Tell us about yourself. How did you become an artist?
I graduated as an architect in Rome, Italy, in 1970. I practiced as an architect in Italy, Israel, and California. In parallel, I was an amateur photographer, but never filmed. My first shooting with a film camera was in 2012. Since then, I made over 100 short documentaries.
What was your first job in the art field?
As an architect, my first job was the design of a city hall in Israel. But my first built, artistic job was our 75 m2 penthouse in Tel Aviv, after the Yom Kippur War.
What makes you want to tell stories? In other words, what are the themes/issues you want to incorporate into your work?
I always wrote. I wrote short stories and poetry. When I started to make documentaries, my focus was on architecture. I felt I had a lot to say about contemporary architecture.
Please tell us about your vision and your method of approaching a new project?
I write a draft of the direction I want to take with a subject, architecture, or art. I think on how to start and how to end. Then I make research. I start laying an outline with the best shots, without a precise order. As I go along, I start choosing appropriate music for the images. Usually I get surprised by the finished film.
Who are your filmmaking influencers? What are the films that were influential for you?
Fellini was my number one director. And also De Sica, Antonioni, Truffaut, Jacques Tati, Igmar Bergman. In documentaries, Werner Herzog and Wim Wenders.
How do you think the industry is changing? How has COVID affected independent filmmaking/creation?
I don’t know about the industry, but for me it was a highly productive period for editing without distractions.
What advice would you give to aspiring artists? What are some of the things they must follow/avoid?
Start doing. Learn from your own mistakes. And also study the history of cinema. Avoid being blocked for not getting all what you want. Just do the best you can do.
Do you think films/stories can bring about a change in the world?
Yes, I think that thy can have a great impact, both positively and negatively.
What do you think people like to watch these days? Has the pandemic changed people's taste?
I think that most people watch junk films, mostly on television. Despite great technological advances, the quality of great filmmaking belongs only to few.
Please tell us about your upcoming projects.
I would like to expand my short, partially autobiographical documentary, From Ukraine to Basavilbaso, linking Ukraine, Argentina and Israel. But other things may come up before that. I am planning to travel to France in September. Something may come up there.