Avigail Sperber (Hebrew: אביגיל שפרבר; born August 24, 1973) is an Israeli cinematographer and film and television director. She is founder and owner of Pardes Film Productions. Sperber is also a social activist, and the founder of Bat Kol - Religious Lesbian Organization.

Avigail Sperber
אביגיל שפרבר
Sperber is shown from the waist up, wearing a white t-shirt. She is standing between two other women, both looking to their left. Sperber is looking to the right of the camera, and pointing. Her hair is reddish, and shoulder-length.
BornAugust 24, 1973
Jerusalem
NationalityIsraeli
Occupation(s)Film producer, cinematographer, film director

Biography

edit

Sperber was born in the Katamon neighborhood of Jerusalem, the daughter of Hannah and Rabbi Daniel Sperber, winner of the Israel Prize for Talmudic study.[1] She studied at the Horev Ulpana (girls' religious school) and did Sherut Leumi {national service} instead of mandatory military service.[2]

In 1998 she completed her studies at Ma'aleh Film School. Her graduation film, Four Men Entered the Grove, won the best film award of her graduating class.[3] Another film she directed, Yan's Tea House, won the best documentary film award at the Haifa International Film Festival.[4]

In 1999, Sperber directed My Sister Benchia, the story of Benchia-Ariela, an Ethiopian girl she met during her national service, whom her family adopted.[5] The film was broadcast on Channel 2.[5]

Sperber worked on the production of the film Campfire, in casting and as the director, Yosef Cedar's, personal assistant, while studying screenwriting at Idit Schori's screenwriting school. Her graduation work was about religious lesbians. Following her work on this script, she founded Bat Kol, an organization for religious lesbians. It was the first religious LGBT organization in Israel. The organization provides support for religious lesbians.[2] Sperber also founded Shoval, which is a dialogue and advocacy group that works for LGBT acceptance in religious society, and operates a support and counseling hotline.[6] These organizations created a new discourse in religious circles, forcing the community to deal with the issue.

She was cinematographer on her ex-girlfriend Netalie Braun's short films Gevald and Metamorphosis;[7] on the Ibtisam Mara'ana's film Badal; on Hannah Azoulay-Hasafri's documentary series My Tiny Empire. In 2008 she directed the film Halakeh, which premiered at the Jerusalem Film Festival and was broadcast on Channel 1.[8] In 2010 she produced and directed Hatalyan with Netalie Braun, a documentary of the story of Shalom Nagar, Adolf Eichmann's executioner.[9] The film won the Best Documentary award at the Haifa International Film Festival, and was one of three outstanding films at IDFA.[10] In 2014, she directed Probation Time, a documentary about her break-up with her partner and their son's difficulties dealing with the new situation, and her family's coping with her adopted sister, who dealt with juvenile delinquency.[11] The film won the DocAviv jury award, and Sperber also won the cinematography award.[12] The film was broadcast on YES Docu as a mini-series.[13]

In September 2017, Sperber was awarded the Minister of Education Award for Jewish Culture in the film category.[14]

Sperber came out as a lesbian at age 25. She has two sons.[1]

Filmography

edit

Director

edit
Title Genre

Length

Year Notes
Probation Time Documentary series 3 50-minute episodes 2014 Broadcast on YES Docu
Hatalyan Documentary film 60 minutes 2010 Haifa International Film Festival Best Documentary
Halakeh Drama 50 minutes 2008 Jerusalem Film Festival Best Picture; broadcast on Channel 1
Hatikva Short experimental film 2004 Part of Hatikva (Hope) project at Haifa International Film Festival
Cyprus Meeting Documentary film 24 minutes 2001 Broadcast on Channel 2
My Sister Benchia Documentary film 24 minutes 1999 Broadcast on Channel 2
Four Men Entered the Grove Student short film 12 minutes 1998 Ma'aleh Film School
Yan's Tea House Student short film 24 minutes 1998 Ma'aleh Film School

Production

edit
Title Genre Length Year Notes
Not Nice Documentary film 60 minutes 2018
A Mirror for the Sun Documentary film 70 minutes 2018 Channel 10
A Person's Self Documentary film 70 minutes 2018 YES Docu
Covered Up Documentary film 52 minutes 2018 YES Docu, DocAviv
Family Matters Documentary film 60 minutes 2015 YES Docu, New Film Fund
Hatalyan Documentary film 60 minutes 2010 Gesher Foundation, Rabinowitz Foundation
Four Men Entered the Grove Student feature film 12 minutes 1998 Ma'aleh Film School

Cinematography

edit
Title Genre Length Year Notes
A Person's Self Documentary film 70 minutes 2018 YES Docu
Covered Up Documentary film 60 minutes 2018 YES Docu, DocAviv
HaTsarfoka'im Documentary film 60 minutes 2018 Ron Kachlili documentary series, YES Docu
The Youngest Short film 2018
God Deserves a House Documentary film 2018
Assumption Video Art 2017 Mekudeshet Festival
Armed Documentary web series 2017 Kan - Israeli Public Broadcasting Corporation
How to Mark Love Documentary film 75 minutes Channel 8
Child Mother Documentary film 80 minutes 2016 Channel 8
Golden Boys Documentary film 56 minutes 2016 Channel 8
Achlu Li Shatu Li - Next Generation TV documentary mini-series 2016 Channel 8
Blue Eyes: Brown Eyes Documentary film 2016
Family Matters Documentary film 60 minutes 2015 YES Docu, New Film Fund
Arab Movie Documentary film 60 minutes 2015
Probation Time Documentary series 3 50-minute episodes 2014 YES Docu
A Song of Loves - Rabi David Buzaglo Documentary film 60 minutes 2014 Channel 2
Arsim and Frehot: The New Elites TV documentary mini-series 60 minutes 2014 1 episode, Channel 8
Superwomen Documentary film 2012 DocAviv Special Mention and Best Cinematography
The Dreamers Documentary film 2011 Directed by Efrat Shalom Danon
Hatalyan Documentary film 60 minutes 2010
Queen Khantarisha Documentary film 2009
Lashabiya Video art 2009 With Yechezkel Lazarov
Gevald Short film 2009 Berlin International Film Festival winner; directed by Netalie Braun
Two Legacies Documentary film 2008 Directed by Einat Kapah
Shahida Documentary film 2008
Summer Camp Video art 2007 Yael Barthana; displayed in museums worldwide
Gole Sangam Video documentary 2007 Directed by Sarit Haimiyan
Metamorphosis Video documentary 2006 Directed by Netalie Braun
My Tiny Empire TV documentary mini-series 2006 Reshet
Pickles Documentary film 2005 Directed by Dalit Kimor
Badal Documentary film 2005 Directed by Ibtisam Mara'ana
Salma beneath two skies Documentary film 2005 Made for ZDF, Germany
Keep Not Silent Documentary film 2004
She'Asani Kirtsono Documentary film 2003 Directed by Iris Rubin
Yam. Suf. Documentary film 2002 YES Docu; directed by Nurit Akabes
Profile Video art 2000 Yael Barthana
Kaddish for Naomi Documentary film Directed by Avi Hemi
She'Asani Isha Documentary film Directed by Yakov Friedland
Regards from Rhodes Documentary film 1998
Anashim Short film 1998
Bride's Wind Short film 1998

Awards

edit
Year Nominated work Category Result Notes
2017 Minister of Education Award for Jewish Culture Won
2014 Probation Time Best Film, DocAviv Won
2014 Probation Time Best Cinematography, DocAviv Won
2014 Probation Time Best Film, Forum of Documentary Filmmakers Awards Won
2014 Probation Time Best Cinematography, Forum of Documentary Filmmakers Awards Won
2013 Superwomen Best Cinematography, DocAviv Won
2011 Hatalyan Best Film, Documentary Film Competition Won
2011 Hatalyan Best Cinematography, Documentary Film Competition Won
2010 Hatalyan Special Honorable Mention, IDFA Won
2010 Hatalyan Best Documentary, Haifa International Film Festival Won

See also

edit

References

edit
  1. ^ a b גיל קורוטקי (9 September 2014). "עשרה קבין של יופי". Yedioth Aharonoth (in Hebrew). Retrieved 28 April 2019.
  2. ^ a b "מהגננת ועד רקדנית הבורלסק: כל נשות תל אביב". Maariv (in Hebrew). 6 March 2012. Retrieved 28 April 2019.
  3. ^ "אביגיל שפרבר / בוגר". מעלה - ביה"ס לטלוויזיה קולנוע ואומנויות (in Hebrew). Retrieved 28 April 2019.
  4. ^ "בית התה של יאן". מעלה - ביה"ס לטלוויזיה קולנוע ואומנויות (in Hebrew). Retrieved 28 April 2019.
  5. ^ a b "אחותי בנצ'יה". הרשות השנייה (in Hebrew). Retrieved 28 April 2019.
  6. ^ "שב"ל". שב"ל (in Hebrew). Retrieved April 28, 2019.
  7. ^ "מקום לדמעות". Haaretz (in Hebrew). September 6, 2006. Retrieved 28 April 2019.
  8. ^ "זוג באמונתו". ynet (in Hebrew). 15 July 2008. Retrieved 28 April 2019.
  9. ^ שהרה בלאו (11 April 2011). "שחיטת הארכיון: אחרי "התליין", סרטי שואה לא ייראו אותו דבר". Walla!News (in Hebrew). Retrieved 27 April 2019.
  10. ^ "הסרט התליין". קרן יהושע רבינוביץ לאמנויות תל אביב (in Hebrew). Retrieved 28 April 2019.
  11. ^ אריאל הורוביץ. ""תקופת מבחן": הסדרה שבוחנת את גבולות ההכלה של מוסד המשפחה". Haaretz (in Hebrew). Retrieved 28 April 2019.
  12. ^ נירית אנדרמן (14 May 2014). ""תקופת מבחן" זכה בפרס הסרט הישראלי הטוב ביותר". Haaretz (in Hebrew). Retrieved 28 April 2019.
  13. ^ ""תקופת מבחן" – על אימהות ואהבה". YES (in Hebrew). 3 August 2014. Archived from the original on 18 November 2016. Retrieved 28 April 2019.
  14. ^ "אביגיל שפרבר". איגוד הבמאיות והבמאים (in Hebrew). Retrieved 28 April 2019.
edit

Avigail Sperber at IMDb