Amos Guttman

Amos Guttman (Hebrew: עמוס גוטמן; May 10, 1954 – February 16, 1993) was an Israeli film director, born in Romania.[1] He directed the first-ever Israeli LGBT-themed film and most of his films were based on events that happened in his own personal life.

Amos Guttman
עמוס גוטמן
Born(1954-05-10)May 10, 1954
Sita Buzăului, Romania
DiedFebruary 16, 1993(1993-02-16) (aged 38)
Tel Aviv, Israel
Occupations
  • Film director
  • screenwriter
  • producer
Years active1975–1993

Biography

Guttman was born in Sita Buzăului, district of Covasna, in Transylvania, Romania and emigrated to Israel at the age of seven with his family. He studied film at Beit Zvi. Between 1975 and 1982, Guttman directed three short films: A Safe Place, Returning Premiers, and Drifting. In 1983, he directed his feature debut, Drifting (no relation to the earlier short film).[2] He then directed three other feature films: Bar 51 (1985), Himmo, King of Jerusalem (1987), and Amazing Grace (1992).[3]

Guttman was an overtly gay man, and most of his films—except Himmo, King of Jerusalem, a film about the 1947–1949 Palestine war, based on a story by Yoram Kaniuk—explored aspects of life for LGBT individuals, including AIDS, which was the subject of his last film, Amazing Grace. Many Israeli actors made breakthrough performances in Guttman's films, including Jonathan Sagall, Alon Abutbul, Sharon Alexander, Aki Avni, and Rivka Michaeli.[4]

Guttman was part of a group of young Israeli directors who called for quality films at the expense of commercial cinema. While he was an active director, He created a rich and stylish cinematic language, providing a unique sound. His films were notable for his attention to the visual and his distinct content.

Death

Guttman died in Tel Aviv on February 16, 1993, of AIDS at the age of 38.[5][6] He was buried at Kiryat Shaul Cemetery in Tel Aviv. Even after his death, Guttman remains among the most influential people in Israel’s LGBT community.[7][8][9] The 2013 film Snails in the Rain, directed by Yariv Mozer, is dedicated to his memory.

Filmography

Cinema

References
  1. Amos Guttman’s filmography (in Hebrew)
  2. "Steering a Path to Acceptance for Gay Israelis". The New York Times. 20 January 2013. Retrieved 16 July 2020.
  3. "Israeli films to premiere at Jerusalem Film Festival". The Jerusalem Post. 4 July 2019. Retrieved 16 July 2020.
  4. "עמוס גוטמן - מארז אסופת סרטיו" (in Hebrew). e-mago.co.il. Retrieved 4 October 2019.
  5. Anderman, Nirit (2 March 2012). "Israeli Men Are Coming Out of the Closet and Onto the Screen". Haaretz. Retrieved 5 March 2019.
  6. "LGBT Film Festival Explores Being Gay, Trans in a Straight World". haaretz.com. 3 June 2014. Retrieved 16 July 2020.
  7. "המאבק על הזיכרון של עמוס גוטמן" (in Hebrew). davidmerhav.com. 18 February 2008. Retrieved 4 October 2019.
  8. "20 שנה אחרי מותו של עמוס גוטמן: קטי עדיין מתגעגעת לבנה" (in Hebrew). mako.co.il. 1 December 2011. Retrieved 6 June 2020.
  9. "מגרש הגרוטאות של הנפש" (in Hebrew). Ynet. 1 December 2003. Retrieved 16 July 2020.
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