Shimon Dotan
Shimon Dotan (Hebrew שמעון דותן; born December 23, 1949 in Romania) is an Israeli film director, producer and writer of Romanian origin.
Life and work
Shimon Dotan was born in 1949 in Romania, but came in 1959 with his family to Israel, where he grew up in an agricultural cooperative. After five years of military service, he graduated from the University of Tel Aviv with a Bachelor of Fine Arts ( BFA) and then started a career as filmmaker. With his student films he previously won twice in the competition for Israel's best short film and an award for best directing.
In the 1982 feature film produced Zlila Choseret (English title: Repeat Dive ) Dotan, who also directed the first time next to the script processed, his experiences as a member of Israel's elite naval unit. His debut film was also highly successful and won both critical acclaim three Israeli film awards. In addition, his work took part for the top prize at the International Film Festival of Berlin, and Chicago in the competition. After two more films with documentary character followed in 1986 by his multiple prämiiertes Drama Smile of the Lämmchens on a book by David Grossman. The film, which deals with relations between Israelis and Palestinians, won a Silver Bear at the Berlinale 1986.
Dotan moved in the early 1990s to Canada and founded in 1991 together with his business partner Netaya Anb in Montreal, the film production company Cinequest film. After the first joint production, Infernal Fighter ( 1994), followed by other films such as Coyote Run ( 1996) and Four neuroses and a Funeral (1998). Since then, he is mainly active as a filmmaker in Canada and the United States.