Noga Erez: A Portrait of an Artist Under Siege

Right before the opening title card of Noga hits the screen, you see Israeli rapper Noga Erez at her Tel Aviv home. It is December 2023, two months after the October 7 attacks, and Erez has just come offstage from a performance in Jerusalem. As she raps her 2021 hit “Fire Kites,” the lyrics take on a haunting, visceral resonance. The documentary Noga, which premiered at the Tribeca Festival, offers a piercing look at the life of a 2024 artist navigating the intersection of global conflict and personal creative expression.

A Snapshot of Resilience

The film is a tight, three-year portrait of Erez and her partner in life and music, Ori Rousso. Rather than serving as a standard music documentary, it functions as a raw, unvarnished look at a couple on the crest of stardom, white-knuckling the ups and downs of their creative partnership while the world around them shifts. For Erez, who has garnered comparisons to Björk and Doechii, the pressure is immense. She has been co-signed by industry titans including Billie Eilish, Katy Perry, and Robbie Williams, all of whom recognize her singular talent.

The documentary, directed by Benji and Jono Bergmann, captures the reality of being an artist under siege. Erez’s social media feeds are often flooded with vitriol, yet she remains committed to her craft. “The creative process when you’re a couple,” Benji Bergmann notes, was a primary draw for the project, providing a mirror for their own experiences as brothers and co-directors.

Navigating the Backlash

As the film progresses, the personal and professional pressures intensify. The duo embarks on an international tour, playing major venues and festivals, including Coachella. However, the geopolitical climate follows them. They are frequently pressured to make political statements, facing the threat of cancellation if they do not align with specific demands. Erez remains candid about the toll this takes: “This whole thing has made me question what this life is really all about.”

Despite the chaos, the film highlights their refusal to go down in flames. Instead, they continue to pour their experiences into their music, achieving new heights with the release of their album Vandalist. As Erez reflects from her home in Tel Aviv, the ultimate hope for the documentary is simple: “that people will see us for the humans that we are.”