JIFF: A Letter to David

Michtav Le'David

“A Letter to David yields an innate emotional force…a chilling look at lives that have been both torn apart and captured on screen.” – The Hollywood Reporter

“Intimate and heartbreaking.” – The Jerusalem Post

Australian Premiere

Back in 2013, twin brothers David and Eitan Cunio starred in Tom Shoval’s debut feature film, Youth, which focuses on two brothers who kidnap a schoolmate in a misguided attempt to help their family out of debt. Ten years later, in a cruelly ironic case of art mirroring life, David Cunio became a hostage himself when he was abducted from the Nir Oz kibbutz by Hamas on October 7, 2023, and has been held in Gaza ever since.

Produced by Nancy Spielberg (Steven Spielberg’s sister) and Gal Greenspan, this personal cinematic letter from Shoval to his friend and former collaborator had its world premiere at the Berlin International Film Festival 2025. Notably, it avoids using any violent footage from October 7 but instead brings a profoundly human story to the tragedy, using unedited behind-the-scenes footage, audition tapes and interviews with David’s family.

Rating

Unclassified 15+

Duration

74 min

Country

Israel, United States

Language

Hebrew (English subtitles)

Cast

David Cunio, Eitan Cunio, Sharon Aloni

Director

Tom Shoval