Gal Gadot calls for hostage return at Jerusalem Film Festival
Gal Gadot spoke of her hopes for the return of all the hostages held in Gaza, speaking at the opening ceremony of the 42nd Jerusalem Film Festival at the Sultan’s Pool amphitheatre on Thursday night.
Gal Gadot
The star of the “Wonder Woman” series and most recently of “Snow White” looked glamorous in a red halter dress adorned with a yellow pin, a symbol of the hostages still held in Gaza.
“Thank you so much for coming to celebrate Israeli cinema, this is always home,” Gadot said. “The reality outside is very complicated, and no place makes me more emotional than here.”
She spoke about visiting the Gaza border communities last weekend and said it made her realise “how important it is to people to tell their stories.” She added that it was “good to be here at such an important festival. I love my country and my people.”
Speaking to all the directors and screenwriters, she said, “I’m eager to make a movie in Hebrew.”
She ended her remarks by saying, “The most important thing all of us wish is that we can breathe again calmly, and we will be able to do that when the hostages return home,” which she hoped would happen as soon as possible. “I pray this war will end soon and there will be peace and security for everyone,” she added.
Gadot received two honours at the ceremony on Thursday. The Jerusalem Film Festival gave her an award in recognition of her contribution to international cinema and her remarkable success over two decades of artistic achievement.
And Hadassah, the Women’s Zionist Organisation of America, presented her with the Power of Dreams Award for her courageous and unwavering support of Israel and for using her global platform to promote truth and justice on behalf of the State of Israel.
This honour was presented to Gadot by Carol Ann Schwartz, the president of Hadassah, and former interim President of Israel Dalia Itzik, the chairwoman of the Board of Hadassah Medical Centre in Jerusalem.
Schwartz said, in a statement, “The choice of Gal Gadot by Hadassah was natural in light of the fact that she is a groundbreaking woman who serves as an ambassador for Israel and the Jewish people wherever she is in the world.”
The festival organisers said in a statement, “Gal began her journey here in Israel and became one of the most recognized international stars, while maintaining a strong connection to her Israeli roots. … At the Jerusalem Film Festival, where we celebrate the finest of Israeli and global cinema, there is no one more fitting to receive this award.”
Usual blasé Jerusalem Film Festival audience members and even festival staff were abuzz over the presence of the movie star, and some of the staff posed for and shared selfies with Gadot.
Lawrence Bender
Lawrence Bender, the producer of such Oscar-winning movies as “Pulp Fiction” and “Good Will Hunting,” received an award honouring his contributions to cinema for a career that has spanned more than three decades.
Accepting the honor, Bender, who has devoted much of his time since Oct. 7, 2023, to producing movies and television series in Israel, said, “Thank you, Jerusalem Film Festival for this extraordinary honor, my only regret is that my mom and my dad—may their memory be a—blessing – are not here, but I know they’re up there proud of their son …
“My whole career over the decades …, I’ve had the opportunity to work with a diverse group of people from various backgrounds, both in front of and behind the camera, representing different races and ethnicities. Then, on October 7, something unexpected happened. All these people I loved, all these different people I supported, I feel like they’ve disappeared, and I’ve got really angry and sad. I decided it’s time to focus on my people,” he said.
This led Bender to come to Israel and produce “Red Alert,” a Keshet Media Group television series about “ordinary people who become heroes on October 7.” He praised Israeli resilience and said that he realized, having spent time here, that “I had to double down and do more, thank you so much.”
The festival organisers said in a statement, “Lawrence Bender’s contribution to international cinema is among the most significant of our time. In addition to his extensive work in global humanitarian efforts, Bender is a passionate supporter of Israeli film and television. We are thrilled to welcome him to the Jerusalem Film Festival to receive this tribute.”
Roni Mahadav-Levin, the director of the Jerusalem Film Festival and the Jerusalem Cinematheque, said that this was the second time the festival had taken place during wartime. He spoke out against censorship and cancel culture, noting that some filmmakers had refused to allow their films to be shown at the festival.
He added, however, that many creators took the opportunity to offer their films for screening at the festival and to participate in the event.
The festival will run from July 26 to August 2 at the Jerusalem Cinematheque and the Lev Smadar cinema.
