A Letter to David

A personal cinematic letter from filmmaker Tom Shoval to David Cunio, who was taken from the Nir Oz kibbutz on October 7, 2023, and released after 738 days in captivity in Gaza.

Ten years ago, David and his twin brother, Eitan, starred in Shoval’s award-winning debut feature film, "Youth" (Berlinale, 2013), which focused on the powerful bond between the brothers and, in an extraordinary twist of fate, also revolved around a kidnapping.

Using previously unreleased behind-the-scenes footage and casting tapes from "Youth", Shoval creates a multi-layered documentary about the inexplicable connections between life and cinema, memory and reality, as well as the devastating consequences of terrorism and war.

The film was first screened at the 2025 Berlin International Film Festival as a “film without an ending.” At the time, Shoval promised not to consider the work complete until David was home. The full version premiered at the 2026 Berlinale, concluding with an emotional epilogue featuring David, Ariel, and the entire Cunio family — the ending everyone had hoped for.