeli cinema.
Srugim: An interview with director Netalie Braun reflecting on her debut feature, her personal perspective as a filmmaker, and the motivations behind creating Oxygen.
Srita.net — Oron Shamir: A Jerusalem Film Festival roundup discussing the jury’s reasoning for awarding Oxygen, placing the film within the broader artistic and political context of the competition.
Calcalist A culture and lifestyle article analyzing Oxygen through a socio-economic lens, addressing its thematic relevance and reception within Israel’s broader cultural discourse.
Cast & Crew
Featuring: Dana Ivgy, Ben Sultan, Marek Rozenbaum, Romi Aviram, Nurit Galron
Director & Writer: Netalie Braun
Producers: Aviv Ben-Shlush, Adi Bar-Yossef
Cinematography: Itay Marom
Editor: Nili Feller
Music: Asher Goldschmidt
Casting Director: Chamutal Zerem
Supported by: Israeli Film fund, Galil Film Fund, The new fund for cinema and TV, Sam Spiegel Film Fund, Mifal Hapais council for the culture and Arts, Albi Film Fund, Barbara Dobkin.
INTERNATIONAL PRESS
Variety: Jerusalem Film Festival Winners: Netalie Braun’s Israeli Anti-War Movie ‘Oxygen’ Takes Top Prize
The Hollywood Reporter: “I am quite proud, really, that this year our members nominated films for best picture that were critical of the war and the government,” says Assaf Amir, the chair of the Israeli Academy of Film and Television, which presents the Ophir Awards.
ISRAELI PRESS
Haaretz — Nirit Anderman: An in-depth interview with director Netalie Braun examining Oxygen through the lens of motherhood, ethics, and resistance to militarized structures, situating the film within Israel’s current social and political reality.
Haaretz - Oron Shamir: 'Oxygen' Was the Best Israeli Movie of 2025, a Targeted Torpedo About the Value of Human Life
Ynet — Shmoulik Duvdevani: Coverage of the Jerusalem Film Festival announcing Oxygen as the leading Israeli feature, highlighting the jury’s decision and the film’s impact within the national competition.
Ynet - Smadar Shiloni: An entertainment article reviewing Oxygen, addressing its performances, confined setting, and dramatic structure.
The Jerusalem Post — Hannah Brown: Reporting on Oxygen’s top award at the Jerusalem Film Festival, contextualizing the film as a contemporary anti-war drama resonating with current Israeli realities.
KAN 11 (Israeli Public Broadcasting) A cultural news feature examining Oxygen in the context of current Israeli society, highlighting the film’s themes and its reception following its festival premiere.
Walla! Culture : Festival-related coverage highlighting Oxygen’s screening and reception, with attention to audience and critical response.
103FM (Maariv Radio): A radio interview with Netalie Braun discussing Oxygen, her creative process, and the themes that shaped the film, broadcast as part of the station’s cultural programming.
Channel 13 (Reshet 13): Television coverage introducing Oxygen to a mainstream audience, featuring discussion of the film’s premise, creative team, and public reception.
Portfolio (PRTFL): Coverage of Oxygen focusing on its visual language and cultural positioning, discussing Netalie Braun’s transition into feature filmmaking and the film’s place within contemporary Israeli cinema.
Srugim: An interview with director Netalie Braun reflecting on her debut feature, her personal perspective as a filmmaker, and the motivations behind creating Oxygen.
Srita.net — Oron Shamir: A Jerusalem Film Festival roundup discussing the jury’s reasoning for awarding Oxygen, placing the film within the broader artistic and political context of the competition.
Calcalist A culture and lifestyle article analyzing Oxygen through a socio-economic lens, addressing its thematic relevance and reception within Israel’s broader cultural discourse.
Cast & Crew
Featuring: Dana Ivgy, Ben Sultan, Marek Rozenbaum, Romi Aviram, Nurit Galron
Director & Writer: Netalie Braun
Producers: Aviv Ben-Shlush, Adi Bar-Yossef
Cinematography: Itay Marom
Editor: Nili Feller
Music: Asher Goldschmidt
Casting Director: Chamutal Zerem
Supported by: Israeli Film fund, Galil Film Fund, The new fund for cinema and TV, Sam Spiegel Film Fund, Mifal Hapais council for the culture and Arts, Albi Film Fund, Barbara Dobkin.