Assaf Bernstein
{{Short description|Israeli screenwriter, film director and film producer}}
{{Infobox person
| name = Assaf Bernstein
| caption = Assaf Bernstein
| native_name = אסף ברנשטיין
| birth_date = {{birth date and age|1970|7|7}}
| birth_place = Tel Aviv, Israel
| occupation = {{Flatlist|
| years_active = 1995–present
|spouse = Michal Bernstein
| children =3
}}
Assaf Bernstein ({{langx|he|אסף ברנשטיין}}; born 8 July 1970) is an Israeli screenwriter, film director and film producer.
Life and works
Bernstein was born in Israel and graduated cum laude from NYU Film School.
Bernstein began his film career with two documentary short subjects, "It Belongs to the Bank" (1999), a "social documentary," which follows a woman bailiff's journey through Arab villages and urban slums as she seizes property from Israel's poor;[http://www.moviewatch.in/watch-216715-It-Belongs-to-the-Bank MovieWatch], accessed February 19, 2011. and "Holy for Me" (1995),[https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0077002 IMDB bio], accessed February 19, 2011. a "spoof" on tours, guides, and visits to the holy sites of Jerusalem, which won the 1995 Best Short Film award at the Jerusalem Film Festival.[http://www.brandeis.edu/jewishfilm/Catalogue/films/holyforme.htm Brandeis Jewish Film Catalog], accessed February 19, 2011.
In 2007, Bernstein directed the 2007 film The Debt (Hebrew: HaChov or HaHov), starring Gila Almagor. The movie is about three former Israeli Mossad agents who must confront a secret from their past. Bernstein also wrote and co-produced the film, and later helped write the 2010 U.S. English-language remake, also titled The Debt and starring Oscar-winning actresses Jessica Chastain and Helen Mirren.{{Cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2011/08/31/movies/debt-with-helen-mirren-review.html|title=Heroic Past Erodes in Present|last=Scott|first=A.O.|date=31 August 2011 |work=The New York Times|accessdate=2018-10-10}}
In 2012 Bernstein directed The series Allenby Street, which debuted in 2012, follows the story of a nightclub on Tel Aviv's Allenby Street, and one of the strippers, portrayed by Moran Atias, working in it. The series is based on the best-selling novel "Allenby Street," by Gadi Taub{{Cite news|url=https://www.haaretz.com/life/television/tnt-brazil-to-adopt-hit-israeli-drama-1.5335817|title=TNT Brazil to Adopt Hit Israeli Drama|date=2014-11-26|work=Haaretz|access-date=2018-10-10|language=en}}
Bernstein also directed and served as showrunner for the complete first season of the internationally acclaimed television series Fauda. The series is distributed by the online streaming service Netflix, billed as a Netflix original program, and premiered on 2 December 2016.{{Cite web|url=https://variety.com/2016/tv/news/netflix-israeli-political-thriller-fauda-1201912287/|title = Netflix Picks up Israeli Political Thriller 'Fauda'|date = 8 November 2016}} In 2016, the show took six awards, including Best Drama Series, at the Israeli Academy Awards.[http://www.timesofisrael.com/next-seasons-fauda-to-reflect-real-news-says-creator/ Next season's Fauda to reflect real news, says creator] In December 2017, The New York Times voted Fauda the best international show of 2017, calling it, "The grittiest, tightest, most lived-in thrillers come from Israel."{{Cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2017/12/04/arts/television/best-tv-shows.html|title=The Best TV Shows of 2017|last1=Poniewozik|first1=James|date=2017-12-04|work=The New York Times|access-date=2017-12-13|last2=Hale|first2=Mike|language=en-US|issn=0362-4331|last3=Lyons|first3=Margaret}} In 2018, the show took 11 Israeli TV Academy Awards, including best TV drama, best actor for Lior Raz and also best screenplay, casting, cinematography, recording, special effects and in other categories.{{Cite news|url=https://www.haaretz.com/israel-news/israeli-emmys-fauda-wins-best-tv-drama-shababnikim-best-comedy-1.5891352|title=Israeli Emmys: 'Fauda' Wins Best TV Drama, 'Shababnikim' Best TV Comedy|last=Stern|first=Itay|date=2018-03-12|work=Haaretz|access-date=2018-04-23|language=en}}
In 2018 he wrote and directed the film Look Away starring India Eisley, Mira Sorvino and Jason Isaacs. Look Away is a psychological thriller{{cite web |title=First trailer for mirror Image horror film 'Look Away' released|date= 3 October 2018|publisher=The News International|url=https://www.thenews.com.pk/latest/375992-first-trailer-for-mirror-image-horror-film-look-away-released/|accessdate=9 October 2018}} that tells the story of Maria, an alienated high-school student whose life is turned upside down when she switches places with her sinister mirror image.{{cite web|last=LEIGHTON|first=SUSAN|title=Look Away: Your reflection is more than what it seems|date=1 October 2018|publisher=FanSided|url=https://1428elm.com/2018/09/30/look-away-reflection-seems//|accessdate=8 October 2018|archive-date=13 June 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200613162826/https://1428elm.com/2018/09/30/look-away-reflection-seems/|url-status=dead}}
Bernstein is currently working on a film adaptation of Stephen King's Rose Madder.{{cite magazine |title=From 'Fauda's Assaf Bernstein On 'Rose Madder' To 'The Shining' Onstage: What's Behind Stephen King's Hollywood Renaissance?|date= 21 July 2017|magazine=Deadline|url=https://deadline.com/2017/07/stephen-king-hollywood-projects-assaf-bernstein-rose-madder-the-shining-broadway-1202133074/|access-date=10 October 2018}}
Filmography
| class="wikitable" |
| style="background:#b0c4de; text-align:center;"
! Year ! Title !Director !Writer !Producer |
| 1995
| Holy for Me | {{yes}} | {{no}} | {{no}} |
| 1999
| It Belongs to the Bank | {{yes}} | {{no}} | {{no}} |
| 2007
| The Debt | {{yes}} | {{yes}} | {{yes}} |
| 2010
| The Debt | {{no}} | {{yes}} | {{no}} |
| 2012
| Allenby St. (TV Series) | {{yes}} | {{no}} | {{no}} |
| 2015
| Fauda | {{yes}} | {{no}} | {{no}} |
| 2018
| {{yes}} | {{yes}} | {{no}} |
| 2019
|Warrior (Pilot){{cite web|title=A Tale of Two Bruce Lees: WARRIOR, KUNG FU, and Reclaiming a 'Stolen' Legacy|date=13 October 2017|url=http://www.yomyomf.com/a-tale-of-two-bruce-lees-warrior-kung-fu-and-reclaiming-a-stolen-legacy//|accessdate=10 October 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181009212404/http://www.yomyomf.com/a-tale-of-two-bruce-lees-warrior-kung-fu-and-reclaiming-a-stolen-legacy/|archive-date=9 October 2018|url-status=dead}} | {{yes}} | {{no}} | {{no}} |
References
{{Reflist}}
External links
- {{IMDb name|0077002}}
{{authority control}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Bernstein, Assaf}}
Category:Israeli film producers
Category:Israeli film directors
Category:Film people from Tel Aviv