‘Golda’: The Untold Story of Israel’s Iron Lady, Exclusively on Lionsgate Play

The story of Israel’s first and only female prime minister has been the subject of much debate and fascination, which is why Golda is likely to be one of the most talked-about titles on Lionsgate Play. Directed by Academy Award-winning filmmaker Guy Nattiv, the film is set against the backdrop of the Yom Kippur War — also known as the 1973 Arab-Israeli War. Golda chronicles the high-stakes, real-life political decisions that Prime Minister Golda Meir (played masterfully by Helen Mirren) had to make during this tumultuous time. Facing insurmountable challenges, Meir’s leadership and decision-making faced intense scrutiny as she handled the threat looming over Israel — the narrative journeys with her through daunting political decisions that changed the course of history. 

Talking about Helen Mirren’s performance as Golda Meir, director Guy Nattiv says, “For me, as an Israeli, and as Jewish, it doesn’t matter if you’re not Jewish, you’re one of the best actresses of our time and you are Golda to me. When I saw her on the first day on set with all the prosthetics I was blown away. My jaw dropped and I was like, this IS Golda. She really depicted every nuance and every move. I am very grateful for working with a legend.”

On Meir’s controversial legacy, Nattiv adds, “She will always be connected to the failure of Yum Kippur war. Golda was the wrong person, in the wrong place, in the wrong time. She didn’t want to be a prime minister, but she had to take the job because no one else wanted it at that time. They pushed her to be a prime minister and then she was thrown into this mayhem and trying to deal with the mess. Israelis are so conflicted about her character. Now, if you look outside of Israel, and Jews outside of Israel, they see more of the romantic story of Golda who came from Milwaukee to Israel when she was a young woman, full of Zionism and a hope to help the country. She was the Iron Lady of Israel and, like Margaret Thatcher, there are some people who love her and some people who hate her.”

Witness the powerful, gripping, and often heartbreaking story of one of history’s most controversial figures when Golda premieres exclusively on Lionsgate Play on PLDT Home this March 8th.