Lia van Leer

Born in Romania in 1924, Lia van Leer was sent to Palestine in the winter of 1939/40 which spared her the fate that met her family. She and her Dutch-born husband, Wim, created a thriving film culture in Israel, established the Israel Film Archive and founded the Cin math que in Jerusalem which transformed the city. Alone she created the Jerusalem Film Festival bringing glamour and prestige to Jerusalem as well as international recognition of Israeli cinematic talent. She became a much-loved figure at film festivals and died in Jerusalem in 2015.