Even with all the regional hubbub, the Jerusalem Film Festival totally went ahead on July 17, and guess who showed up? None other than “Wonder Woman” herself, Israeli star Gal Gadot! She’s been in the headlines lately, catching some flak for her comments on the Gaza conflict.
You see, pro-Palestinian folks on social media weren’t too happy with Gadot supporting the Israeli army, which has faced accusations of rough tactics during its Gaza operations against Hamas and while trying to free Israeli hostages. But wait, there’s more! This super-talented actress also got some heat from right-wing media in Israel because she dared to call for an end to the war. Meanwhile, the Israeli government has vowed to keep fighting until Hamas is gone, even with the world calling for a ceasefire. Talk about being caught in the middle!
Adding to the drama, there was a bit of a scare last month with recent tensions between Israel and Iran. This almost put the brakes on the 42nd annual festival, according to AFP.
But the show must go on! The festival officially opened its doors on the evening of July 17 at an auditorium near Jerusalem’s historic Old City. Thousands of fans cheered as Gadot received a special award. The 40-year-old star, who hails from near Tel Aviv, shared in her acceptance speech that she’s “praying that this war (in Gaza) will end and that everyone here will finally have peace and security.” She added a heartfelt note: “This will not be possible until the hostages return home.”
Event director Roni Mahadav-Levin spilled the tea, saying that during that tense period from June 12 to 24, the organizers “spent two weeks in bomb shelters trying to decide whether to keep the festival date.” Flights were getting canceled left and right, and guests were feeling a bit iffy about coming.
Ayal Sgerski, a 29-year-old film student visiting the festival, mentioned that the whole event is happening “in the shadow” of the conflict. He noticed that not many international directors were able to make it. “It is very difficult for the festival to attract films from around the world at the moment” because of the pushback against the war in Gaza, he lamented. Mahadav-Levin agreed, saying they couldn’t “expect to receive the same number of international guests as in a normal year.”
The festival kicked off with a screening of “Sentimental Value” by Norwegian director Joachim Trier, who snagged an award at Cannes this year. The Jerusalem Film Festival will keep the cinematic magic going until July 26.
