Avi Nesher’s ‘Our Loves’ to screen at Toronto Film Festival

Jessica Steinberg, The Times of Israel's culture and lifestyles editor, covers the Sabra scene from south to north and back to the center

Director Avi Nesher’s latest film, “Our Loves,” will be screened at the upcoming Toronto Film Festival, featured in the Centrepiece program that highlights feature films from established directors.

The Toronto film event, known as TIFF, is considered an important landmark in the North American awards season, and Nesher’s inclusion is considered significant with Israeli filmmakers struggling with global cultural boycotts amid the war in Gaza.

During a panel at the recent Jerusalem Film Festival, Nesher called the boycotts “a sad part of life” that has to be dealt with “somehow.”

Nesher and his producers discussed at the panel how they navigated the ongoing boycotts, citing “Our Loves” as an example of a film that was able to secure additional backing from entertainment giants Fox and Access Entertainment at a time when foreign funding has been difficult to come by, and festivals have been unwelcoming to Israeli entries.

“Our Loves” is Nesher’s telling of the October 7, 2023, Hamas terrorist attack, following an ensemble of characters whose stories intertwine during the vicious onslaught when rampaging terrorists killed some 1,200 people in southern Israel and abducted 251 people to Gaza.

“Our Loves” is considered a serious contender for the Ophir Award in September, which would then make the movie Israel’s submission for the Academy Awards. The film opens in Israeli theaters on September 3.

The Ophir nominees were announced earlier this week, and “Our Loves” was nominated for 12 categories, including best feature, best director, best script and best cinematography.

Last September, the Toronto International Film Festival pulled the October 7 documentary “The Road Between Us: The Ultimate Rescue,” claiming legal concerns about airing bodycam footage of the carnage filmed by the terrorists without obtaining the rights from the massacre’s perpetrators, but reversed course after significant backlash.

The film, which tells the story of IDF Maj. Gen. (Res.) Noam Tibon saving his family and others during the October 7 invasion, won the People’s Choice Award for best documentary at the festival, though some still protested the screening.

“Avi Nesher’s masterpiece may be the most significant opportunity Israel has ever had to bring the human story of October 7 to the world,” said Emilio Schenker, CEO of SIPUR, one of the film’s producers, following the TIFF announcement.

“The film’s extraordinary power has succeeded in breaking through the walls of the reprehensible boycott directed at Israeli cinema,” said Schenker. “Now, our collective story — from the most painful and devastating day in the history of the State of Israel — will be presented on one of the world’s most important and prestigious cinematic stages.”

United King Films’ Liron Edry said the selection of Nesher’s film for TIFF was “a powerful statement,” one he felt would resonate with international audiences as well.

“Ultimately, great cinema transcends borders, languages, and preconceived notions, and we believe that is exactly what ‘Our Loves’ will do,” said Edry.

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