Robert Wertheimer
Encyclopedia
Robert Wertheimer is an award-winning writer, producer, director and executive producer of film and television productions. Wertheimer started working in 1977.
Wertheimer graduated from the University of Vermont
's Economics and Business Administration program and also studied Communication Arts at Concordia University in Montreal under the tutelage of Marc Gervais. Deeply influenced by Gervais, Wertheimer gave particular focus to French New Wave
Cinema and the impact of Jean-Luc Godard
, François Truffaut
and others is still readily apparent in his work.
After a long career making theatrical feature films (including Deepa Mehta
's Sam & Me which was honoured at the Cannes Film Festival
the year of its release, box office champion Bollywood/Hollywood
, also written and directed by Deepa Mehta) and television series (Friday the 13th: The Series
; War of the Worlds
; RoboCop: The Series
; and including his Gemini for Best Series for Due South
), Wertheimer made the choice to write and create his own material.
In 2004, his first television series as co-creator and showrunner, Charlie Jade
, commenced production in Cape Town
, South Africa. Ultimately, 21 episodes of the program would be made. Charlie Jade was inspired by The Culture of Make Believe
by activist author, Derrick Jensen
. It was designed to echo Jensen's themes of corporate greed and arrogance and the futility of continuing to pursue an impersonal, materialist agenda on a global scale. These themes are apparent in the design of the story across three parallel universes as well as in the perspective of the main characters who are depicted struggling with the personal and ethical dilemmas triggered by their actions in these universes. In addition to South Africa, Charlie Jade has been broadcast in Canada, Japan, Eastern Europe, France and the United Kingdom. In 2008, the Sci-Fi Channel acquired rights to broadcast the show in the United States.
Wertheimer's next creative effort was the television series Across the River to Motor City
which he co-created with Denis McGrath
. Produced in partnership with Richard Mozer and David Devine of Devine Entertainment, Across the River to Motor City was an examination of two stages of one man's life threaded through a mystery involving the conspiracy speculation surrounding the assassination of John F. Kennedy
.
Wertheimer lives in Los Angeles, California.
Wertheimer graduated from the University of Vermont
University of Vermont
The University of Vermont comprises seven undergraduate schools, an honors college, a graduate college, and a college of medicine. The Honors College does not offer its own degrees; students in the Honors College concurrently enroll in one of the university's seven undergraduate colleges or...
's Economics and Business Administration program and also studied Communication Arts at Concordia University in Montreal under the tutelage of Marc Gervais. Deeply influenced by Gervais, Wertheimer gave particular focus to French New Wave
French New Wave
The New Wave was a blanket term coined by critics for a group of French filmmakers of the late 1950s and 1960s, influenced by Italian Neorealism and classical Hollywood cinema. Although never a formally organized movement, the New Wave filmmakers were linked by their self-conscious rejection of...
Cinema and the impact of Jean-Luc Godard
Jean-Luc Godard
Jean-Luc Godard is a French-Swiss film director, screenwriter and film critic. He is often identified with the 1960s French film movement, French Nouvelle Vague, or "New Wave"....
, François Truffaut
François Truffaut
François Roland Truffaut was an influential film critic and filmmaker and one of the founders of the French New Wave. In a film career lasting over a quarter of a century, he remains an icon of the French film industry. He was also a screenwriter, producer, and actor working on over twenty-five...
and others is still readily apparent in his work.
After a long career making theatrical feature films (including Deepa Mehta
Deepa Mehta
Deepa Mehta, LLD is a Genie Award-winning Indian-born Canadian film director and screenwriter, most known for her Elements Trilogy, Fire , Earth , and Water , among which Earth was submitted by Indian government for Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film...
's Sam & Me which was honoured at the Cannes Film Festival
Cannes Film Festival
The Cannes International Film Festival , is an annual film festival held in Cannes, France, which previews new films of all genres including documentaries from around the world. Founded in 1946, it is among the world's most prestigious and publicized film festivals...
the year of its release, box office champion Bollywood/Hollywood
Bollywood/Hollywood
Bollywood/Hollywood is a 2002 film by Indo-Canadian director Deepa Mehta. It is lighthearted, humorous, and family-oriented in nature, as opposed to Mehta's other films , which feature very serious themes and focus on social issues.The film pokes fun at traditional Indian stereotypes, as well as at...
, also written and directed by Deepa Mehta) and television series (Friday the 13th: The Series
Friday the 13th: The Series
Friday the 13th: The Series is an American-Canadian horror television series that ran for three seasons, from October 3, 1987 to May 26, 1990 in first-run syndication....
; War of the Worlds
War of the Worlds (TV series)
War of the Worlds is a television program that ran for two seasons, from 1988 to 1990. The series is an extension of the original 1953 film The War of the Worlds, using the same War Machine, often incorporating aspects from the film, radio adaptation, and original novel into its mythology.Though...
; RoboCop: The Series
RoboCop: The Series
RoboCop: The Series is a 1994 television series based on the film of the same name. It stars Richard Eden as the title character. Made to appeal primarily to children and young teenagers, it lacks the graphic violence that was the hallmark of RoboCop and RoboCop 2...
; and including his Gemini for Best Series for Due South
Due South
Due South is a Canadian crime drama series with elements of comedy. The series was created by Paul Haggis, produced by Alliance Communications, and stars Paul Gross, David Marciano, and latterly Callum Keith Rennie...
), Wertheimer made the choice to write and create his own material.
In 2004, his first television series as co-creator and showrunner, Charlie Jade
Charlie Jade
Charlie Jade is a science fiction television program filmed mainly in Cape Town, South Africa. It stars Jeffrey Pierce in the title role, as a detective from a parallel universe who finds himself trapped in our universe. This is a Canadian and South African co-production filmed in conjunction with...
, commenced production in Cape Town
Cape Town
Cape Town is the second-most populous city in South Africa, and the provincial capital and primate city of the Western Cape. As the seat of the National Parliament, it is also the legislative capital of the country. It forms part of the City of Cape Town metropolitan municipality...
, South Africa. Ultimately, 21 episodes of the program would be made. Charlie Jade was inspired by The Culture of Make Believe
The Culture of Make Believe
The Culture of Make Believe is a non-fiction book by Derrick Jensen, first published in 2002. In the book the author explores the origins of human destructiveness, primarily through the lens of racism, using historical psychological, sociological, anthropological, and personal anecdotes as tools...
by activist author, Derrick Jensen
Derrick Jensen
Derrick Jensen is an American author and environmental activist living in Crescent City, California. Jensen has published several books questioning and critiquing modern civilization and its values, including A Language Older Than Words, The Culture of Make Believe, and Endgame. He holds a B.S...
. It was designed to echo Jensen's themes of corporate greed and arrogance and the futility of continuing to pursue an impersonal, materialist agenda on a global scale. These themes are apparent in the design of the story across three parallel universes as well as in the perspective of the main characters who are depicted struggling with the personal and ethical dilemmas triggered by their actions in these universes. In addition to South Africa, Charlie Jade has been broadcast in Canada, Japan, Eastern Europe, France and the United Kingdom. In 2008, the Sci-Fi Channel acquired rights to broadcast the show in the United States.
Wertheimer's next creative effort was the television series Across the River to Motor City
Across the River to Motor City
Across The River To Motor City is a Canadian television drama series, that aired on Citytv stations. It debuted November 22, 2007. The series is about an insurance investigator named Ben Ford who works the border in both Detroit and Windsor...
which he co-created with Denis McGrath
Denis McGrath
Denis McGrath ' is a dual-citizen Canadian–American screenwriter and producer. Born in New York City, he currently resides and works in Toronto....
. Produced in partnership with Richard Mozer and David Devine of Devine Entertainment, Across the River to Motor City was an examination of two stages of one man's life threaded through a mystery involving the conspiracy speculation surrounding the assassination of John F. Kennedy
John F. Kennedy assassination
John Fitzgerald Kennedy, the thirty-fifth President of the United States, was assassinated at 12:30 p.m. Central Standard Time on Friday, November 22, 1963, in Dealey Plaza, Dallas, Texas...
.
Wertheimer lives in Los Angeles, California.