An Argentine nonagenarian was saved from being kidnapped by Hamas in Israel, where she lives with her family, by pronouncing the name of Leo Messi and showing her admiration for the captain of the ‘Albiceleste’, shared with one of the two Palestinian assailants who entered her home. This is Ester Cuño, 90 years old, who lived with his family in a ‘kibbutz’ – agricultural communes in Israel – in the town of Nir Oz, bordering Gaza, when Hamas infiltrators kidnapped him on the night of October 6, 2023. eight members of his family.

A film by the Spanish-speaking Israeli media Fuente Latina, called ‘Voices of October 7’, tells the story that Ester Cuño lived that fateful day, when two armed Palestinian attackers entered the nonagenarian’s house while other terrorists attacked her community. Upon entering her home, where the woman lived alone, the assailants They demanded to know the whereabouts of their closest relatives, but the woman maintained her composure and turned the conversation toward football.

That day Hamas killed, kidnapped or injured approximately a quarter of the residents of that community. Ester told the media that her survival is due to said conversation, in which, after telling those who were going to kidnap her that she was from Argentina like Messi, one of the attackers told him that he was a big fan of the Argentine trail.

Later, he made her pose for a strange photo that went viral on social networks where The old woman is seen with a gun in her lap and the Hamas terrorist. The film gives voice to the protagonists of the horrors, inviting viewers to immerse themselves in their tragic experiences, but also in what it means to be Latin American emigrants in Israel, in their resilience and their triumphs in the midst of the catastrophe.

“This documentary is unique as it highlights the Spanish-speaking community in Israel and conveys their stories of horror and heroism in the face of Hamas’ attack to millions of Hispanics around the world,” said Leah Soibel, executive director and founder of Fuente Latina.