Esteemed actor Helen Mirren is not accustomed to being the center of controversy. But she knew that criticism of her decision to play the plum role of world leader Golda Meir, the founding first and only woman leader of Israel’s history, was certain to invite controversy. Mirren is not Jewish and she has called the criticism of her being tapped by Oscar winner Guy Nattiv to play the lead in ‘Golda’ as “utterly legitimate”.

‘Golda’s focus is the 19 days of the Yom Kippur War in October 1973.

The film is in theaters and online now, released on August 25 and with a modest box office of $4.4 worldwide.