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

For Tom Shoval, making the film "A Letter to David" was a way to ensure that his friend David Cunio was not just a face on a kidnapped poster after the Hamas-led attack on Israel on October 7, 2023, during which over 250 hostages were taken to Gaza by militants.

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,

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.

"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."

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.