When filmmaker Boaz Dvir traveled from the United States to Israel in late September to present his latest work titled To Kill a Nazi he did not anticipate its narrative gaining fresh relevance. Yet upon arrival the foiling of a suspected hijacking attempt on a flydubai flight headed to Israel created an unexpected parallel to the events depicted in his documentary.

The movie recounts the largely forgotten experiences of Michel Cojot a French Jewish Holocaust survivor and dedicated Nazi hunter who supported fellow captives during the Entebbe hostage ordeal and later shared intelligence that supported the Israeli rescue operation. The coincidence struck Dvir as remarkable.

As I traveled around what did I encounter he shared with the Jewish Telegraphic Agency. An effort to seize a plane from Dubai to Israel for a 9/11 style assault and the travelers themselves prevented it ordinary individuals.

Naturally the comparison surfaced repeatedly during his visits due to the striking similarities.

Michel Goldberg entered the world in Paris during 1938. Following the Nazi occupation his father Joseph Goldberg was seized and deported to Auschwitz where he perished. As detailed in his 1982 memoir Namesake Michel grew up in the so called free zone later occupied by Nazis from 1942 onward and adopted his surname from his stepfather after his mother remarried.

Cojot Role in Freeing 102 Israeli Hostages

After establishing himself as a prosperous banker Michel collaborated with renowned Nazi hunters Beate and Serge Klarsfeld. In 1975 while based in South America he launched an operation to locate and eliminate Klaus Barbie the Gestapo officer responsible for his fathers arrest who was then concealed in Bolivia.

Disguised as a reporter an armed Cojot confronted the Butcher of Lyon yet chose not to fire. In his memoir he explained that Barbie merited a life of perpetual dread regarding retaliation and that killing represented a Nazi approach.

The following year Cojot and his son boarded the ill fated Air France flight from Tel Aviv to France that Palestinian terrorists and West German extremists hijacked carrying 102 Israelis. This incident culminated in the standoff at Entebbe Airport in Uganda and the daring Israeli commando rescue.

Throughout the seven day standoff Cojot served as translator and intermediary between hijackers and captives. When Ugandan leader Idi Amin addressed the group Cojot rendered his English remarks into French. He received credit for convincing chief hijacker Wilfried Bose to free the non Israeli passengers. Once liberated Cojot relayed details to Mossad including the hostage holding area layout which proved essential to Operation Thunderbolt.

Cojot later authored a volume on Barbies atrocities and testified at the war crimes trial in the late 1980s. Barbie received a life sentence and died of cancer in 1991. Cojot passed away in 1999. Although the Entebbe saga is widely recognized Cojots contributions frequently receive little attention. No major feature films on the rescue including the 2018 production 7 Days in Entebbe feature him prominently.

Dvir aims to honor this overlooked figure. Born in Petah Tikva shortly after the 1967 Six Day War to Holocaust survivor descendants the director recalls the Entebbe crisis vividly from age nine.

I resembled most Israeli children then spending much time outdoors Dvir noted. Yet my brother a year younger and I resolved to stay indoors in solidarity with the hostages and we maintained that for the full week.

At weeks end he recalls his father rousing him with news that the IDF succeeded.

We grasped his meaning at once and felt elated for the freed hostages and forces yet also relieved to resume outdoor activities Dvir added.

While Entebbe accounts often overlook Michel Cojot another Frenchman pilot Michel Bacos has been celebrated for declining early release. Most obituaries for Bacos who died in 2019 at 95 highlighted this choice.

Dvir Research Casts Doubt on Bacos Account

Dvir initially intended a documentary on Bacos. However his investigations including a direct interview prompted doubts about Bacos narrative.

Former hostages instead highlighted another Michel as the true hero. The familiar Operation Thunderbolt story from my youth suddenly gained fresh depth Dvir explained.

The film features discussions with all four of Cojots children including son Olivier present at Entebbe plus hostages and specialists alongside archival footage of Cojot himself.

Dvir also created the soundtrack performed by Penn State musicians.

He devoted nearly a decade to the project presenting early versions publicly from 2018 onward.

This effort extended beyond most of my prior works the director observed.

Jason Alexander known for Seinfeld provides narration after Dvirs associate a friend of the actor shared a rough cut.

To Kill a Nazi debuted at the Dances With Films festival in June and appeared at the Nashville Jewish Film Festival and Croatian International Film Festival with a New York premiere on Oct. 16 at Regal Battery Park during the Chelsea Film Festival.

Additional screenings include the Austin Film Festival Boulder Jewish Film Festival and Silicon Valley Jewish Film Festival on Oct. 29 plus a showing at the Galaxy Theatre in Austin on Oct. 31 and the Harrisburg Jewish Film Festival on Nov. 12. Dvir anticipates streaming acquisition.

Some Jewish and Israeli creators have noted challenges securing festival slots especially after Oct. 7.

Dvir reported strong performance for To Kill a Nazi with acceptances at both Jewish and general festivals though it required extra effort. I lack concrete evidence yet sense certain festivals may not have reviewed it fully he stated while condemning reported exclusions of other works. Ultimately limited slots exist and I remain pleased with the outcomes.