EXCLUSIVE: Swell Ariel Or, star of Netflix series The Beauty Queen of Jerusalem, is set to star in Bleiberg Entertainment’s upcoming war film, Tankistas (working title), about an all-female tank unit responding to the October 7 attack in Israel.
Filming is being lined up for October of this year on the movie, which we first told you about in December 2023.
The film is inspired by true events regarding what is believed to be the first-of-its-kind all-female tank unit which engaged Hamas attackers on October 7, 2023. Ariel Or is to play the unit’s captain, who in the absence of central command, took it upon herself to command three armored vehicles and engage hundreds of Hamas militants for a battle that lasted more than 17 hours. Yarden Toussia-Cohen, whose credits include The Beauty Queen of Jerusalem and Apple’s Tehran, is slated to play the battalion’s commander.
Pic is to be directed by Ayelet Menahemi, whose feature Seven Blessings won the 2023 Ophir Prize in Israel, becoming the country’s Oscar entry. She has teamed up again with writer-actress Eleanor Sela who wrote the script and also wrote and starred in Seven Blessings.
Producers are Ehud Bleiberg’s LA-based Bleiberg Entertainment, known for movies including In the Land of Saints and Sinners, The Iceman and The Band’s Visit, along with Ronen Ben Tal (Seven Blessings). It is being lined up as an Israeli-international co-production. Bleiberg will be handling sales at the Cannes market.
Filmmakers Ayelet Menahemi and Eleanor Sela stated: “Amidst the inconceivable stories of bravery since October 7, this is one of the exceptional and heroic ones. It shows what happens when women take matters into their own hands after men cast doubt on their right and ability to fight. These young women made history, twice.”
Swell Ariel Or and Yarden Toussia-Cohen are both represented by Zohar Ya’kobson in Israel.
