Barak Shine, left, deputy chief of mission at the Embassy of Israel in Seoul, and Eytan Schwartz, co-producer of "Screams Before Silence," answer questions after the Seoul screening of the documentary at a cinema, Thursday. Courtesy of Embassy of Israel in Seoul

The Embassy of Israel in Seoul hosted an exclusive screening event of "Screams Before Silence," a documentary film that unfolds the events of the Oct. 7, 2023 Hamas terror attack in Israel.

Israel's Ambassador Akiva Tor spoke at the screening, Thursday at a cinema in Seoul, emphasizing the critical importance of confronting and acknowledging the brutal realities of the recent Hamas attacks and the ensuing conflict. Ambassador Tor's speech highlighted the widespread denial and misrepresentation of these events, urging a necessary confrontation of the truths, however uncomfortable they may be.

"Thank you for attending this screening which will be informative, important, essential — but not easy or pleasant," Tor said.

In "Screams Before Silence," a 56-minute, presenter-led documentary film, Sheryl Sandberg, former COO of Meta and founder of LeanI.org, brings to light multiple never-before-heard accounts of eyewitnesses, released hostages, first responders, medical and forensic experts and survivors of the Hamas massacre. The film focuses on sex crimes perpetrated by Hamas on Oct. 7, 2023.

Since the attacks, Tor noted, there has been a concerning rise in various forms of denial.

"Some people are denying the brutality and scope of the Hamas attacks, which were an atrocity, a massacre, a modern-day pogrom," he said. He further elaborated on the attempts to deflect or misrepresent the significance and consequences of these attacks, often through distorted historical narratives. Tor emphasized Israel's clear-eyed recognition of the conflict's harsh realities.

"Some people are avoiding acknowledgment of the damage and suffering of the many innocents in Gaza. That is not my view, nor that of the state of Israel. We see it very clearly. It is the harsh and bitter reality of a terrible war, the kind that many societies have forgotten," he said.

The ambassador stressed the importance of avoiding harm to non-combatants and children whenever possible and highlighted the necessity of rebuilding Gaza post-conflict under genuine Palestinian governance that poses no threat to Israel.

The ambassador pointed out that the most troubling form of denial pertains to the sexual violence perpetrated during the Hamas assault.

"There is a uniquely pernicious unwillingness to confront the sexual violence which took place in the Hamas assault," he said.

He referenced his meeting with Sheryl Sandberg in Menlo Park, California, underlining her commitment to documenting the attacks on Israeli women.

"There is a reason she has now taken up this particular cause, documentation of the attack on the Israeli women, which she has termed 'the most important work of her life,'" he said.