Avi Nesher
Encyclopedia
Avi Nesher (born December 13, 1953) is an Israeli film producer
, film director
, screenwriter
and actor
.
n-born diplomat, and a mother who came from Russia
. In 1965, he moved with his family to the United States
. He graduated high school at sixteen and studied international relations at Columbia University
. In 1971, he returned to Israel and served in the IDF
elite special forces unit Sayeret Matkal
.
, Gali Atari
, Sassi Keshet and Heli Goldenberg, most of whom served in military entertainment troupes themselves. The film was a commercial success in Israel (600,000 viewers) and gained cult film
status. The movie production, accompanied by the composer Yair Rosenblum, who was musical director of the Nahal Military Group and composed the songs the band also appear in the film.
In 1979, Nesher directed his second film, "Dizengoff 99
", about three young friends (Anat Atzmon, Gidi Gov
and Meir Suissa) living together in a flat on Dizengoff Street
, the center of nightlife
in Tel Aviv. The film is based on the experiences of Nesher himself, when he lived with two friends in Tel Aviv. The soundtrack of the film included songs performed by Zvika Pick, Riki Gal, Gali Atari
and various Israeli bands. It was also a hit (400,000 viewers) and achieved cult film status in Israel. In 1980 Nesher directed "HaPakhdanim" (Hebrew: "הפחדנים", lit. "The cowards"), a moderate commercial success (120,000 viewers).
Nesher then moved to Hollywood, California to further his film career, directing the Israeli-American fantasy film "She" in 1982, about two brothers trying to save their kidnapped sister.
In 1984 Nesher wrote, directed and produced the movie "Za'am V'Tehilah" which tells the story of the underground Zionist group Lehi
and their struggle against the British Mandate in the 1940s. The film stars Juliano Mer, Hana Azoulay-Hasfari and Roni Finkovitz. In 1985, Nesher produced "Shovrim", about a group of youngsters making a Rock opera
parody film of the biblical story of David and Goliath. In the early 1990s Nesher produced largely thrillers, science fiction and horror films. In 1991 he directed a Hollywood science fiction film, "Timebomb", starring Michael Biehn
and in 1993, he directed Doppelganger
" starring Drew Barrymore
.
In 1998 he wrote and directed the film "The Taxman," the story of tax investigator Al Benjamin (played by Joe Pantoliano
) who stumbles over a series of bloody murders and gets involved in an investigation with a rookie cop. In 2001 he directed the horror film "Ritual
" starring Jennifer Grey
and Tim Curry
.
Nesher moved back to Israel in 2002. In 2003 he played for the first time, in Shahar Segal's film "Tza'ad Katan" alongside Heli Goldenberg.
In 2004 Nesher directed, produced and wrote "Turn Left at the End of the World", a film about a small town in the Negev
during the 1960s and the struggle of the Moroccan and Indian
Jews who live there. The film starred Neta Garty, Liraz Cherki and Ruby Porat Shoval. In 2005, he produced the documentary "Oriental" about the Camp David Accords
.
In 2007 Nesher’s “The Secrets” premiered as an official selection at the Toronto Film Festival. It was hailed as “witty and wise, sensual and emotionally over powering – one of the best Israeli movies in recent years”. “The Secrets” was shown in more than 50 international film festivals. American film critic Andrew Sarris called it “one of the best movies of the year.”
In 2010 Nesher wrote, directed and produced "The Matchmaker". Inspired by Amir Gutfreund’s novel When Heroes Fly, "The Matchmaker" is set in Haifa
in 1968. It tells the story of an Israeli teenager who gets a summer job working for a Holocaust survivor who runs a matchmaking service. It was hailed as the best movie of the year by several Israeli film critics. The Matchmaker premiered as an official selection at 2010 Toronto Film Festival and later that year won the Silver Plaque award at the Chicago International Film Festival.
. In
2009, he received the Cinematic Excellence Award at the Haifa Film Festival. In 2010, he won the Landau Award for Excellence in the Arts.
Film producer
A film producer oversees and delivers a film project to all relevant parties while preserving the integrity, voice and vision of the film. They will also often take on some financial risk by using their own money, especially during the pre-production period, before a film is fully financed.The...
, film director
Film director
A film director is a person who directs the actors and film crew in filmmaking. They control a film's artistic and dramatic nathan roach, while guiding the technical crew and actors.-Responsibilities:...
, screenwriter
Screenwriter
Screenwriters or scriptwriters or scenario writers are people who write/create the short or feature-length screenplays from which mass media such as films, television programs, Comics or video games are based.-Profession:...
and actor
Actor
An actor is a person who acts in a dramatic production and who works in film, television, theatre, or radio in that capacity...
.
Biography
Avi Nesher was born and raised in Ramat Gan, Israel. The child of a RomaniaRomania
Romania is a country located at the crossroads of Central and Southeastern Europe, on the Lower Danube, within and outside the Carpathian arch, bordering on the Black Sea...
n-born diplomat, and a mother who came from Russia
Russia
Russia or , officially known as both Russia and the Russian Federation , is a country in northern Eurasia. It is a federal semi-presidential republic, comprising 83 federal subjects...
. In 1965, he moved with his family to the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. He graduated high school at sixteen and studied international relations at Columbia University
Columbia University
Columbia University in the City of New York is a private, Ivy League university in Manhattan, New York City. Columbia is the oldest institution of higher learning in the state of New York, the fifth oldest in the United States, and one of the country's nine Colonial Colleges founded before the...
. In 1971, he returned to Israel and served in the IDF
Israel Defense Forces
The Israel Defense Forces , commonly known in Israel by the Hebrew acronym Tzahal , are the military forces of the State of Israel. They consist of the ground forces, air force and navy. It is the sole military wing of the Israeli security forces, and has no civilian jurisdiction within Israel...
elite special forces unit Sayeret Matkal
Sayeret Matkal
Sayeret Matkal is a special forces unit of the Israel Defence Forces , which is subordinated to the intelligence directorate Aman. First and foremost a field intelligence-gathering unit, conducting deep reconnaissance behind enemy lines to obtain strategic intelligence, Sayeret Matkal is also...
.
Film career
In 1978, Nesher directed and produced his first film, "HaLahaka" (Hebrew: "הלהקה", lit. "The Band"), which depicted an army entertainment troupe similar to the Nahal troupe (להקת הנח"ל). The film stars many of the leading actors and singers of that era, including Gidi GovGidi Gov
Gidi Gov , is an Israeli singer, TV host, entertainer and actor.Gov is married to playwright Anat Gov, with whom he has three children.- Early life :...
, Gali Atari
Gali Atari
Avigail "Gali" Atari is an Israeli actress and singer.-Career:She first appeared on the international scene in 1971, when she represented Israel at the World Popular Song Festival in Japan with the songs "All free" and "Give love away"...
, Sassi Keshet and Heli Goldenberg, most of whom served in military entertainment troupes themselves. The film was a commercial success in Israel (600,000 viewers) and gained cult film
Cult film
A cult film, also commonly referred to as a cult classic, is a film that has acquired a highly devoted but specific group of fans. Often, cult movies have failed to achieve fame outside the small fanbases; however, there have been exceptions that have managed to gain fame among mainstream audiences...
status. The movie production, accompanied by the composer Yair Rosenblum, who was musical director of the Nahal Military Group and composed the songs the band also appear in the film.
In 1979, Nesher directed his second film, "Dizengoff 99
Dizengoff 99
Dizengoff 99 is a 1979 Israeli film starring Gali Atari, Gidi Gov, Meir Suissa, and Anat Atzmon. The film, considered a cult classic, describes the way of life around Dizengoff Street and how it changed over the years...
", about three young friends (Anat Atzmon, Gidi Gov
Gidi Gov
Gidi Gov , is an Israeli singer, TV host, entertainer and actor.Gov is married to playwright Anat Gov, with whom he has three children.- Early life :...
and Meir Suissa) living together in a flat on Dizengoff Street
Dizengoff Street
Dizengoff Street is a major street in central Tel Aviv, named after Tel Aviv's first mayor, Meir Dizengoff.The street runs from the corner of Ibn Gabirol Street in its southernmost point to the port area of Tel Aviv in its northwestern point...
, the center of nightlife
Nightlife
Nightlife is the collective term for any entertainment that is available and more popular from the late evening into the early hours of the morning...
in Tel Aviv. The film is based on the experiences of Nesher himself, when he lived with two friends in Tel Aviv. The soundtrack of the film included songs performed by Zvika Pick, Riki Gal, Gali Atari
Gali Atari
Avigail "Gali" Atari is an Israeli actress and singer.-Career:She first appeared on the international scene in 1971, when she represented Israel at the World Popular Song Festival in Japan with the songs "All free" and "Give love away"...
and various Israeli bands. It was also a hit (400,000 viewers) and achieved cult film status in Israel. In 1980 Nesher directed "HaPakhdanim" (Hebrew: "הפחדנים", lit. "The cowards"), a moderate commercial success (120,000 viewers).
Nesher then moved to Hollywood, California to further his film career, directing the Israeli-American fantasy film "She" in 1982, about two brothers trying to save their kidnapped sister.
In 1984 Nesher wrote, directed and produced the movie "Za'am V'Tehilah" which tells the story of the underground Zionist group Lehi
Lehi (group)
Lehi , commonly referred to in English as the Stern Group or Stern Gang, was a militant Zionist group founded by Avraham Stern in the British Mandate of Palestine...
and their struggle against the British Mandate in the 1940s. The film stars Juliano Mer, Hana Azoulay-Hasfari and Roni Finkovitz. In 1985, Nesher produced "Shovrim", about a group of youngsters making a Rock opera
Rock opera
A rock opera is a work of rock music that presents a storyline told over multiple parts, songs or sections in the manner of opera. A rock opera differs from a conventional rock album, which usually includes songs that are not unified by a common theme or narrative. More recent developments include...
parody film of the biblical story of David and Goliath. In the early 1990s Nesher produced largely thrillers, science fiction and horror films. In 1991 he directed a Hollywood science fiction film, "Timebomb", starring Michael Biehn
Michael Biehn
Michael Connell Biehn is an American actor. He is best known for his roles in James Cameron's science fiction action films The Terminator as Kyle Reese, Aliens as Cpl. Dwayne Hicks, and The Abyss as Lt. Coffey. He has also acted in such films as Tombstone, The Rock, and Planet Terror...
and in 1993, he directed Doppelganger
Doppelganger (1993 film)
Doppelganger is a 1993 film starring Drew Barrymore. The story follows Holly Gooding , who moves from New York City to Los Angeles after being implicated in a murder. She is followed by what is apparently her evil twin. While in LA, she finds a room for rent by a writer and the two begin a love...
" starring Drew Barrymore
Drew Barrymore
Drew Blyth Barrymore is an American actress, film director, screenwriter, producer and model. She is a member of the Barrymore family of American actors and granddaughter of John Barrymore. She first appeared in an advertisement when she was 11 months old. Barrymore made her film debut in Altered...
.
In 1998 he wrote and directed the film "The Taxman," the story of tax investigator Al Benjamin (played by Joe Pantoliano
Joe Pantoliano
Joseph Peter "Joe" Pantoliano is an American film and television actor. He played the character of Ralph Cifaretto on The Sopranos, Bob Keane in La Bamba, Cypher in The Matrix, Teddy in Memento, Francis Fratelli in The Goonies, Guido "the Killer Pimp" in Risky Business, and Jennifer Tilly's...
) who stumbles over a series of bloody murders and gets involved in an investigation with a rookie cop. In 2001 he directed the horror film "Ritual
Ritual (film)
Tales From the Crypt Presents: Ritual is the third and final film spin-off from the HBO television series Tales from the Crypt, the first being Demon Knight and the second being Bordello of Blood. The film was released in 2002 and stars Tim Curry, Jennifer Grey, and Craig Sheffer with Avi Nesher...
" starring Jennifer Grey
Jennifer Grey
Jennifer Elise Grey is an American actress. Her first major roles came in the 1984 war film Red Dawn and the 1986 comedy Ferris Bueller's Day Off. In 1987 she starred as Frances "Baby" Houseman in the hit film Dirty Dancing for which she was nominated for a Golden Globe. In the early 1990s, Grey...
and Tim Curry
Tim Curry
Timothy James "Tim" Curry is a British actor, singer, composer and voice actor, known for his work in a diverse range of theatre, film and television productions. He currently resides in Los Angeles, California....
.
Nesher moved back to Israel in 2002. In 2003 he played for the first time, in Shahar Segal's film "Tza'ad Katan" alongside Heli Goldenberg.
In 2004 Nesher directed, produced and wrote "Turn Left at the End of the World", a film about a small town in the Negev
Negev
The Negev is a desert and semidesert region of southern Israel. The Arabs, including the native Bedouin population of the region, refer to the desert as al-Naqab. The origin of the word Neghebh is from the Hebrew root denoting 'dry'...
during the 1960s and the struggle of the Moroccan and Indian
Indian Jews
The history of the Jews in India reaches back to ancient times.Indian Jews are a religious minority of India. Judaism was one of the first foreign religions to arrive in India in recorded history. The better-established ancient communities have assimilated a large number of local traditions through...
Jews who live there. The film starred Neta Garty, Liraz Cherki and Ruby Porat Shoval. In 2005, he produced the documentary "Oriental" about the Camp David Accords
Camp David Accords
The Camp David Accords were signed by Egyptian President Anwar El Sadat and Israeli Prime Minister Menachem Begin on September 17, 1978, following thirteen days of secret negotiations at Camp David. The two framework agreements were signed at the White House, and were witnessed by United States...
.
In 2007 Nesher’s “The Secrets” premiered as an official selection at the Toronto Film Festival. It was hailed as “witty and wise, sensual and emotionally over powering – one of the best Israeli movies in recent years”. “The Secrets” was shown in more than 50 international film festivals. American film critic Andrew Sarris called it “one of the best movies of the year.”
In 2010 Nesher wrote, directed and produced "The Matchmaker". Inspired by Amir Gutfreund’s novel When Heroes Fly, "The Matchmaker" is set in Haifa
Haifa
Haifa is the largest city in northern Israel, and the third-largest city in the country, with a population of over 268,000. Another 300,000 people live in towns directly adjacent to the city including the cities of the Krayot, as well as, Tirat Carmel, Daliyat al-Karmel and Nesher...
in 1968. It tells the story of an Israeli teenager who gets a summer job working for a Holocaust survivor who runs a matchmaking service. It was hailed as the best movie of the year by several Israeli film critics. The Matchmaker premiered as an official selection at 2010 Toronto Film Festival and later that year won the Silver Plaque award at the Chicago International Film Festival.
Awards and recognition
In 2007, Nesher received the Cinematic Excellence Award at the Jerusalem Film FestivalJerusalem Film Festival
The Jerusalem Film Festival is an international film festival held annually in Jerusalem, Israel. The festival was the brainchild of Lia van Leer, who inaugurated it on May 17, 1984...
. In
2009, he received the Cinematic Excellence Award at the Haifa Film Festival. In 2010, he won the Landau Award for Excellence in the Arts.
Filmography
- HaLahaka (literally "The Band", Hebrew, 1979)
- Dizengoff 99Dizengoff 99Dizengoff 99 is a 1979 Israeli film starring Gali Atari, Gidi Gov, Meir Suissa, and Anat Atzmon. The film, considered a cult classic, describes the way of life around Dizengoff Street and how it changed over the years...
(Hebrew, 1979) - SheShe (1982 film)-Plot:Set 23 years after an event called "The Cancellation", the film follows Tom, whose sister is captured by a local tribe. He sets out to find and rescue her, while avoiding the dangerous tribes he encounters along the way. Sandahl Bergman plays "She" who ends up aiding Tom after he escapes from...
(English, 1982) - HaPakhdanim (literally "The Cowards", Hebrew, 1983)
- Shovrim (literally "Breaking", Hebrew, 1985)
- Za'am VeTehila (literally "Rage and Glory", Hebrew, 1985)
- Time Bomb (English, 1991)
- DoppelgangerDoppelganger (1993 film)Doppelganger is a 1993 film starring Drew Barrymore. The story follows Holly Gooding , who moves from New York City to Los Angeles after being implicated in a murder. She is followed by what is apparently her evil twin. While in LA, she finds a room for rent by a writer and the two begin a love...
(English, 1993) - SavageSavage- Places :Canada* Lower Savage Islands, Nunavut* Middle Savage Islands, NunavutSlovenia* Savage Lake, a karst lakeUnited States* Savage, Maryland* Savage, Minnesota...
(English, 1996) - The Taxman (English, 1999)
- Raw Nerve (English, 2000)
- RitualRitual (film)Tales From the Crypt Presents: Ritual is the third and final film spin-off from the HBO television series Tales from the Crypt, the first being Demon Knight and the second being Bordello of Blood. The film was released in 2002 and stars Tim Curry, Jennifer Grey, and Craig Sheffer with Avi Nesher...
(English, 2001) - Sof Haolam Smola (literally "Turn Left at the End of the World", Hebrew, 2004)
- Hasodot (literally "The Secrets", Hebrew, 2007)
- Pa'am Haitty (literally "Once I Was", Hebrew, 2010)