Film About Nova Festival Victim Eden Yerushalmi Wins Jerusalem Award

The Israeli documentary "Find Me, Okay?", which won the Best Israeli Debut Film award at the 2026 Jerusalem Film Festival, derives its title from a phrase spoken by Eden Yerushalmi on October 7th. Yerushalmi uttered these words while hiding after escaping the Nova music festival, where she was subsequently abducted. The film, set to air on Channel 13, chronicles two years in the lives of Yerushalmi's sisters, Shani and Mai, her mother Shirit, escorting officer Shir Koiti, and her friend Arbel Ashkenazi, who was with her at the festival. The documentary begins filming days after Yerushalmi's abduction and continues for a year after it was confirmed she was murdered along with five other hostages in a tunnel. The film incorporates footage of Yerushalmi dancing at the festival and her escape, with the latter captured on her phone. Director Yula Gidron described the film as a "female perspective," aiming to capture the women's experiences with sensitivity. Producers Hila Medalia and Jeff Hoffman met the Yerushalmi family shortly after October 7th, initially believing Eden would return. "We thought that when Eden returned, there would be an amazing reunion," Hoffman stated, adding, "We even thought her captors would fall in love with her." The production involved extensive filming, with cinematographer Omer Menor regularly visiting the family. The film explores the family's journey through trauma, shock, and the subsequent grief, with the producers emphasizing a sensitive approach. While the family reportedly disliked political messaging being attached to Eden's story, Medalia believes all art is inherently political. The film has garnered international attention, with screenings at Jewish Community Centers in the US selling out, and producers aiming to reach a wider global audience who may be unaware of the events of October 7th.