Dame Helen Mirren Honored at Jerusalem Film Festival for Portrayal of Israeli Leader Golda Meir

Oscar-winning British actress plays the lead in a new drama depicting Golda Meir, Israel’s famed fourth prime minister, during the fateful 1973 Arab-Israeli war

Oscar-winning actress Dame Helen Mirren, one of Britain’s best-known stars, was in Jerusalem last week to receive an achievement award from the Jerusalem Film Festival for portraying Israeli leader Golda Meir during the 1973 Arab-Israeli war. Israel’s only female prime minister, Meir was a towering historical figure who led the country to victory after surviving a devastating surprise attack by Syrian and Egyptian forces. Dame Mirren, who plays the lead in Oscar-winning Israeli director Guy Nattiv’s new film, Golda, is not Jewish, a fact that prompted controversy when she was first tapped for the role. However, Mirren says she has a deep connection to the country, including a stint as a volunteer on a kibbutz just after the 1967 war.