Acclaimed Israeli Film Director Yaky Yosha Dies at 76

Acclaimed Israeli film and television director Yaky Yosha, known for cult classics like "Under the Nose" and "Abba Ganuv," has passed away at the age of 76. His funeral is scheduled for Friday at 10:30 AM at the Yarkon Cemetery in Petah Tikva.

Yosha, born in Tel Aviv to Polish immigrant parents, directed numerous notable films, often collaborating with screenwriter Haim Marin. His directorial debut, "Under the Nose" (1982), a crime comedy about a heist gone wrong, became a cult classic and launched the careers of actors Moshe Ivgy and Uri Gavriel. He followed this with "Abba Ganuv" (1987), a family comedy that also achieved cult status, spawning two sequels he did not direct.

His 1991 film "Beyond the Sea," a drama about Holocaust survivors in early Israel, won multiple Ophir Awards, including Best Film and Best Director. Yosha also directed "Max and Morris" (1994), another crime comedy, and ventured into television with series such as "To Catch the Sky" (2000) and "Mixed Jerusalem" (2003), which explored themes of secularism and religion in Israel.

In 2007, he returned to filmmaking with "She Has No God," a comedy-drama set in Mitzpe Ramon. His final film, "Shoelaces" (2018), released when he was 70, was a personal project based on his relationship with his adult son who has an intellectual disability. Yosha began making short films at age 15 with fellow director Yaki Yosha.