Again? Media Blackout Strikes ‘Paging Hezbollah’
Another Israel-based documentary gets ignored by critics, reporters
Some documentaries could use a little help in the marketing department.
Take “The History of Concrete.” Even the film’s trailer mocks the title and angle.
That’s no slight against the film, which boasts a 97 percent “fresh” rating at RottenTomatoes.com.
It’s merely saying that some documentaries are harder to sell than others. At least on the [non-concrete] surface.
“Paging Hezbollah” doesn’t have that problem. Just the opposite.
Director Justin Folk’s film follows Mossad’s plot to sneak miniature bombs into pagers held by a terrorist group eager to wipe Israel off the map. The real-life story brims with remarkable moments, including the plot’s cascading effect on the Middle East power structure.
The story has everything a documentary filmmaker could crave, and Folk delivers.
Now, have you heard about the film from the media? Rotten Tomatoes currently has but three “approved” critics weighing in on the documentary. Take HiT out of that number, and it’s down to two.
Next, do a Google News search on “Paging Hezbollah.” You’ll find very little media coverage.
To no one’s surprise, the major entertainment outlets have ignored the film. No reviews. No feature stories. No coverage of a documentary capturing one of the most spectacular espionage efforts ever conducted.
Here are the mainstream outlets that gave the film some attention:
- The Wall Street Journal
- The Free Press
- NewsNation
- JustTheNews (coming soon … because this reporter wrote it)
That’s all. The New York Times? CNN? The Washington Post? NBC News? CBS News? Variety?
Crickets.
It shouldn’t be surprising. In fact, it’s part of a pattern tied to Israel-themed movies.
The media mostly ignored “October 8,” a stunning indictment of antisemitism’s rise in the post-Oct. 7 world. The same held true for “Screams Before Silence,” a documentary that immediately went to YouTube where any journalist or film critic could see it.
They still can. [Content Warning: Documentary includes disturbing visuals, first-person accounts of terror attack]
Coincidence? You decide.