Yuval Raz Stars in Short Film 'The Day After' at Haifa Festival

Yuval Raz, who previously exposed the rape she suffered by her dance teacher, is now taking on her first major film role. In an interview published on Monday on Mako ahead of the screening of the short film "The Day After" at the Haifa Festival tomorrow, she shares her personal connection to the character she plays and the feelings accompanying her path to the big screen.

In the film, written and directed by Shahar Katzenstein, Raz portrays Elisheva, known as Eli, a 16-year-old girl who sets out to find a "morning-after" pill in Arad hours before the holiday begins. The search confronts her with questions of boundaries, closeness, and asking for help. Raz shares that she connected to the character's desire to feel loved and belonged, alongside the difficulty of understanding what she is going through and the accompanying shame.

This connection also touches on Raz's past, as she was raped at age 13 by dance teacher Kiryl Tchaikin Shahaf. After years of silence, she told her family and later revealed her name and face; the teacher was convicted and sent to prison. Katzenstein has also previously spoken publicly about sexual assault she experienced. While the film is not based on their stories, Raz finds in the character an echo of the girl she once was and the need for someone around her to recognize the distress.

In the interview, Raz also revisited the fears that accompanied her before going public: concerns about the police reaction and the possibility of being blamed. In reality, she noted, the picture was different: "My experience in the police and court was amazing. It was the complete opposite of all my fears." She added that complainants who preceded her paved the way for her to bravely face what happened.

"The Day After" will be screened tomorrow, Tuesday, September 29, as part of the short film competition at the Haifa International Film Festival. The 21-minute film is included in the "Compassion" package, and alongside Raz, it features Galit Giat, Daniel Styopin, and Philip Shaulov.