Renowned Israeli Director and Filmmaker Yaakov Goldwasser Passes Away at 76
Renowned Israeli film and television director Yaakov Goldwasser passed away at the age of 76, leaving behind a legacy of iconic cult classics and touching human dramas.
The Israeli cultural and cinematic world suffered a heavy loss on Thursday with the passing of director and filmmaker Yaakov Goldwasser at the age of 76. Throughout decades of prolific creation, Goldwasser directed films and series that became an inseparable part of Israeli identity, uniquely blending popular cinema with deep and moving human dramas.
His major cinematic breakthrough came in 1982 when he directed his first full-length feature film, "Under the Nose", starring Moshe Ivgy and Uri Gavriel—a work that became a legendary cult classic. About five years later, in 1987, he directed "Abba Ganuv" starring Yehuda Barkan, which became a massive box office success and spawned a beloved trilogy. In 1991, he created the personal drama "Beyond the Sea", partly based on his childhood memories; the film won nine Ophir Awards and was selected to represent Israel at the Oscars. Later on, he also directed the hit comedy "Max and Morris" (1994).
In the early 2000s, Goldwasser successfully transitioned to the small screen, directing acclaimed drama series that won Academy Awards for Television, including "Catch the Sky" (2000) and "Meurav Yerushalmi" (2003), which sensitively dealt with the complex relations between religious and secular populations in Israel. In his works, he frequently collaborated with screenwriter Haim Marin, with whom he created several of his biggest hits. In later years, he continued to create and touch audiences with the films "God Doesn't Have One" (2006) and "Laces" (2018).
