Israeli director Tom Shoval is back in Berlin with “A Letter to David,” which is his way of processing the fact that his friend David Cunio – who starred in his first feature “Youth” – is one of the more than 250 hostages kidnapped by Hamas on Oct.

Tom Shoval’s documentary, Letter to David, an intimate and heartbreaking look at David Cunio, a hostage kidnapped by Hamas from Kibbutz Nir Oz on October 7, premiered on Friday at the 75th Berlinale, the Berlin International Film Festival, and the director spoke of his hope that David would soon return to his family.

Tom Shoval & Nancy Spielberg Discuss Gaza Hostage Film ‘A Letter To David’ & Why Berlinale Is Right Place For World Premiere

"Film is an empathy machine," says Nancy Spielberg (Steven Spielberg's sister) who produced the Oct. 7 film debuting at Berlin. "We need to find a way for humanity to get back on the same page."

Nancy Spielberg (Steven Spielberg's sister) produced writer-director Tom Shoval's portrait of David Cunio, who starred in his 2013 film 'Youth' and was taken hostage on October 7th, 2023.

Tom Shoval’s documentary A Letter To David, which is playing in Berlinale Special, marks a return to the festival for the Israeli filmmaker - but not in a circumstance he could have imagined when his first feature, Youth, played in Panorama back in 2013.

The Berlin film festival premiered a documentary about an Israeli hostage held by Hamas yesterday as it seeks to move on from controversy over its stance on