Israeli Documentary on Hamas Spy Wins Audience Award at Sundance
Graphic by Angelie Zaslavsky
An Israeli documentary about how the son of Hamas leader Hassan Yousef spent a decade as Israel’s top informer in the West Bank received a top honor at the Sundance Film Festival.
“The Green Prince,” which premiered last week at the film festival in Utah, won the Audience Award for World Cinema Documentary on Sunday.
Based on Mosab Hassan Yousef’s autobiography, “Son of Hamas,” the film tells the story of his odyssey from young militant to spy for Israel’s security service to Southern California asylum seeker fighting to avoid deportation back to the Middle East.
Yousef’s code name within the Shin Bet was derived from the green color of the Hamas flag and his near royal pedigree among Palestinians. The documentary is told through a combination of interviews, reenactments and archival footage.
During the film festival, the documentary scored distribution deals in the United Kingdom, Australia and New Zealand.
Hello, fellow Forward reader! I’m Joel Brown, a Forward reader and supporter for more than 15 years, and currently the chair of the board of directors.
I’m an avid Forward reader because it ticks so many of my essential boxes: excellent journalism, Jewish focus and diverse viewpoints. In today’s political climate, what I most appreciate is the Forward’s independence — made possible by the generosity of its membership.
The Forward is committed to bringing you unbiased, nuanced Jewish news. From my position as board chair, I see an exciting future as we expand our position as the definitive independent voice of contemporary American Judaism.
That’s why I’m paying it Forward, by matching $36,000 of reader gifts. It’s an investment in the Forward’s newsroom, to continue telling the American Jewish story with truth and independence.
— Joel Brown, Forward board chair
Support our mission to tell the Jewish story fully and fairly.
