Filmmaker David Fisher Celebrates 70th Birthday, Reflects on Life and Work
Translated & summarized from Srugim by baba
Filmmaker David Fisher is celebrating his 70th birthday, recognized for his award-winning documentaries that often explore his family's Holocaust history. His notable works include "Love List," "Six Million and One," and "The Round Number." Fisher also managed the New Fund for Cinema and Television and has taught filmmaking internationally. His upcoming film, "The Survivor in the Tuxedo," focuses on Eli Wiesel and connects to his father's Holocaust experiences.
The story in 6 lines · by baba
- Filmmaker David Fisher is celebrating his 70th birthday, known for films about his family's Holocaust history.
- His film "Six Million and One" was inspired by his father's Holocaust diary, winning international awards.
- Fisher's "Love List" documented the search for a long-lost sister and received an Ophir Award.
- He managed the New Fund for Cinema and Television, supporting films like "Waltz with Bashir."
- Fisher will release "The Survivor in the Tuxedo" in 2026 about Eli Wiesel.
- He is the first Israeli to receive a development grant from the National Endowment for the Humanities.
Director and producer David Fisher is celebrating his 70th birthday on Wednesday, marking a career rich with award-winning films, many of which draw deeply from his personal family history. Born in Petah Tikva in 1954 to Holocaust survivor parents, Fisher's upbringing in a home filled with stories of the past profoundly influenced his creative path.
Before entering the film industry, Fisher served in the IDF's Nahal brigade and was part of a group destined for settlement in Kibbutz Zikim. He graduated from Tel Aviv University's film and television department in 1983 and worked at the Educational Television before beginning his documentary filmmaking career in the early 1990s.
Several of Fisher's films explore poignant family narratives. "Love List" (2000) documented his search with his siblings for a sister born in 1951 and taken from their parents shortly after birth, a film that won an Ophir Award and Best Documentary at the Jerusalem Film Festival. His 2011 film "Six Million and One" was inspired by the discovery of his father Yosef's Holocaust diary after his death, leading to a journey that uncovered family memories and tensions, earning international acclaim.
Fisher's work also delves into his relationships. "Mostar Round Trip" (2011) followed his son Yuval to Mostar, Bosnia-Herzegovina, where Fisher sought to understand his son's world and strengthen their bond. His 2021 documentary "The Round Number" examined how the number six million became synonymous with the Holocaust, blending historical research with personal experience.
Beyond his personal projects, Fisher has had a significant impact on Israeli cinema. From 1999 to 2008, he managed the New Fund for Cinema and Television, supporting notable films like "Waltz with Bashir" and "Children of Arna." He also promoted young filmmakers and initiated collaborations between Israeli and Middle Eastern filmmakers. Fisher has lectured at universities, including Yale, and served as a judge at international film festivals. He was the first Israeli to receive a development grant from the National Endowment for the Humanities for a Yiddish language film project.
Looking ahead, Fisher is working on "The Survivor in the Tuxedo," set for release in 2026, which focuses on Nobel laureate and Holocaust survivor Eli Wiesel. This project holds a personal connection, as Fisher's father traveled on the same train to Auschwitz as Wiesel, bringing Fisher back to the themes of the Holocaust that have shaped his life since childhood.