Assi Dayan
Encyclopedia
Asaf "Assi" Dayan is an Israel
i film director
, actor, screenwriter
and producer
.
and minister of defence Moshe Dayan
and peace activist Ruth Dayan
(nee Schwartz). He has two siblings: politician and author Yael Dayan
, born 1939, and sculptor Ehud (Udi) Dayan, born 1942. After military service and studying philosophy and English literature at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem, he embarked on a career as film actor, which eventually also lead to directing.
He has been married three times and has four children: New York gallery owner Amalia Dayan and Avner Dayan with first wife Aharona Melkind; writer Lior Dayan with second wife, actress Caroline Langford, and Assia Neumann Dayan after a short affair with Augusta Neumann. In 1999, his third wife, ceramic artist Vered Tandler Dayan, made a documentary film about him, Living, Period.
In March 2009, Dayan was indicted on suspicion of drug use and beating his girlfriend. In the wake of an earlier conviction for possession of drugs, he received a suspended sentence and 200 hours of community work as part of a plea bargain. Dayan admitted at the time that he was in possession of cocaine for personal use.
In November 2009, Dayan suffered a massive heart attack and underwent angioplasty
at Tel Aviv
's Ichilov hospital.
's novel and play by that name. That year, he appeared in Micha Shagrir's Scouting Patrol, about elite fighters on a mission to capture the commander of a fedayeen
squad.< In 1969, Dayan starred in the American movie A Walk with Love and Death
, directed by John Huston
, in which he plays alongside Huston's daughter, Angelica. He portrayed Giora Geter, owner of a Tel Aviv pub whose life falls apart, in Eitan Green's Into the Night.
In 1984, Dayan had a supporting role as a prisoner in Uri Barbash's Beyond the Walls
, described as an important milestone in Israeli political cinema. Other acting credits include Operation Thunderbolt, about the Israeli raid in Entebbe, nominated for an Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film. Dayan is the deputy of Yoni Netanyahu, played by Yehoram Gaon
.
Dayan played the leading role of psychologist Reuven Dagan in the TV drama series Betipul
, which ran for two seasons on Israeli TV (2005 and 2008). The series was later adapted for the US market by HBO, which called it In Treatment
and had Gabriel Byrne
in the lead role.
By 2008 he had acted in some 50 films and TV series episodes.
In 1976 he directed the film Giv'at Halfon Eina Ona, a comedy about a group of military reservist
s in the Sinai. This film is considered by frequent surveys to be the 'most Israeli' film of all time.
In 1992, he wrote and directed Life According to Agfa
, a film portraying life in a Tel-Aviv pub. The film is a very harsh critique of Israeli society at the time and was nominated for the Golden Bear
at the 43rd Berlin International Film Festival
and won an Honourable Mention.
In 2005, he was voted the 129th-greatest Israeli of all time, in a poll by the Israeli news website Ynet
to determine whom the general public considered the 200 Greatest Israelis.
Israel
The State of Israel is a parliamentary republic located in the Middle East, along the eastern shore of the Mediterranean Sea...
i film director
Film director
A film director is a person who directs the actors and film crew in filmmaking. They control a film's artistic and dramatic nathan roach, while guiding the technical crew and actors.-Responsibilities:...
, actor, screenwriter
Screenwriter
Screenwriters or scriptwriters or scenario writers are people who write/create the short or feature-length screenplays from which mass media such as films, television programs, Comics or video games are based.-Profession:...
and producer
Film producer
A film producer oversees and delivers a film project to all relevant parties while preserving the integrity, voice and vision of the film. They will also often take on some financial risk by using their own money, especially during the pre-production period, before a film is fully financed.The...
.
Personal life
Assi Dayan is the youngest son of Israeli generalGeneral
A general officer is an officer of high military rank, usually in the army, and in some nations, the air force. The term is widely used by many nations of the world, and when a country uses a different term, there is an equivalent title given....
and minister of defence Moshe Dayan
Moshe Dayan
Moshe Dayan was an Israeli military leader and politician. The fourth Chief of Staff of the Israel Defense Forces , he became a fighting symbol to the world of the new State of Israel...
and peace activist Ruth Dayan
Ruth Dayan
Ruth Dayan was married to the Israeli general and defense minister Moshe Dayan. She founded the Maskit fashion house and is active in many social causes.-Biography:...
(nee Schwartz). He has two siblings: politician and author Yael Dayan
Yael Dayan
Yaël Dayan is an Israeli politician and author. She served as a member of the Knesset between 1992 and 2003, and is currently the chair of Tel Aviv city council. She is the daughter of Moshe Dayan and sister of Assi Dayan.-Biography:...
, born 1939, and sculptor Ehud (Udi) Dayan, born 1942. After military service and studying philosophy and English literature at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem, he embarked on a career as film actor, which eventually also lead to directing.
He has been married three times and has four children: New York gallery owner Amalia Dayan and Avner Dayan with first wife Aharona Melkind; writer Lior Dayan with second wife, actress Caroline Langford, and Assia Neumann Dayan after a short affair with Augusta Neumann. In 1999, his third wife, ceramic artist Vered Tandler Dayan, made a documentary film about him, Living, Period.
In March 2009, Dayan was indicted on suspicion of drug use and beating his girlfriend. In the wake of an earlier conviction for possession of drugs, he received a suspended sentence and 200 hours of community work as part of a plea bargain. Dayan admitted at the time that he was in possession of cocaine for personal use.
In November 2009, Dayan suffered a massive heart attack and underwent angioplasty
Angioplasty
Angioplasty is the technique of mechanically widening a narrowed or obstructed blood vessel, the latter typically being a result of atherosclerosis. An empty and collapsed balloon on a guide wire, known as a balloon catheter, is passed into the narrowed locations and then inflated to a fixed size...
at Tel Aviv
Tel Aviv
Tel Aviv , officially Tel Aviv-Yafo , is the second most populous city in Israel, with a population of 404,400 on a land area of . The city is located on the Israeli Mediterranean coastline in west-central Israel. It is the largest and most populous city in the metropolitan area of Gush Dan, with...
's Ichilov hospital.
Acting career
In 1967, Dayan established himself as a film actor and Israeli icon in He Walked Through the Fields, Yossi Milo's adaptation of Moshe ShamirMoshe Shamir
Moshe Shamir was an Israeli author, playwright, opinion writer, and public figure.-Biography:...
's novel and play by that name. That year, he appeared in Micha Shagrir's Scouting Patrol, about elite fighters on a mission to capture the commander of a fedayeen
Fedayeen
Fedayeen is a term used to describe several distinct militant groups and individuals in West Asia at different times in history. It is sometimes used colloquially to refer to suicide squads, especially those who are not bombers.-Overview:...
squad.< In 1969, Dayan starred in the American movie A Walk with Love and Death
A Walk with Love and Death
A Walk with Love and Death is a 1969 romantic/drama film directed by John Huston.The story is based the novel by Hans Koningsberger. The film marked the screen debut of Huston's daughter Anjelica Huston...
, directed by John Huston
John Huston
John Marcellus Huston was an American film director, screenwriter and actor. He wrote most of the 37 feature films he directed, many of which are today considered classics: The Maltese Falcon , The Treasure of the Sierra Madre , Key Largo , The Asphalt Jungle , The African Queen , Moulin Rouge...
, in which he plays alongside Huston's daughter, Angelica. He portrayed Giora Geter, owner of a Tel Aviv pub whose life falls apart, in Eitan Green's Into the Night.
In 1984, Dayan had a supporting role as a prisoner in Uri Barbash's Beyond the Walls
Beyond the Walls
Beyond the Walls is a 1984 Israeli film directed by Uri Barbash co-wrote with Eran Preis. It was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film.-Plot:...
, described as an important milestone in Israeli political cinema. Other acting credits include Operation Thunderbolt, about the Israeli raid in Entebbe, nominated for an Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film. Dayan is the deputy of Yoni Netanyahu, played by Yehoram Gaon
Yehoram Gaon
Yehoram Gaon is a Jewish Israeli singer, actor, director, producer, TV and radio host, and public figure...
.
Dayan played the leading role of psychologist Reuven Dagan in the TV drama series Betipul
Betipul
BeTipul is an Israeli television drama revolving around the personal and professional life of an Israeli psychologist, Reuven Dagan, played by Assi Dayan. The series portrays a psychologist who treats patients at his clinic five days a week and then seeks psychological treatment for himself...
, which ran for two seasons on Israeli TV (2005 and 2008). The series was later adapted for the US market by HBO, which called it In Treatment
In Treatment
In Treatment is an American HBO drama, produced and developed by Rodrigo Garcia, about a psychologist, 50-something Dr. Paul Weston, and his weekly sessions with patients, as well as those with his own therapist at the end of the week. The program, which stars Gabriel Byrne as Paul, debuted on...
and had Gabriel Byrne
Gabriel Byrne
Gabriel James Byrne is an Irish actor, film director, film producer, writer, cultural ambassador and audiobook narrator. His acting career began in the Focus Theatre before he joined Londo's Royal Court Theatre in 1979. Byrne's screen debut came in the Irish soap opera The Riordans and the...
in the lead role.
By 2008 he had acted in some 50 films and TV series episodes.
Directing career
From 1973 to date, Assi Dayan has directed 16 films.In 1976 he directed the film Giv'at Halfon Eina Ona, a comedy about a group of military reservist
Reservist
A reservist is a person who is a member of a military reserve force. They are otherwise civilians, and in peacetime have careers outside the military. Reservists usually go for training on an annual basis to refresh their skills. This person is usually a former active-duty member of the armed...
s in the Sinai. This film is considered by frequent surveys to be the 'most Israeli' film of all time.
In 1992, he wrote and directed Life According to Agfa
Life According to Agfa
Life According to Agfa is a 1993 Israeli drama film directed by Assi Dayan. It was entered into the 43rd Berlin International Film Festival where it won an Honourable Mention.-Cast:* Gila Almagor as Daliah* Akram Tillawi as Samir...
, a film portraying life in a Tel-Aviv pub. The film is a very harsh critique of Israeli society at the time and was nominated for the Golden Bear
Golden Bear
According to legend, the Golden Bear was a large golden Ursus arctos. Members of the Ursus arctos species can reach masses of . The Grizzly Bear and the Kodiak Bear are North American subspecies of the Brown Bear....
at the 43rd Berlin International Film Festival
43rd Berlin International Film Festival
The 43rd annual Berlin International Film Festival was held from February 11 to 22, 1993.-Jury:* Frank Beyer * Juan Antonio Bardem* Michel Boujut* François Duplat* Katinka Faragó* Krystyna Janda* Naum Kleiman* Brock Peters...
and won an Honourable Mention.
Awards
Dayan won the Israeli Academy Award as Best Actor for Mr. Baum. In 1998, he received a lifetime achievement award at the Jerusalem International Film Festival. His role in Time of Favor was acclaimed by Israeli critics as his best screen role to date.In 2005, he was voted the 129th-greatest Israeli of all time, in a poll by the Israeli news website Ynet
Ynet
Ynet is the most popular Israeli news and general content website. It is owned by the same conglomerate that operates Yediot Ahronot, the country's secondleading daily newspaper...
to determine whom the general public considered the 200 Greatest Israelis.
Filmography (selected)
- A Walk with Love and DeathA Walk with Love and DeathA Walk with Love and Death is a 1969 romantic/drama film directed by John Huston.The story is based the novel by Hans Koningsberger. The film marked the screen debut of Huston's daughter Anjelica Huston...
(1969) - Scouting Patrol
- Promise at DawnPromise at DawnPromise at Dawn is a 1970 drama film directed by Jules Dassin. It is based on the 1960 novel Promise at Dawn by Romain Gary.-Cast:* Melina Mercouri - Nina Kacew* Assi Dayan - Romain age 25* Didier Haudepin - Romain age 15...
, 1970 (actor, as Romain) - Into the NightInto the NightInto The Night is a 1985 American comedy-thriller film directed by John Landis, starring Jeff Goldblum and Michelle Pfeiffer. The film is notable for a large number of cameo appearances made by various filmmakers and directors, including Landis himself. The soundtrack features the songs In the...
- Halfon Hill Doesn't AnswerGivat Halfon Eina OnaGiv'at Halfon Eina Ona also credited as Halfon Hill Doesn't Answer, is a cult Israeli comedy film produced in 1976. It is a good-hearted satire movie about the Israel Defense Forces which tells the story of a reserves company, watching the Egyptian border in Sinai. Characters such as the conman...
, 1976 (director) - Operation Thunderbolt, 1976 (actor, as Shuki)
- The Hit, 1979 (director)
- Beyond the WallsBeyond the WallsBeyond the Walls is a 1984 Israeli film directed by Uri Barbash co-wrote with Eran Preis. It was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film.-Plot:...
, 1984 (actor, as Assaf) - Life According to AgfaLife According to AgfaLife According to Agfa is a 1993 Israeli drama film directed by Assi Dayan. It was entered into the 43rd Berlin International Film Festival where it won an Honourable Mention.-Cast:* Gila Almagor as Daliah* Akram Tillawi as Samir...
, 1992 (director) - An Electric Blanket named Moshe, 1995 (director)
- The 92 Minutes of Mr. Baum, 1997 (director, actor, as Mr. Baum)
- Things Behind the Sun
- Time of FavorTime of FavorTime of Favor is Israeli writer-director Joseph Cedar's 2000 debut film, starring Aki Avni. The film plays out a psychologically complex love triangle in the middle of terrorist conflict in Israel's West Bank....
(2000) (actor, as Rabbi Meltzer) - Real TimeReal Time (film)Real Time is a 2008 comedy drama which premiered on 18 January 2008 at the Slamdance Film Festival.-Synopsis:The film is about a hit man who gives a compulsive gambler one hour to live. The movie takes place in real time and its ultimate subject is what we do with the time we have in this world...
- My Father My LordMy Father My LordMy Father My Lord is a 2007 Israeli film directed by David Volach, a former Israeli Haredi. It won the Founder's Award for Best Narrative Film at the Tribeca Film Festival.-Plot:...
, 2007 (actor) - BetipulBetipulBeTipul is an Israeli television drama revolving around the personal and professional life of an Israeli psychologist, Reuven Dagan, played by Assi Dayan. The series portrays a psychologist who treats patients at his clinic five days a week and then seeks psychological treatment for himself...
(Television series), 2005