Amos Gitai

Amos Gitai is an internationally acclaimed Israeli filmmaker and artist known for his eclectic and poignant body of work, that spans over 40 years. Born on 11th October 1950 in Haifa, Israel, Gitai’s work has been presented in several major retrospectives around the world including the Pompidou Center in Paris, the Museum of Modern Art (MoMA) and Lincoln Center in New York, and the British Film Institute in London. He has created over 90 works of art, in a variety of formats from feature and short films, fiction to documentaries, experimental work, as well as television productions, installations, and theater works. Gitai’s work has notably been featured in the Cannes Film Festival and The Venice Film Festival. He has collaborated with prominent actors such as Juliette Binoche, Natalie Portman, and Lea Seydoux, among others. Gitai has received several prestigious awards like the Leopard of Honor at the Locarno International Film Festival (2008), the Roberto Rossellini Prize (2005), and the Parisian Legion of Honour (2017). In 2018, he became a professor at the Collège de France, offering a series of 12 lessons on cinema. Gitai’s filmography includes both fictional and documentary film genres. He started his career directing mostly documentaries, such as 'House', which follows a house in West Jerusalem abandoned due to war. He later incorporated novels into his work, adapting them into films. Additionally, Gitai’s interest for art led him to stage works presented globally and exhibit installations in leading institutions in Israel and across the world, making him one of the most respected filmmakers on the international scene. He continues to explore new narrative and stylistic avenues, creating captivating films that reflect contemporary reality, even when the narrative takes a detour into historical or mythological past.