The biopic from Oscar-winning Israeli director Guy Nattiv will be set during the 1973 Yom Kippur War.

Helen Mirren is set to portray Israel’s only female prime minister Golda Meir in an upcoming biopic set during the Yom Kippur War.

Golda, from BAFTA-winning producer Michael Kuhn (Florence Foster Jenkins, The Duchess) and being directed by Oscar winner Guy Nattiv, will focus on the 1973 conflict, when Egypt, Syria, and Jordan launched a surprise attack on Israel to reclaim territory lost during the Six-Day War in 1967, and the decisions made by Meir amid infighting from her all-male cabinet.

Nicholas Martin (Florence Foster Jenkins) wrote the screenplay and also produces.

Embankment, which was behind current Oscar- and BAFTA-tipped hit The Father, will represent international sales with CAA Media Finance and ICM jointly handling the domestic rights. Production is expected to start as early as October.

“As someone who was born during the Yom Kippur War, I am honored to tell this fascinating story about the first and only woman to ever lead Israel,” said Nattiv, who won the live-action short film Oscar in 2018 with Skin, which he also developed into the A24 feature starring Jamie Bell, Vera Farmiga and Danielle Macdonald.

“Nicholas Martin’s brilliant script dives into Golda’s final chapter as the country faces a deadly surprise attack during the holiest day of the year, a core of delusional generals undermining Golda’s judgment, all the while undergoing secret treatments for her illness. I could not be more excited to work with the legendary Miss Mirren to bring this epic, emotional and complex story to life.”