Though Loznitsa did not specifically reference the ongoing wars and tension in Israel or his home country of Ukraine, he spoke of the \u201cdifficult time we are living in\u201d in both countries. His films attempt to understand history, which is a step to overcoming these difficulties, he said.<\/p>\n
\t \u201cI am convinced that the reason for what has happened to us now lies deep in our past,\u201d Loznitsa said. \u201cAnd understanding them is already a step toward overcoming them.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cIt is not love but violence that has entered our lives, and confronting it has become our duty,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n Before presenting Loznitsa with his award, Mahadav-Levin spoke of the power of watching film with others, calling it \u201calmost revolutionary\u201d to come together and be moved by the same moment.<\/p>\n The film festival is not an escape from this reality, Mahadav-Levin said, but an opportunity to examine our world and hope for a better future.<\/p>\n \t He, too, did not specifically reference war but called it \u201conce again not a normal year\u201d to host the festival.<\/p>\n Amid international anger over Israel\u2019s war against Hamas in Gaza, the country has faced a soft cultural boycott, with calls to exclude the country from events, including global film festivals.<\/p>\n While Mahadav-Levin told The Times of Israel earlier in the week that it isn\u2019t always clear whether an Israeli film isn\u2019t accepted at festival competitions because of its quality or global politics, he described the delicacy with which they invited international guests and chose their film roster for the Jerusalem event.<\/p>\n \u201cIf the past few years have taught us anything, it is that even when there are no good answers, it is still essential to keep asking the questions,\u201d he told the crowd. \u201cWe hope that this year\u2019s films will do exactly that: question, challenge and refuse to settle for easy answers.\u201d<\/p>\n The event kicked off the festival with a screening of \u201cTell Me Everything\u201d by Israeli director Moshe Rosenthal, attended by the film\u2019s actors.<\/p>\n The Hebrew film, which recently premiered at the Sundance Film Festival, features 12-year-old Boaz (Yair Mazor), who finds out his father is in a relationship with another man during the height of the HIV epidemic. It follows Boaz and his family through his bar mitzvah soon after the revelation, and again nine years later when he reunites with his estranged father.<\/p>\n \u201cTell Me Everything\u201d stars Israeli actor Assi Cohen in his first feature film in 15 years.<\/p>\n Cohen took photos with fans before the screening began and officially kicked off the festival alongside the evening\u2019s host.<\/p>\n Audience member Rony Yedidia said she has made it a point to attend the film festival for the past few years.<\/p>\n Yedidia said the open-air location, with its \u201cbackdrop of [Jerusalem\u2019s] Old City,\u201d makes the festival atmosphere unique.<\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s really important to show Israeli culture to as many people as possible around the world,\u201d Yedidia said. \u201cThat it\u2019s not just about war and problems, but we have real life here, that we can enjoy life here and we have great culture.\u201d<\/p>\n
\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t The war with Iran has been draining for all of us in Israel. But when I heard about a high casualty incident \u2013 ballistic missile impacts in Arad and Dimona that left nearly 200 people wounded \u2013 I drank a cup of coffee, packed a bag, and headed south.<\/p>\n There, I spoke with Shilgit, the head of an after-school program for underprivileged youth. Standing outside her destroyed center, Shilgit said it was a miracle that no children were hurt and spoke about the community coming together in the hours since.<\/p>\n As a Times of Israel reporter, I\u2019m committed to telling stories of resilience like Shilgit\u2019s. But my colleagues and I can’t do this alone. If you value work like this, please consider joining our reader support group, The Times of Israel Community. Your financial support is essential to keep real human reporting like this going.<\/p>\n \u2014 Stav Levaton, military reporter<\/p>\n \t\t\t
\t\t\t
\t\t\tAlready a member? Sign in to stop seeing this<\/a><\/p>\n
\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t That\u2019s why we started the Times of Israel – to provide discerning readers like you with must-read coverage of Israel and the Jewish world.<\/p>\n So now we have a request. Unlike other news outlets, we haven\u2019t put up a paywall. But as the journalism we do is costly, we invite readers for whom The Times of Israel has become important to help support our work by joining The Times of Israel Community.<\/p>\n For as little as $6 a month you can help support our quality journalism while enjoying The Times of Israel AD-FREE, as well as accessing exclusive content available only to Times of Israel Community members.<\/p>\n Thank you, \t\t\t
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/AFP__20250515__46W28QV__v1__HighRes__FranceFilmFestivalCannes-640x400.jpg\")
<\/a>
\n\t\tUkrainian director and screenwriter Sergei Loznitsa arrives for the screening of the film \u201cSirat\u201d at the 78th edition of the Cannes Film Festival in Cannes, southern France, on May 15, 2025. (Photo by Bertrand GUAY \/ AFP)<\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/RoniMahadav-LevincreditMichaelFranco-640x400.webp\")
<\/a>
\n\t\tRoni Mahadav-Levin, managing director of the Jerusalem Cinematheque and Jerusalem Film Festival (Courtesy Van Leer Group)<\/p>\n
\n\t\t\t\tWe can’t do this work alone.\t\t\t<\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/Untitled-design-4-200x200.jpg\" "\\"\\"\/")
\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n
\n\t\t\t\tYes, I’ll join\t\t\t<\/a><\/p>\n
\n\t\t\t\tYes, I’ll join\t\t\t<\/a><\/p>\n
\n\t\t\t\tYou’re a dedicated reader\t\t\t<\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/334x334-200x200.png\" "\\"\\"\/")
\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n
David Horovitz, Founding Editor of The Times of Israel<\/p>\n
\n\t\t\t\tJoin Our Community\t\t\t<\/a><\/p>\n