Bearing witness: Filmmaker Todd Morehead on documenting Oct 7 massacre

Christian journalist Paul Calvert recently spoke with Todd Morehead, founder and director of Grafted Ministries, about his passion for awakening Christians to love and support the Jewish people through film, study, and firsthand encounters with Israel.

Morehead’s connection to Israel began unexpectedly. He was a surfer who made repeated visits to Israel. During one of his trips, he befriended Israeli surfboard-shaper Hani Ovadia from Jaffa. Through this friendship, and other relationships he built in Israel’s surfing community, Morehead heard many stories of families touched by the Holocaust, of relatives who served or fell in the IDF, and of the ongoing threat from surrounding enemies. Those experiences inspired his first movie in 2012, “Promised Land: Israel Through the Eyes of Surfers.”

Morehead’s most recent project, “October 7th: Bearing Witness to the Massacre,” will be released on streaming platforms on Oct. 3. The film captures the aftermath of the Hamas Oct. 7, 2023, attack.

“We thought we needed to go and actually have boots on the ground and bear witness to what happened. Tell the stories of survivors.” Morehead recalled visiting ravaged communities, including Kfar Aza and Kibbutz Nir Oz, where the devastation was overwhelming.

“The only way I can describe it is if you’ve ever been to a Holocaust museum… that gut feeling you get of death and pure evil, like a satanic evil,” he told Calvert.

The film includes interviews with Nova Festival survivors, released hostages, scholars and security experts. It offers raw testimony and historical context about Gaza, the Hamas terrorist regime and radical Islam.

Morehead emphasized that what sets this documentary apart is its thorough exploration and clarity about the pervasive ideology driving the violence.

Despite the disturbing subject matter, the film concludes optimistically, featuring Morehead’s visit with the surf-therapy organization, HaGal Sheli (“My Wave”), which works with trauma survivors.

“It does end on a hopeful note, but it’s not like overly like everything’s gonna be great. It’s a silver lining.” This project builds on Morehead’s earlier work.

In addition to “Promised Land” and “October 7th,” he and Kesher Project Founder Justin Kron co-created “Hope in the Holy Land” (2021), a deep dive into the Israeli–Palestinian conflict. Alongside these films, Grafted Ministries emphasizes what Morehead calls the “big three” – producing films, leading Israel trips, and offering a study guide that explores Christian–Jewish relations. Together, these tools play a part in educating Christians about Israel’s story.

Morehead strongly believes that Christians must stand in solidarity with the Jewish people, and he encourages pastors to reach out to local rabbis and communities to build genuine friendships.

His prayer is that his latest film will “change the false narrative that’s out there, with truth.”

Click below to listen to the full interview with Todd Morehead below.