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. 7, 2023, from the Nir Oz kibbutz.
David Cunio and his younger brother Ariel are among hostages yet to be freed.
In what turned out to be a tragic twist, “Youth” – which premiered in Berlin’s Panorama section in 2013 – starred Cunio and his brother Eitan as two brothers who kidnap a rich schoolgirl in a harebrained scheme to pay off family debts.
“A Letter to David” uses behind-the-scenes footage and audition tapes from “Youth” to create a multi-layered documentary that explores connections between life and cinema and looks at the human side of trauma created by acts of terror.
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