Bury a Dove

Synopsis

In 2025, at Dov’s funeral, I realized I had been waiting for him to die — to finally enter his world without resistance. Dov Or-Ner, a provocative Israeli artist whose life oscillated between creation and destruction, died at 96 after the outbreak of a brutal war. In his studio, I sift through his works, uncovering a man consumed by an obsession with evil. 

A Holocaust survivor hidden in a monastery as a child, Dov immigrated to Israel at 25. After years surrounded by death, he believed he had found refuge — until the 1967 war shattered that illusion. Sent to the front as a soldier, he returned traumatized, painted the war, then destroyed the canvases. For him, annihilation was a form of healing. 

Tracing the documentation of his art, I search for meaning amid present chaos. I uncover a disturbing video of Dov slaughtering and eating a sheep in a gallery — an act that uncannily mirrors contemporary violence. I question whether I can continue. 

Archival footage reveals him, at 85, revisiting his childhood trauma by dressing as Hitler, breaking a profound taboo. As I dig deeper, I confront strong resistance — within myself and within a society struggling to face its own brutality — and explore whether facing our darkest impulses can interrupt the cycle of destruction.  

About the Director

Noga Chevion

Noga Chevion is a filmmaker holding an M.F.A from The Steve Tisch School for Film & TV, Tel Aviv University, and a bachelor’s degree in Geography and Communication from the Hebrew University. Her short film ‘A Midsummer Night’s Road’, a documentary-hybrid film, premiered internationally at Doclisboa and was also screened on HOT8, as well as at other festivals including BAFICI and the Jerusalem Women’s Film Festival. Noga works as a Content and Projects Manager at the Israeli Documentary Forum, the local  Association of Documentary Creators, and also produces and creates video clips. Notable artists for whom she has produced or directed video clips include Noga Erez, Tatran, and Sefi Zisling. 

Currently, Noga is working on her first full-length film, a documentary about the artist Dov Or-Ner. The project participated in the Women’s Greenhouse of The New Fund for Cinema and Television (NFCT) and was awarded a development grant. 

Instagram: @noga.chevion 

Artistic Statement

I first encountered Dov’s art through my brother, who was captivated by its bold lines and daring spirit. I imagined a young Berliner with a Holocaust legacy and was stunned to discover the artist was a 90-year-old survivor. 

Four years ago, I reached out to him, beginning an extraordinary journey. Meeting Dov felt like reconnecting with someone I already knew. We shared a fascination with humanity’s darker instincts and with blurring documentation and fiction — impulses that shape this film. 

As the granddaughter of Jews who fled Nazi Europe, I felt a deep resonance with Dov’s insistence on confronting violence and moral blindness. As reality around us grew harsher, his work became increasingly urgent, challenging Israeli taboos and fixed identities. 

Making Bury a Dove during one of the most devastating wars between Israel and Palestine sharpened these questions. Through Dov’s archive, I seek not answers but the courage to face the darkness within — believing confrontation is the first step toward breaking the cycle of destruction. 

Production Company/Producers

Founded by filmmaker duo Udi Nir and Sagi Bornstein, uvs films is an independent documentary production company based in Tel Aviv. Since 2011, the company has developed and produced author-driven documentary films with a focus on archival materials and politically engaged storytelling. 

uvs films works primarily in international co-production frameworks, collaborating with broadcasters such as ARTE, ORF, Radio Canada, RBB, NDR, BR, ZDF, SVT and Kan 11.

The company’s films have screened at leading documentary festivals including DocAviv, DokLeipzig, HotDocs and DocNYC, and have received international recognition. Among the awards received are the IDA Award for Best Short Series, the Editing Award at DocAviv, and the Japan Prize for Viral Dreams (2021). The 2019 feature documentary Golda was nominated for the Israeli Academy Award for Best Documentary, and the 2025 feature documentary The First Lady won the Weil Bloch Award and was nominated for best feature length film at the Israeli Documentary Forum Awards. 

Instagram: @uvsfilms 

Udi Nir | Producer 

Udi Nir is a writer, director, and producer. He began his career working with Amnesty International and other human rights NGOs in Israel before studying at the School of Playwriting in Tel Aviv. 

In 2015, he partnered with Sagi Bornstein and transitioned into documentary filmmaking. His films have been screened at leading international festivals, including DocNYC and Hot Docs, and have won several international awards such as the IDA Award for Best Short-Form Series and the Editing Award at the Docaviv Film Festival. 

Instagram: @udinir1 

Sagi Bornstein | Producer 

Sagi Bornstein is a director, producer and editor of documentaries. He studied photography at Camera Obscura film school and worked as an editor for leading Israeli broadcasters before starting his own production company. His films have been screened at leading international festivals, including DOC NYC and Hot Docs, and have won several international awards such as the IDA Award for Best Short-Form Series and the Editing Award at the Docaviv Film Festival.