Avraham Heffner facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Avraham Heffner
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Heffner in Tel-Aviv, October 2009
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| Born | 7 May 1935 |
| Died | 19 September 2014 (aged 79) Tel Aviv, Israel
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| Occupation | Film director, screenwriter, author, lecturer |
Avraham Heffner (Hebrew: אברהם הפנר; May 7, 1935 – September 19, 2014) was a famous Israeli film and TV director. He was also a talented writer and a professor at Tel Aviv University. He won a special award called the Ophir Award for his amazing work in movies throughout his life.
Contents
About Avraham Heffner
Early Life and Education
Avraham Heffner was born in Haifa, Israel. He served in the Israeli army in a group called the Nahal Army Band. After his army service, he went to study French literature in Paris, France. Heffner said his love for movies started when he was just 17 years old. He even began his career as an actor!
Becoming a Film Director
Heffner directed his first movie, Slow Down, in 1967. This film was based on a short story. It won him an important award, the Silver Lion, at the Venice Film Festival in 1969.
In the 1960s and 1970s, Heffner was part of a group of Israeli directors. They made movies that explored personal feelings and social topics. These films were often inspired by European movies.
His Most Famous Film
One of his most important films was But Where Is Daniel Wax? (1972). Heffner wrote and directed this movie. Many film experts and critics believe it is one of the best Israeli movies ever made.
Films About Jewish Culture
Heffner also made two other important films: Aunt Clara (1977) and Laura Adler's Last Love Affair. These movies honored older Yiddish-speaking European Jews living in Israel.
Aunt Clara was partly based on Heffner's own family. It tells the story of three aunts from Poland who live in Israel and care for their young nieces. Laura Adler's Last Love Affair was a tribute to the old Israeli Yiddish theater and its actors.
Later Works and Awards
In 1998, Heffner created a TV film called Eretz Ktana, Ish Gadol (which means 'Small Country, Great Man'). This film looked at the changing country of Israel in the 1990s.
Heffner taught filmmaking and screenwriting for many years at Tel Aviv University. In 2004, he received the Ophir Award for his lifetime of achievements in Israeli Cinema. His films are kept in Jewish film archives.
Avraham Heffner passed away on September 19, 2014.
His Influence on Filmmakers
Avraham Heffner was a screenwriting teacher at Tel Aviv University in the mid-1970s. He inspired many well-known Israeli filmmakers. Some of these include Eitan Green, Renen Shor, Ari Folman, Hagai Levi, Menashe Noy, and Dover Kosashvili.
Filmography
- Slow Down (Short film, 1968)
- Seance (Short film, 1969)
- But Where Is Daniel Wax? (1972)
- Aunt Clara (1977)
- The Winchell Affair (1979)
- Laura Adler's Last Love Affair (1990)
- Eretz Ktana, Ish Gadol [Small Country, Great Man] (1998)
