"We gave the award to Anna Muylaert's film for its huge heart and emotionally captivating underdog story of a woman who courageously battles for her children and her own destiny in the face of domestic abuse and a lack of opportunity. Gal (played by Shirley Cruz) is a timeless cinematic heroine who is the engine of a film full of craft and soul, in a powerful journey of liberation. We were impressed by all of the films in the Spirit of Freedom category; in their brave commentary on people and societies living under oppression - whether political, social or religious. We find ourselves in a time when civilians are once again paying with their lives for the failures of the of governments and regimes they live under. We hope the artistry and vision in these films will inspire, engage and give hope to audiences, wherever they are. Finally, in the spirit of freedom (the name of this award category), we call for an end to the war in Gaza and the immediate release of the hostages."

"In a persistent search for the mother and the roots of the self, the film touches on what at first appears to be purely personal and is revealed to be painfully universal. Through the reenactments within the story, it intimately explores the question: are we doomed to repeat the sins of the generations that came before us?"

"This is a film made of the here and now. It is a dense, defiant, and lovingly human portrait of a broken man searching for a grip. The lead actor gives an unforgettable performance and is joined by an exceptional cast. The director's sure hands lead us forward fearlessly and with cinematic grace, along with the character, into the abyss, with great beauty all around us."

"LESSON LEARNED is a film about perhaps the most important issue of our time: the education of our children. What should we tell them about our world? How can we instill confidence in them when we ourselves no longer trust anything? How can we instill self-confidence in them when it is being stripped away from us daily by an oppressive system? Told with humour, sadness and compassion, the film offers these qualities that we humans might need more than anything else right now in order to survive as a community. It does so with the assured style of a true filmmaker."

"A radical reading of Israeli existence centered on a mother who boldly chooses to stop being a victim of the Israeli ethos, no matter the cost. The film is layered with endless facets of Israeli reality, presented from a new perspective, giving an almost biblical dimension to the story of a mother facing the sacrifice of her son. Director and screenwriter Netalie Braun deconstructs this ethos-from the liberation of Jerusalem to crawling on the carpet as a result of PTSD-dismantling the image of the Israeli hero. A film with an inner rhythm, powerful and tumultuous, conveyed through the eyes of an empathetic protagonist, with a marvelous performance by Dana Ivgy that almost physically conveys the country's collective helplessness."