Jewish and Israeli Film Festival: A Letter to David

2025 ∙ Documentary ∙ 74 minutes∙ Hebrew ∙ Tom Shoval
75 Internationale Filmfestspiele Berlin: Berlinale Special

This moving retrospection is a personal cinematic letter from filmmaker Tom
Shoval to David Cunio, who was taken by Hamas from the Nir Oz kibbutz on
October 7, 2023, and had been held hostage in Gaza for 738 days. Ten years
ago, David and his twin brother, Eitan, starred in Shoval’s award winning
debut feature film, _Youth_ (Berlinale 2013), which focused on the powerful
bond between brothers and, in a tragic and unimaginable twist of fate,
revolved around a kidnapping. Through unedited behind-the-scenes footage and
audition tapes from that film, Shoval creates a multi-layered documentary that
explores profound questions about the inexplicable connections between life
and cinema, memory and reality, and the catastrophic consequences of war.

**_Presenting Partner: Jewish National Fund USA_**

**SPECIAL FEATURE**
**SHORT FILMS**
_Days Between Rest_(11 minutes)
by Peter Decherney

_The Sacred Society_ (12 minutes)
by Benny Zelkowicz

** _The Mayerson JCC Jewish & Israeli Film Festival_** presents a diverse,
inspiring lineup of award-winning films and engaging, educational programming
that connects to Jewish and Israeli stories. **To see the whole 2026
lineup,**(https://mayersonjccfilmfestival2026.eventive.org/schedule)**.**

View event on Jlive: https://jlive.app/events/14086