Samuel Maoz (b. 1962, Tel Aviv) shot his first film at age 13 – footage of his Bar Mitzva. By age 18 he had already made 12 shorts. He graduated as a director of photography from the Beit Zvi School of Performing Arts in the Israeli town of Ramat Gan (1987). He worked as a film and television producer but ultimately decided on direction. In 2000, as part of a series of artistic documentaries, he made Total Eclipse for Arte productions with the participation of Israeli stage and screen actress Evgenia Dodina. He based his acclaimed feature debut Lebanon on his memories of the First Lebanon War, in which he fought as a 20-year-old recruit.
MFF Karlovy Vary
