Programme Overview
Description
The Cunios tells the moving story of one Argentine Israeli family’s extraordinary survival on October 7th - a day that saw a quarter of Kibbutz Nir Oz’s population murdered or kidnapped and taken into Gaza - and their subsequent fight for the release of their abducted family members, two of which are still held hostage today, along with dozen of others.
Great-grandmother Esther was almost killed by terrorists who entered her home, but she managed to save her life by mentioning Argentina, the late Pope Francis, and Lionel Messi. While reporting on the attacks in Israel, world-renowned journalist Henrique Cymerman received a call from his close friend, His Holiness Pope Francis, which triggered an extraordinary chain of events captured in this remarkable documentary.
In partnership with Keshet International (KI), the International Emmy Award-winning production company Anima Films is producing this incredible human story of survival and resilience as a feature-length documentary, which also reveals the unbelievable personal connection between the family matriarch Esther and her lifelong bond with her childhood friend, the late Pope. In Israel, the Cunio family are part of a distinct circle within the broader group of hostage families — those awaiting the return of two siblings. David and Ariel Cunio, the younger sons of Sylvia and Louis Cunio, are still being held hostage by Hamas in Gaza.