A Letter to David (, translit. Michtav Le'David) is a 2025 documentary film written and directed by Tom Shoval. It is a cinematic letter to David Cunio, who had previously starred in Shoval's Youth (2013), and who was abducted by Hamas during the October 7 attacks in 2023 from Nir Oz, and held hostage in Gaza.
The film had its world premiere at the Berlinale Special section of the 75th Berlin International Film Festival on 14 February 2025. It was theatrically released in Israel on 27 March by Go2Films. At the 36th Ophir Awards, it won the Best Documentary.
Synopsis The documentary unfolds as a cinematic letter from director Tom Shoval to David Cunio, an Israeli man abducted from Nir Oz during the October 7, 2023 attacks and still held in Gaza. Shoval revisits his earlier feature film Youth (2013), in which Cunio starred as a teenager involved in a fictional kidnapping, and juxtaposes that narrative with Cunio's real‑life fate. Drawing on behind‑the‑scenes footage, audition tapes, and personal reflections, the film explores the unsettling overlap between cinema and reality. Through this framework, Shoval examines themes of memory, trauma, and the role of filmmaking in confronting war and loss.Michtav Le'David Berlin Film Festival. Retrieved on 1 December 2025Mintzer, Jordan (14 February 2025). ‘A Letter to David’ Review: An Israeli Filmmaker Considers the Fate of an Actor Turned Hostage in a Harrowing Film Essay The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved on 1 December 2025
Cunio was released by Hamas two years later, on 13 October 2025, nearly 6 months after the documentary official release in Israel.Yossman, K.J. (13 October 2025). Actor David Cunio, 'A Letter to David' Documentary Subject, Among Hostages Released in Gaza Ceasefire Variety. Retrieved on 1 December 2025 Following the news, Shoval announced that he plans to give the film a new ending.Goodfellow, Melanie (15 October 2015). Tom Shoval Talks Plans To Give Hostage Doc ‘A Letter To David’ New Ending Following Release Of Friend David Cunio From Gaza Deadline. Retrieved on 1 December 2025
Production Nancy Spielberg, sister of Steven Spielberg is among the producers of the film.Vivarelli, Nick (15 February 2015). ‘A Letter to David’ Director Tom Shoval and Producer Nancy Spielberg on Transcending ‘Carnage’ in Their Homage to Hamas Hostage David Cunio Variety. Retrieved on 1 December 2025 Nancy had been visiting Israel during the October 7 attacks and was deeply affected and wanted to make a film. Through her friend Jake Paltrow, she was introduced to Shoval.
Release The documentary had its world premiere on 7 October 2025 at the 75th Berlin International Film Festival, where it was screened in the Berlinale Special section.
Following its Berlin debut, the film was selected for multiple international festivals, including the Karlovy Vary International Film Festival in the Czech Republic, Doc Edge in New Zealand, and the Mar del Plata International Film Festival in Argentina. It also screened at Jewish film festivals in Berlin, San Francisco, Toronto, and London.A Letter to David Go2Films. Retrieved on 1 December 2025
Reception Jordan Mintzer of The Hollywood Reporter praised the film: "The haunting images of the Cunio brothers in Youth leave us to ponder David's fate not only as an actor in a movie, but in the greater global tragedy he's now a part of."
Dr Pablo Utin, a film scholar, gave the film 4.5 out of 5 stars in his Haaretz review, describing it as "a powerful cinematic mix of a personal letter, a philosophical essay, an activist film and a documentary."Utin, Pablo (27 March 2025). "מכתב לדויד": קולנוע עוצמתי שלא רואים כל יום Haaretz. Retrieved on 1 December 2025
In 2025, it won the Ophir Award for Best Full-length Documentary.(16 September 2025). ‘Letter to David’ Wins Ophir Award for Best Full-Length Documentary Blavatnik Family Foundation. Retrieved on 1 December 2025
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