‘The Bibi Files’ Uses Leaked Police Interrogation Footage to Expose Netanyahu’s Role in Corruption Scandal

By Yasuko Onda / Yomiuri Shimbun Senior Writer

10:30 JST, December 19, 2025

What does the ego of a man in power bring about? The 2024 documentary film “The Bibi Files” meticulously seeks an answer to that question. The film has been screened in theaters across Japan since November.

Directed by Alexis Bloom, the film focuses on Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and the corruption scandal that envelops him. It illuminates the link between his inflated ego and the tragedy in the Gaza Strip through leaked police interrogation videos.

Authorities indicted Netanyahu in 2019 on charges of taking bribes, breach of trust and fraud. It marked the first time in the history of Israel that a prime minister was indicted on criminal charges while in office. The trial is still ongoing.

The film utilizes video footage from police interrogations taken during the corruption investigation and eventually introduces each person caught up in this scandal — from Netanyahu himself and his wife, Sara, to his former aide and the super-wealthy who allegedly offered him luxury items.

Retired politicians, journalists and those close to Netanyahu are interviewed and act as the film’s “guides.” One said people need to follow the trial to understand the chaotic situation of Israel today.

The film first cites the exchange of expensive gifts, such as cigars and champagne. This petty fact serves as the starting point of digging into the true nature of this powerful man. It tracks how Netanyahu and his family have behaved, and what they have done to save their own skin, not only with police interrogation videos but also old news footage. The film shows how the issues of this man and the people around him connect to the fierce offensive Israel has carried out against Hamas in the Palestinian territory of Gaza that started Oct. 7, 2023.

This is a visually eloquent film. Netanyahu’s corruption and trial have been widely covered by the media in many countries, including Japan. They also reported on how he formed a coalition government with ultraright-wing parties to stay in power and that domestic politics were thrown into disarray as he tried to alter the judicial system. Of course, the over two-year hostilities in Gaza, civilian deaths and the uncertainty about the future of peace are also reported by media.

Watching this film, one sees all these elements comprehensively connected through the faces and the voices of those featured. Dots become lines that then become waves, shocking the audience.

The interrogation footage used in the film was apparently offered to producer Alex Gibney before Oct. 7, 2023. Bloom’s skills and bravery to make the most of the videos are outstanding.

According to the film’s materials, many of the interrogation records have been made available to the public in Israel in transcripts. However, the videos have not been released officially yet because doing so requires the permission of each person in the video, according to the country’s privacy law. The film is barred from being screened in Israel, and is not being shown in a regular way in the United States. Despite all these setbacks, “The Bibi Files” is worth a watch and serves a public good. In Japan, the Tokyo theater screening the film is packed every day.