The film director and Israel Prize winner Prof. Yehuda Judd Ne’eman, who was a member of NIF’s International Council, has died aged 85. He is best remembered for movies like Paratroopers, The Dress, and Fellow Travelers. He did not shy away from dealing with controversial issues in his movies, like Israel’s wars and the occupation. He was one of the founders of Israel’s movie industry and was active in organizing Solidarity – Tel Aviv Human Rights Film Festival, which NIF also supports.

Immediately following the Six Day War, Ne’eman was appointed the doctor in charge of military prisons on the West Bank. This influenced his urge to direct movies and become a pioneer of Israeli cinema. He was one of a group of artists who turned their backs on an earlier generation of Israeli directors who made movies that followed the official government message. He made movies that upended the accepted norms of the time.

Our thoughts are with him, his wife Talma, and their daughters during this time. May he rest in peace.

Photo credit: Kobi Mimon