A Letter to David | Film Screening

Directed by Tom Shoval
Documentary Feature | Israel/USA | 2025 | 74 min | Hebrew with English Subtitles

Filmmaker Tom Shoval crafts a personal cinematic letter to David Cunio, who was abducted by Hamas from Kibbutz Nir Oz on October 7, 2023, and has been held hostage in Gaza ever since. David and his brother Eitan played the lead roles in Shoval’s award-winning debut film, ‘Youth’ (Berlinale 2013), which centered around a kidnapping and depicted their strong bond. Shoval revisits that film’s raw footage, unedited behind-the-scenes material, and auditions, weaving them together in a documentary that serves as both a personal letter and a multi-layered portrayal of the new reality in war-torn Kibbutz Nir Oz, where many were murdered or abducted. This affecting visual journey reflects on what was and never will be again, the cruel separation of the brothers, and the inexplicable connection between life and cinema, memory and reality. The film does not use footage from October 7th but relies on existing materials as a testimony to the unimaginable.

Director’s Bio

Tom Shoval is an Israeli film-maker and screenwriter Tom Shoval has won rave reviews for his sharp visual style and storytelling abilities. His debut feature, Youth (2013), a social drama and thriller, premiered at the Berlinale and was, among other awards, named Best Film at the Jerusalem Film Festival. Alejandro González Iñárritu, two times Academy Award® winner, has personally chosen Shoval as his protégé and produced Shoval’s feature film Shake Your Cares Away, starring Berenice Bejo which won the main award at the Jerusalem Film Festival 2021. He wrote and directed a ten-episode TV series – A music drama, The Echo of Your Voice for the Israeli Kan 11 channel. The series was selected in official competition in the “Series Mania” festival and won the prestigious Acting award. Shoval penned June Zero for director Jake Paltrow to be released in the US in 2024. Tom is currently in post-production on the third feature-length film he wrote and directed- Life without Credit, to be delivered during 2025.

Presented by the Weitzman National Museum of American Jewish History, Israeli Film Festival of Philadelphia, Jewish Federation of Greater Philadelphia, Kaiserman JCC, and Philadelphia Jewish Film and Media. 

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