Amos Gitai to direct film on Gracia Mendes Nasi

Jerusalem : Director Amos Gitai will direct a film titled "Dona Gracia", based on the life of one of the wealthiest Jewish women of Renaissance Europe, Gracia Mendes Nasi.

Gitai has been developing the project for four years with Marie Jose Sanselme, his co-writer on "Rabin, the Last Day" "Disengagement" and "Free Zone" among other films, reports variety.com.

Dona Gracia was a heroic figure who escaped persecution in 16th century Lisbon and became a prominent figure in the politics of the Ottoman Empire.

Gitai said: "Dona Gracia was an incredibly fierce and visionary woman who led an exceptional life. The film will shed some light on the origins of anti-Semitism and is also meant to challenge stereotypes about Islam by showing the great influence Islamic art and culture had during the Renaissance era."

The film will be shot in October 2019 in several locations in Europe and Israel, and will be produced by Kristina Larsen and Jean-Baptiste Dupont.