Shadow of Truth
{{Infobox television
| image =
| caption =
| genre = Documentary
| writer = Ari Pines
Yotam Guendelman
| director = Ari Pines
Yotam Guendelman
| starring =
| theme_music_composer = Ahuva Ozeri
| country = Israel
| language = Hebrew & Russian
| num_seasons = 1
| num_episodes = 4
| producer = Mika Timor, Ben Giladi and Yotam Guendelman
| cinematography = Eitan Hatuka
| editor = Gal Goffer
| runtime = 42 minutes
| company = EGG Films
| first_aired = {{Start date|2017|01|27}}
| last_aired = present
| channel = Netflix
}}
Shadow of Truth is a true-crime Israeli documentary television series that was created by directors Yotam Guendelman and Ari Pines, and producer Mika Timor. The series was produced by Timor, Guendelman and Ben Giladi through their EGG Films and premiered on Israeli channel HOT8 in March 2016. It was subsequently sold by the producers to Netflix for worldwide distribution and was released with subtitles in over 190 countries on January 27, 2017.{{Cite news|url=http://www.haaretz.com/life/television/.premium-1.768075| first=Itay| last=Stern|title=Netflix Buys Rights to Israeli True Crime Docu About Notorious Murder|work=Haaretz|date=January 28, 2017 |accessdate=January 30, 2017}}{{Cite news|url=https://theplaylist.net/shadow-truth-trailer-shows-netflixs-next-making-murderer-20170224|first=Tess|last=Bonn|title='Shadow Of Truth' Trailer Shows Why It Could Be Netflix's Next 'Making A Murderer'|work=The Playlist|date=February 24, 2017|accessdate=February 24, 2017}}{{Cite news| url= https://www.pastemagazine.com/articles/2017/02/shadow-of-truth-trailer.html|first=Jonah|last=Jeng|title=The New Trailer for Netflix's Shadow of Truth Foretells an Israeli Making a Murderer|newspaper=Paste|date=February 24, 2017| accessdate=February 24, 2017}} In 2018, the series was labeled as one of the most-watched true-crime shows on Netflix.
The series has received positive reviews, and won several awards, including the 2017 Israeli Academy Television Awards for best documentary series, best editing and best visual-design and best special effects.{{Cite news|url=http://www.nrg.co.il/online/47/ART2/870/016.html|title=Israeli Academy Television Awards Winners|work=NRG360|date=March 19, 2017|accessdate=March 19, 2017|language=he}}
In 2019, the creators of the show completed a follow-up series titled Coastal Road Killer,{{Cite web|url=https://deadline.com/2019/07/egg-films-coastal-road-killer-1202647599/|title='Shadow Of Truth' Producer EGG Films Unveils First-Look At Israeli Serial Killer Doc Series 'The Coastal Road Killer'|last=White|first=Peter|date=2019-07-17|website=Deadline|language=en|access-date=2020-03-26}}{{Cite web|url=http://nfct.org.il/en/movies/coastal-road-killer/|title=NFCT English {{!}} Coastal Road KillerNFCT English|website=nfct.org.il|date=12 December 2019 |language=en-US|access-date=2020-03-26}} which premiered that same year in DOC NYC.{{Cite web|url=https://www.docnyc.net/film/coastal-road-killer/|title=COASTAL ROAD KILLER|website=DOCNYC|language=en-US|access-date=2020-03-26}}
Subject matter
The series follows the 2006 murder case of Tair Rada, a 13-year-old Israeli girl whose body was found in a school bathroom, and the subsequent arrest and trial of Roman Zadorov, a Ukrainian immigrant who had worked at the school. The series is divided into four episodes, each one exploring a different aspect of the case. The first episode focuses on the narrative of the police and prosecution, according to which Zadorov is guilty. The second episode centers on Zadorov's defense team and the deconstruction of his confession. The third episode deals with a widespread conspiracy theory spurred by social media, which points at Tair's classmates as the real culprits. The fourth episode reveals a never-heard-before testimony of a man (referred to in the series as A.H.), who told the police in 2012 that his ex-girlfriend had confessed the murder to him on the very day it happened.{{Cite news|url=http://www.haaretz.com/israel-news/.premium-1.711173| first=Sharon|last=Pulwer| title=Polygraph Backs Claim of Man Who Says Blood craving Ex girlfriend Killed Schoolgirl |work=Haaretz |date=March 28, 2016 |accessdate=January 30, 2017}} The Israeli State Attorney, Supreme Court and Justice Ministry have all rejected A.H.'s claims and found his testimony to be unreliable and "an attempt to frame his former lover".{{Cite web|url=https://www.timesofisrael.com/state-opposes-retrial-for-convicted-murderer-who-insists-he-was-framed/|title = State opposes retrial for convicted murderer who insists he was framed| website=The Times of Israel }}
Reception
Shadow of Truth caused a major media storm and was at the center of public debate for months after being aired, raising many doubts concerning Zadorov's conviction while also exposing flaws in the criminal justice system as a whole.{{Cite news|url=http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-4786056,00.html|first=Roi|last=Yanovsky|title=Another boyfriend tells Ynet: Tair Rada murder case should be reopened |work=Ynet |date=April 1, 2016 |accessdate=February 3, 2017}} Many critics hailed it as one of the most important shows in Israeli history, both for its in-depth investigative journalism and its high production value and strong artistic and cinematic qualities,{{Cite news|url=http://e.walla.co.il/item/2947018|first=Ido|last=Isaiah|title='Shadow of Truth' uncovers many doubts in the Tair Rada case|work=Walla!|date=March 26, 2016|accessdate=February 3, 2017}}{{Cite web|url=http://www.mako.co.il/culture-tv/local/Article-84282ae61a6b351006.htm|title=Why you have to see 'Shadow of Truth' |newspaper=Mako| date=March 27, 2016|accessdate=February 3, 2017|language=he}}{{Cite news|url=http://www.nrg.co.il/online/47/ART2/765/846.html|title=A danger to democracy or the most important show in Israeli history?|work=NRG360|date=April 4, 2016|accessdate=February 3, 2017|language=he}} often comparing it to the American documentary series Making a Murderer which was released shortly before.{{Cite news|url=http://www.indiewire.com/2017/02/shadow-of-truth-trailer-netflix-israel-true-crime-murder-tair-rada-series-1201785867|first=Hanh |last=Nguyen |title=Netflix's Israeli True Crime Docuseries Could Be the Next 'Making a Murderer'|work=IndieWire|date=February 22, 2016|accessdate=February 22, 2017}}{{Cite news|url=http://www.al-monitor.com/pulse/originals/2016/04/israel-tair-rada-murder-zadorov-tv-show-thriller-sensation.html|first=Yuval |last=Avivi|title=Israel gets its own 'Making a Murderer' series |newspaper=Al-Monitor|date=May 1, 2016|accessdate=February 3, 2017}}{{Cite news|url=http://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/who-killed-tair-rada-netflixs-new-true-crime-series_us_5898f62ae4b02bbb1816be32|title=Who killed Tair Rada? Netflix's new true crime series "Shadow of Truth" is a haunting must-see|work=HuffPost|date=February 7, 2016|accessdate=February 9, 2017}}
Shadow of Truth created a stir within the Israeli judicial system, which resulted in harsh criticism from the President of the Supreme Court, Miriam Naor, as well as the Israeli State Attorney, Shai Nitzan, who called the series during a press conference "a danger to democracy." The series' creators responded by saying, "He who thinks that freedom of speech endangers democracy, is a danger to it himself."{{Cite news|url=http://www.haaretz.com/israel-news/.premium-1.712736|first1=Sharon|last1=Pulwer|first2=Jasmin|last2=Gueta|title=Top Israeli Judge, Prosecutor Slam TV Documentary About Murdered Girl|newspaper=Haaretz|date=April 5, 2016|accessdate=January 30, 2017}}
References
{{reflist}}
External links
- {{IMDb title|6462312}}
- {{IMDb name|4918460|Ben Giladi}}