AVA Productions

Dutch filmmaker Willy Lindwer and Russian author David Gurevich document the aftermath of the June 1, 2001 suicide bombing of Tel Aviv's Dolphinarium Disco, which killed 21 and wounded 105, many of them teenagers and many recent immigrants from post-Soviet Union states. The bulk of the film consists of the interviews with survivors and the victims' parents, all shot around the Tel Aviv area, including the location outside the Dolphinarium proper. It also makes extensive use of the footage of the night of the disaster and the home videos left behind by the victims.

A documentary about Jewish war orphans who were raised by Christian families. The film includes the gripping story of Halinka, a baby born in the Warsaw Ghetto whose parents threw her over the Ghetto wall where she was caught by a Polish policeman, and other remarkable stories of hidden children.

Information and Communication Technology (ICT) is revolutionizing our society. One cannot think of life without computers, the Internet, satellites and mobile phones. They are turning our world into a global village. One continent is in danger of being left out of this digital revolution: Africa, a continent were peace, security and poverty reduction are amongst the complex issues governments are struggling with. We traveled to four countries in Africa (Rwanda, Uganda, Ethiopia and Ghana) to examine the different approaches and the attempts to bridge the internal and the international digital divide.

Produced by Emmy Award-winner Willy Lindwer, this three-volume program examines important events and locations in Christian history, and traces the development of a community that would mark the beginning of Christianity. Delving into 2,000 years of the religion's history, viewers explore Christianity's roots in Bethelem, Jerusalem and the Sea of Galilee, as well as look at the role of Christians in modern society.

In this documentary, the sole surviving member of the Jewish high command looks back on the Warsaw Ghetto revolt, a unique event in Jewish as well as non-Jewish history: for the first time the Jews took up arms against the Nazis. In 1943 the remaining 50,000 Jews in the Warsaw ghetto realized that there was no hope that any of them would survive the holocaust. Dr. Marek Edelman, who never left Poland, is now a cardiologist in Lodz where in the 1980s he played a leading role in the then underground trade union Solidarity.

This film tells the incredible story of the unique cooperation during WWII of Arnold Douwes, a Christian, and the Jewish Max Leons. Together they saved hundreds of Jewish children in the eastern part of the Netherlands between 1942 and 1944. Mr. Douwes was awarded with the Yad Vashem medal.

Anne Frank's surviving friends tell the horrifying story that begins where her famous diary leaves off, and for the first time the concentration camp experiences of Anne and her family are recounted. Among the eyewitnesses is Anne Frank's closest friend, Hannah Pick, identified as 'Lies Goosens' in Anne's diary. She was filmed at several locations where she had been with Anne, including the Bergen-Belsen concentration camp.

Simon Wiesenthal, the world's most famous Nazi hunter, tells his life story for the first time: his youth in the Ukraine, his World War II experiences in various concentration camps and the significance of his work in light of today's growing neo-Nazi movement in Europe.

The fascinating story of Hasidism and Jewish mysticism in Israel, featuring rarely seen footage inside a world unknown to many people.

The many, sometimes beautiful, relics and special places, to which so many were attracted - to this day - are ideally suited for a range of interesting TV programs. It's not just Jewish sites. The Holy Land has a magnetic attraction for many and it is the broad spectrum of cultures that together provide a fascinating picture: Magic Israel.

Stuart Eizenstat, Undersecretary of State of the United States during the Clinton administration, initiated a wide ranging investigation into the role of the neutral countries during the Second World War. His first 'Eizenstat report', that was published in may 1997 accused Switzerland of having assisted in prolonging the war by its serving as a banker for the Nazi regime. This report caused worldwide upheaval on the role of Switzerland as a neutral country.

The dramatic story of Mr. Abraham Ascher and Professor David Cohen, the leaders of the Jewish community of Amsterdam. They became the heads of the Jewish Council in 1941 and also an instrument in the hands of the Nazis and their murderous policy in deporting the Dutch Jews.

In Camp of Hope and Despair, Willy Lindwer documents the tragic history of this infamous site. He sought out some of the few survivors of the camp in the Netherlands, Germany, Israel and the United States. Many of them tell their story for the first time.

"Anna's Silent Struggle" tells the moving story of Anna, today an 82 year old woman and how she managed to survive this death camp despite her handicap. For the hearing, Auschwitz is characterized as a place of horrible sounds; shouted commands, screaming, shooting and cries of torture. For the deaf, the terror was silent.

This film shows 16 moving interviews with Dutch non-Jewish citizens who maintained their position and helped the Nazis. The film also includes five interviews with Dutch Jewish survivors of the Holocaust. The Nazi's aim was to murder all Jews. In order to achieve this goal they were able to gain much assistance from the local populations throughout Europe. That happened also in Holland. Dutch police, civil servants, tram and train drivers and many others, all ordinary people, turned out to be of great help for the Nazi's. In this film a series of gripping interviews are shown with ordinary Dutch citizens who cooperated with the Nazi's by simply doing 'their job'. Most of them were no anti-Semites per se, nor pro German, they only 'did their duty'. Also Jewish survivors give their testimonies.

1.5 Million Jewish children were killed during the Holocaust. Many of those who survived were traumatized as the war changed their lives dramatically. This film tells the story of children during the Holocaust, some hidden and some survivors of concentration camps and their post-war traumatic experiences. A gripping account of 8 orphan child survivors: Itta Ben Haiem-Keller, Shewach Weiss, David de Levita, Haim Dasberg, Ruth Tatarko, Channa Cohen Harounoff-de Bock, Rachel Hollander and Haim Peles-Vleeschhouwer.

Discover Jerusalem’s Temple Mount, one of the world's bloodiest and most controversial sites, over which battles have been fought for thousands of years.

The first documentary about the life and achievements of Teddy Kollek, mayor of Jerusalem for 28 years (1965 - 1993). Kollek tells his fascinating life story from his youth in Vienna to his active involvement in the creation and development of the State of Israel, especially the establishment of close ties with the U.S. The documentary profiles a unique man, whose passion and determination made Jerusalem what it is today.

The first feature-length documentary about Israel's prime minister, murdered in 1995. His widow, Leah Rabin, tells of war and peace, duty and family, the life of Yitzhak Rabin and the story of Israel. The film was shot on location in the Middle East and the United States, and includes unique archival material. It is an intimate portrait of an impressive leader, profiled by the people who knew him best, those who loved him and those who fought him, with exclusive appearances by Leah Rabin, Yasser Arafat, Simon Peres, Henry Kissinger, Bill Clinton, General Uzi Narkis and many others.

A shocking documentary about the heroism of a handful of eye witnesses who brought the first devastating reports about the Nazi atrocities in the concentration camps to the West, only to find a cold shoulder, indifference, and even obstruction in London and Washington. The film contains gripping interviews with the famous Jan Karski (his last) and Gerhart Riegner.