Focus World, a division of Universal’s special outlet Focus Features, has acquired U.S. rights to A Tale of Love and Darkness, the directorial debut of Oscar winning actress Natalie Portman (Black Swan). The period drama is based on the memoir by Amos Oz. Portman also stars in the film and wrote the screenplay.

Set against the turbulent backdrop of post-WWII Jerusalem, A Tale of Love and Darkness is a drama that centers around a young man coming-of-age in the face of familial adversary and the formation of the state of Israel. Amir Tessler and Gilad Kahana co-star. “A Tale of Love and Darkness has been my passion for almost a decade now since I read Amos Oz’s masterful book and knew I wanted to adapt it into a film,” stated Portman. “I’m so proud, and feel so lucky, that the film we made will be distributed by Focus World. It is a great honor to have their brand of thoughtful distribution delivering the film into the world.” The film held its world premiere at the 2015 Cannes Film Festival and has since played the 2015 Toronto Film Festival.

While the film serves as Portman’s directorial debut, she previously directed a short in 2008 vignette film New York, I Love You as well as short entitled Eve the same year. As an actress, she last appeared in the western Jane Got a Gun (which opened this past January) and can currently be seen in Terrence Malick’s Knight of Cups. She has a slew of enticing projects in the works including a second go-round with Malick with the upcoming Weightless, the upcoming fantasy film Planetarium and the upcoming bio Jackie, centering around former First Lady Jackie Kennedy in the direct aftermath of President Kennedy’s assassination. Portman is also slated to join Alex Garland’s science fiction film Annihilation and Xavier Dolan’s English-language debut The Death and Life of John F. Donovan.

A Tale of Love and Darkness doesn’t yet have a release date a theatrical run later this year is in the planning stages.