Filmmakers

The acclaimed Russian-French director Pavel Lungin is being directing his first English speaking film based on the eponymous book by internationally renowned Israeli author Meir Shalev, with award winning actors Lior Ashkenazi, Mark Ivanir and Harvey Keitel. Notably, the film’s team includes Hungarian-German cinematographer Fred Kelemen (“The Turin Horse”).

Ashkenazi’s credits include “Norman: The Moderate Rise and Tragic Fall of a New York Fixer” and “Foxtrot” – Israel’s most controversial film of the year that won best film award (Arca Cinema Giovani Award) at the 2017 Venice Film Festival.

Ivanir’s long film and TV career includes notable roles in “Homeland” and ” Schindler’s List”.

Keitel appeared in films such as Martin Scorsese’s “Mean Streets”, “Taxi Driver” and Paolo Sorrentino’s “Youth” and appears in Wes Anderson’s upcoming “Isle of Dogs” and in Martin Scorsese’s “The Irishman.”

Cast members also include Yulia Peresild (“Battle for Sevastopol”), Kseniya Rappoport (“The Unknown Woman”) and Shira Haas (“Princess”, “Foxtrot”). Israeli diva Gila Almagor is to give guest appearance.

The film will be produced by Lungin’s company and 2-Team Productions whose “Sand Storm” won Grand Jury Prize at Sundance film festival and became Israeli’s Oscar entry in 2016.

“Esau” is being shot in Israel and is slated to hit theaters in 2019.

PAVEL LUNGIN

Photo by: Daria Shumakova

Pavel Lungin started his career in film as a screenwriter. He directed his first break-out feature “Taxi Blues” in 1990 which the same year was awarded the Best Director Prize at the Cannes Film Festival. In the two following decades Lungin directed a dozen films, both in French and Russian. His films “Luna Park” and “The Wedding” have also shown at Cannes Film Festival, and were nominated for the Golden Palm. His film “The Island” was a closing film of the Venice Film Festival. In 2009 Lungin’s film “Tsar” was an official selection at Cannes in the program “Un Certain Regard.” Pavel Lungin’s next directorial work “The Conductor” won the award for the Best actor at Shanghai film festival in 2012.  His latest film “The Queen of Spades” won the audience award at Tallinn Black Nights Film Festival.A master dramatist Pavel Lungin is one of the most acclaimed Russian film directors working in the world cinema today.

MEIR SHALEV

Photo by: Dan Porges

One of Israel’s most celebrated novelists, Meir Shalev has written over 30 books which have been published in over 25 languages becoming best-sellers in Israel, the USA and other countries. Honors he has received include the National Jewish Book Award and the Brenner Prize, one of Israel’s top literary awards, the American National Jewish Book Award and the Book Publishers Association’s Gold and Platinum Prizes. Shalev is a regular columnist in the Israeli press.  Notably, “Esau” will be the very first film adaptation of Shalev’s books.

FRED KELEMEN

Photo by: Ella Barak

Fred Kelemen is an award-winning director and cinematographer. For his first feature film “Fate” he received the German National Film Award. His work as a cinematographer includes Béla Tarr’s “Journey to the Plain”, “The Man from London” and “The Turin Horse”. Kelemen has been teaching in film schools and universities, including Harvard, all over the globe since 1995. Retrospectives of Kelemen’s films are being presented every year in world’s most reputable cultural centers such as the Anthology Film Archives New York and Tate Modern in London. Kelemen is a member of the Academy of Motion Picture Art and Sciences (AMPAS) (USA), the European Film Academy (EFA) (Europe), the German Film Academy (Germany) and of the European Cultural Parliament (ECP).

Team

Director
Pavel Lungin
Novel by
Meir Shalev
Screenplay by
Pavel Lungin, Evgeny Ruman
Producers
Pavel Lungin, Alex Turkot, Serafima Kokhanovskaya, Haim Mecklberg, Estee Yacov-Mecklberg
Executive producer
Roman Nesis
Cinematographer
Fred Kelemen
Production Designer
Sergey Fevralev
Production Company
2-Team Productions
Line Producer
Ran Fridberg
1st AD
Raanan Tessler
2nd AD
Adi Navon
3rd AD
Efi Hornik
Casting Director
Limor Shmila
Assistant Producer
Tomer Mecklberg
Script Supervisor
Zelda Welner
Assistant Script Supervisor
Arti Savchenko
Stills by
Vered Adir
Behind the Scenes Photography by
Ella Barak
Making of
Ekaterina Bourindine
Art photographs for Romy’s exhibition
Ernest Aranov
1st AC
Tamás Jánossa
2nd AC
Adva Shoua
Steadicam
Lior Etrogi
DIT
Daniel Rozenbaum
Art Director
Shahar Baradon
Assistant Production Designer
Mark Segal
Set Dressing
Neriya Ban Ari Ido
Special Effects Supervisor
Yuval Kedem
Property Master
Itzik Geller
Assistant Property Master
Lee Ashkenazi
Costume Designer
Inbal Shuki
Chief Make-up Artist
Orly Ronen
Make-up Artist
Karin Esther Elbaz Weiler
Gaffer
Galy Reshef
Best Boy
Avishai Azoulay
Lightning Technician
Nachshon Ari Kaplan
Daily Light Assistant
Liran Yochanna
Key Grip
Guy Naaman
Dolly Grip
Roy Mano
Grip
Igal Arobas
Sound
Ori Tchechik
Boom Operator
Etan Baruch
Location Management
Muhamad Babay
Hospitality Management
Yuli Shiloach
Stunts
Dima Osmolovsky
Production Manager
Meir Tezet
Production Coordinator
Angela Minevich
Production Assistant
Yonatan Ayali
Production Assistant
Zori Yuvel
Production Assistant
Or Ben Dov
Production Assistant
Eyal Zolotbarsky
Water Girl
Maria Bedrev
Bread Baking Consultant
Uri Scheft
Legal Services
Roland Novozhilov, Peter Law Group
Casting Additional Extras
Tzlil Tessler