Amir Bar-Lev

Amir Bar-Lev (born 1972) is noted for his work in directing documentary films. His debut, Fighter (2000) (director),[1] was named one of the top documentaries of the year by Newsweek, Rolling Stone,[2] and The Village Voice.[3] Fighter won six international festival awards and was called “brilliant,” by The New Yorker, “enthralling” by the New York Times, and “one of the best documentaries of this year or any other” by Rolling Stone.

The London Telegraph named Bar-Lev’s second film, My Kid Could Paint That, one of the top 100 films of all time.[4] The Philadelphia Inquirer described it as "Fascinating... A thought- provoking look at the world of abstract art, the relationship between a reporter and his/her subject, and, just for the heck of it, the nature of truth."[5]

Bar-Lev traveled to New Orleans nine days after Hurricane Katrina and began filming a young married couple, both crack dealers, with a heroic story of survival during the storm and an uncertain future ahead. Bar-Lev served as co-producer on the resulting film, Trouble the Water, which was a 2009 Academy Award Nominee.[6] Trouble The Water also took the Grand Jury Prize at the 2008 Sundance Film Festival, the Grand Jury Award at Full Frame, a Special Jury Mention at Silverdocs, won the IFP Gotham Award for Best Documentary, and was nominated for the PGA Documentary award, and the NAACP Image Awards Best Documentary.[7]

Bar-Lev also directed The Tillman Story, a feature documentary about NFL safety Pat Tillman, who joined the Army Rangers in 2002 and was killed in a friendly fire incident two years later.[8] The Tillman Story won an Emmy, and was named the top documentary of 2010 by The San Francisco Critics' Circle,[9] The Florida Critics' Circle,[10] and St. Louis Film Critics,[11] and was nominated for ten additional critics' circle prizes, the National Board of Review Documentary award, the PGA Documentary award, and the Cinema Eye Audience Choice award.[12]

Bar-Lev’s 2013 film Happy Valley took a multidimensional look at the complicated and tragic tale of the sexual abuse scandal at Penn State, and created a parable of guilt, responsibility, and identity for a small town caught in the glare of the national spotlight.[13] The film premiered at Sundance 2014 and was released theatrically in November of that year. Variety called it “nuanced but quietly excoriating,”[14] while Kenneth Turan at the LA Times called the film “explosive.”[15] Bar-Lev’s most recent film, Long Strange Trip, a four hour epic on the Grateful Dead was called "one of the most engrossing rock docs ever made" by the LA Times, and was shortlisted for the Oscar.[16]