Bar Minyali: "He sexually assaulted me, I was never angry at him"

Actress and director Bar Minyali, 25, is launching her first short film as a director, "Weakness for Hard Cases," based on a sexual assault she experienced at age 17 from her then-boyfriend, a combat soldier. In an interview, she discusses the processing, the lack of anger toward the perpetrator, and the complex understanding of the dynamic that occurred. The film will be screened at the Women's Film Festival in Jerusalem.

Actress Bar Minyali, 25, is launching her debut film as a director, "Weakness for Hard Cases," which will be screened in two weeks at the Women's Film Festival in Jerusalem. The short film, submitted as part of her studies at the Sam Spiegel Film School, is based on a personal experience: a sexual assault she suffered at age 17 from her then-boyfriend, a combat soldier. In an interview, she describes the emotional complexity of the event, emphasizing that she was never angry at the perpetrator, but rather felt understanding toward the pain and social pressure he experienced in the army. The film follows Yuli (Rona Sobol), a 17-year-old girl who arrives at a pool party with her soldier boyfriend (Amir Banai), exposing the violent masculine dynamic and the pressure to prove himself. Minyali explains that the film is written from a female gaze, and that the sex depicted is in "gray areas" of consent. She talks about taking a break from auditions for her studies, and her upcoming role in the film "The Tank Girls" about the heroism of female soldiers on October 7.