Savoy

Co-Presented by Weitzman National Museum of American Jewish History

Directed by Zohar Wagner
Docudrama Feature | Israel | 2022 | 78 min
Hebrew with English subtitles

PHILADELPHIA PREMIERE
Tel Aviv. 1975. Kochava Levy (Dana Ivgy, Cinema Sabaya), a 31-year-old housewife and mother, checks into the Savoy Hotel with the man she has been having an affair with. The night turns deadly when the hotel is suddenly seized by members of the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO), taking her and seven other guests hostage and demanding the release of Palestinian prisoners. Throughout the night, Levy, who is of Yemini descent and fluent in Arab, becomes the prime mediator between the terrorists and IDF negotiators, diffusing tensions to ensure the safety of the hostages.

Based on a true story and nominated for five Ophir Awards (Israeli Academy Awards), this fast-paced, stylish, and positively engrossing hybrid documentary honors a woman whose heroic efforts would fail to be recognized by the media until years later. A combination of exhilarating reenactments and actual audio and video clips from that fateful night, SAVOY recounts the forgotten heroine of this tragedy with exceptional detail.

OFFICIAL SELECTION:

• Atlanta Jewish Film Festival
• Jerusalem Film Festival
• Miami Jewish Film Festival
• San Francisco Jewish Film Festival
• UK Jewish Film Festival

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