In the Disengagement of 2005, the Israeli government evacuated 10,000 Israelis from their homes in the Gaza Strip and handed the territory over to the Palestinian Authority. Shir was 11 years old at the time. His family decided to stay and struggle with the soliders until the last moment of the evacuation, and by doing so, forsook their rights to relocate together with their community.

The film exposes the complex situation of children who live in a conflict zone, who lose their innocence and need to choose a political side at a young age. Shir is the youngest of eight brothers who all grew up in Gush Katif, and he struggles against the impending withdrawal. As Shir fights for the home where he was born and raised, his faith is strengthened by the sense of being a biblical David defeating the mighty Goliath. In the six years following that fateful summer, Shir’s struggle is replaced by a sense of solitude. Homeless, his family moves between four hotels in six months. His brothers resettle in different parts of the country and his parents channel their grief into long work hours. Shir, who spends much of his time alone, puts on weight and becomes a surly young man prone to angry outbursts. The film was shot over the course of six years and provides an intimate personal story in the shadow of historical events in Israel.

Piece of Innocence was made in the framework of the Growing Pains program, in which Israeli film directors were invited to create documentaries intended for, and focusing on, teenagers. The project encourages the viewing of documentaries through creating films that relate to the lives and issues of teenagers in Israel today.