Avi Nesher premieres Oct. 7 drama Our Loves at Toronto
Israeli writer-director Avi Nesher has premiered Our Loves, a 1-hour 57-minute drama following five Israeli men and women during the Oct. 7 attacks, in the Centrepiece section of the Toronto International Film Festival.
The film had its world premiere at Toronto, where it was selected for Centrepiece, one of the festival's main programme strands for international work, according to TIFF. TIFF describes it as a drama about love intensifying and second chances becoming possible in the face of adversity. A festival listing has a Centrepiece screening on Sunday 13 at 2:30 PM.
The story stays close to that morning. The film depicts Hamas attackers crossing the border on the morning of October 7, according to The Hollywood Reporter. It explores human resilience and humour amid the tragedy of Oct. 7, Nesher told The Hollywood Reporter ahead of the premiere. That focus shapes the structure. Five characters. One day. Choices made under pressure.
Politics are part of the dialogue. The film includes lines criticising Benjamin Netanyahu's regime and the military's unpreparedness for the attack. Nesher told The Hollywood Reporter the film is critical of the Israeli government and its conduct. He also said the government is not happy the film will come out two weeks before the Israeli election.
The cast includes Shalom Michaelshvili, Magi Azarzar, Yaniv Biton, Noa Cohen, Daniel Gimpel and Hadas Yaron, according to The Hollywood Reporter. Nesher directs from his own screenplay.
Toronto is familiar ground for the film-maker. His earlier feature Past Life screened at TIFF in 2016. This year's Centrepiece programme includes films from 50 countries.
The calendar matters here. Our Loves is scheduled for release in Israeli theatres in September 2026, according to The Times of Israel. That puts the Toronto launch just ahead of its home release.
For audiences picking up the story now, the context is simple. A veteran Israeli director has taken a national trauma into a major festival. Then he takes it home to theatres, close to an election.
