Samuel Maoz

Winner of the prestigious Golden Lion at the 66th Venice International Film Festival in 2009, Samuel Maoz quickly established himself as a powerful and distinctive voice in international cinema. His debut feature film, Lebanon, released the same year, drew from his personal experiences as a tank gunner during the 1982 Lebanon War, depicting the harrowing ordeal of a four-man Israeli tank crew. The film received widespread critical acclaim, also earning Maoz the Best Screenplay award at the Asia Pacific Screen Awards in 2010. Prior to his breakthrough, Maoz honed his craft through comprehensive training as a cameraman at the Beit Zvi theater school, where he also specialized in art direction for film and television productions.

His early directorial work included the feature Total Eclipse in 2000. Maoz continued his exploration of complex human experiences with his highly anticipated 2017 feature, Foxtrot. This film further delved into themes of trauma, loss, and societal critique, garnering significant international recognition and winning the Grand Jury Prize at the Venice Film Festival in 2017. Foxtrot solidified his reputation for creating impactful narratives with a unique cinematic perspective.

Maoz’s impactful storytelling is set to continue with his upcoming project, It’s Good to Die for Your Country, which is currently in pre-production. This highly anticipated film promises to further his critical examination of human conflict and its profound societal and personal consequences, cementing his legacy as a filmmaker unafraid to confront the most difficult aspects of the human condition.