Gal Gadot spoke of her hopes for the return of all the hostages still held in Gaza at the opening ceremony of the 42nd Jerusalem Film Festival on Thursday night at the Sultan’s Pool amphitheater.
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. She said, “Thank you so much for coming to celebrate Israeli cinema, this is always home. The reality outside is very complicated, and no place makes me more emotional than here.”
She spoke about visiting the Gaza Envelope region last weekend and said it made her realize, “How important it is to people to tell their stories.” She noted 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 speech 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.
She received two honors 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.
In addition, Hadassah, The Women’s Zionist Organization 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 second honor was presented to Gal Gadot by Carol Ann Schwartz, the president of Hadassah, The Women’s Zionist Organization of America, and Dalia Itzik, the chair of the Board of the Hadassah Medical Center.
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.”
“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,” said the festival organizers in a statement.
Usually blasé Jerusalem Film Festival audience members and even festival staff were abuzz over the presence of a genuine movie star in their midst, and some of the staff posed for and shared selfies with Gadot.
Lawrence Bender also honored at festival
Lawrence Bender, the producer of such Oscar-winning movies as Pulp Fiction and Good Will Hunting, also received an award honoring 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 October 7 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 television series about “ordinary people who become heroes on October 7.” He praised Israeli resilience and said that he realized, having spnt time here, “I had to double down and do more, thank you so much.”
The festival organizers 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 and spoke out against censorship and cancel culture, noting that some filmmakers had refused to allow their films to be shown at the festival. However, he added that many creators also took the opportunity to offer their films for screening at the festival and to participate in the event.
The festival will run until July 26 at the Jerusalem Cinematheque and Lev Smadar. For schedules and ticket information, visit https://jff.org.il/en •