NR | 1h 35m | Documentary | 2025
Retired Israeli Maj. Gen. Noam Tibon deserves a mug that says: “world’s toughest grandfather.” Within his family, he was nicknamed “9-1-1,” because he was the one everyone turned to in times of emergencies.
The 10/7 Hamas terrorist attacks definitely qualified as a life-threatening crisis. True to form, when Tibon’s son, Amir, called him asking for help, the former Israeli Defense Force (IDF) officer mobilized for his own personal rescue mission.
Retired Israeli Maj. Gen. Noam Tibon. (The Road Between Us)
Tibon, his family, and their fellow residents of the besieged Nahal Oz Kibbutz (an intentional community in a rural area) chronicle his heroic actions during the infamous terror attack in Barry Avrich’s documentary, “The Road Between Us: The Ultimate Rescue.”
Nahal Oz is an oasis in the Negev Desert that happens to be situated roughly half a mile from Gaza. The location wasn’t exactly ideal, but Amir Tibon and his wife Miri fell in love with the Kibbutz’s natural beauty and the welcoming hospitality of their future neighbors. Eventually, they stopped worrying, because the government insisted the border wall’s automated security systems were failsafe.
When Hamas overwhelmed the not-so-ironclad border defenses, the network of alarms gave the Tibons less than 10 minutes to secure themselves in their safe room with their two young daughters. Only periodically receiving terrifying news of the atrocities in progress, Amir Tibon sent an SOS to his father. Gen. Tibon wanted to believe his former IDF colleagues would soon take control of the situation, but his intuition spurred him into action.
Tibon’s wife Gali Mir-Tibon had a similar response, so she insisted on joining him. She was prepared to handle his calls with military contacts and, if necessary, reload his automatic weapon. Indeed, their worst fears were confirmed by the eerie absence of military traffic headed south from Tel Aviv, towards the invaded area.
Forceful Presence
Gen. Tibon is a forceful presence, so watching him revisit each leg of his fateful journey is a truly riveting viewing experience. Eventually, he connected with a handful active duty IDF soldiers and Nahal Oz’s small armed security staff.
They fought off Hamas on their own until the general’s arrival, despite being greatly outnumbered. Indeed, there are no shortage of heroes in Avrich’s film, with whom Tibon quickly developed a deep sense of camaraderie.
Indeed, this film is almost entirely devoted to the liberation and defense of Nahal Oz. Avrich’s subjects movingly address themes of courage and sacrifice. However, he has neither the time or inclination to rehash long-simmering historical or geopolitical controversies. Like Tibon, Avrich simply accepts the boots-on-the-ground reality and focuses on the rescue mission.
Despite the film’s nonpartisan, nonpolitical nature, questions are asked in passing. The film notes the Netanyahu government’s allegedly sluggish response and their over-reliance on electronic border security.
Nevertheless, the one thing Avrich’s interview subjects unanimously want their audience to remember is the plight of the Israeli hostages still held captive in Gaza. Understandably, the subject hits close to home for the Tibon family, because they might have easily shared similar ordeals.
From bulletholes to grisly blood stains, grim reminders of the atrocities remain at nearly every stop on the general’s journey back to Nahal Oz. Viewers start to get a sense of the lingering trauma from the conspicuous evidence left behind in private homes, bomb shelters, and rest stops.
Chilling Footage
Again, this isn’t a polemical film, but it forces the audience to confront the nature of the attacks through the chilling footage live-streamed by the terrorists themselves. It’s hard to fathom how upstanding human beings could express pride and enthusiasm for such cruelty.
Barry Avrich, director of "The Road Between Us: The Ultimate Rescue." (The Road Between Us)
Conversely, “9-1-1” Tibon is a charismatic figure who easily commands the screen. His celebrated rescue of Nahal Oz would easily translate into a big-screen action-movie dramatization. However, it is doubtful whether Hollywood would be willing to take the flak making such a film would generate from ideological extremists.
“The Road Between Us” was nearly canceled at this year’s Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF), on questionable grounds. Ultimately, TIFF relented, scheduling a single screening, which still generated sufficient enthusiasm for Avrich’s film to win the festival’s “People’s Choice Award for Documentary.”
In many ways, this rigorously focused documentary also delivers as a crowd-pleasing real-life thriller. It’s hard, however, to separate it from the wider context of the ongoing war ignited by the Oct. 7 terror attacks.
Yet, it is a deeply personal story about family and community, as well as one of the most viscerally tense nonfiction films of the year. Very highly recommended for anyone who can empathize with the Tibon family and their Nahal Oz neighbors.
“The Road Between Us: The Ultimate Rescue” opened in theaters Oct. 3.
‘The Road Between Us: The Ultimate Rescue’
Director: Barry Avrich
Documentary
Not Rated
Running Time: 1 hour, 35 minutes
Release Date: Oct. 3, 2025
Rated: 5 stars out of 5
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