2003, Tel Aviv. Two suicide bombers detonate their bombs in a busy shopping area in the city centre. The aftermath is horrific. Fifteen people die, dozens are injured. Many of the victims, as well as the two bombers, cannot be identified.
Enter the ZAKA team. Wearing white overalls, black plastic bags in hand, they scour the area, intent on finding everything down to the last fingernail.

In the wake of any death due to unnatural causes – a term synonymous with terrorism in Israel – come the all too familiar figures of the ZAKA Team – abbreviation for Fatality Identification Crew.

To the Zaka volunteers falls the task of collecting and identifying the bodily remains of the victims of murder, mayhem and suicide. In Judaism, bringing the dead to a ceremonial burial is one of the most important tasks. No parts of the body should be left out. This was the original reason for the establishment of Zaka.  

ZAKA – Living With Death  is a unique inspection of this hidden side of the Jewish religion. The film follows four members of the ZAKA Team in their day-to-day work. We meet their families and explore their thoughts and beliefs on what they do and why they chose to do it. How do they cope with such horrific views, sometimes occurring several times a month?

This is a first documentary exposure of this religious volunteer organization and its dedication to the dead.

TV SCREENINGS

 YES, Israel 
 Canal+ Europe