The movie uses a newsreel format to give the story historical context and to lay out the many different factions who fought each other during the pre-state years.
While the movie celebrates the spirit of Tel Aviv 80 years ago, it was actually filmed in Puglia, Italy, where Winterbottom and his team found buildings that were “new, white, and low-rise."
Amid highlights from other international festivals, it was the strong regional programme from Greece and its neighbours that stood out at this year’s Thessaloniki.