(Photo: Ohad Romano)
Yoav Shutan-Goshen, creator and the head scriptwriter of the new Israeli television series, "Kipat Barzel" (English title- "Commandments") will discuss the show's creation and the issues of religion, society and identity that it explores.
Monday, April 30, 20185:30 PM - 6:45 PMUCLA Dodd Hall, Room 146
Sponsored by the Y&S Nazarian Center for Israel Studies. Co-sponsored by the UCLA Center for the Study of Religion.
Ten percent of Israelis are orthodox Jews, living in closed, traditional communities. Their religious belief forbids them to join the army and other secular settings, but some orthodox teens choose to defy the norm and enlist. For the first time in their lives, these young men are away from their Rabbi and community, navigating the secular world, including interacting with women. The soldiers have to deal with a secular army that is still learning to adjust to the needs of religious recruits, while also coping with hostile reactions from their families and communities when they return home. "Kipat Barzel" (English title:"Commandments") is a prime-time TV drama about young men caught between two worlds. Inspired by the true stories of orthodox young men in the army, the drama focuses on the dilemmas of personal and religious identity, and the desire to belong alongside the need to express oneself and one’s values. Yoav Shutan-Goshen, the creator and the head scriptwriter, will screen clips from the show and discuss the creation process. He will discuss how can a secular creator can write orthodox characters and how, in general, one can write about a world to which one does not belong.
About the Speaker
Yoav Shutan-Goshen is an Israeli novelist, playwright and screenwriter for television and film. His debut novel, One Woman, One Time, was an Israeli best-seller. His plays are now running at the Gesher, Beit Lessin and Beersheba Theaters. 'Gehenom,' his first feature film, will be released in 2018. For Kipat Barzel, he was nominated for the best screenwriter award by the Israeli Television Academy Yoav holds a LLB in law and BA humanities from Tel Aviv University. He also studied screenwriting at the Sam Spiegel Film School. He worked as a journalist at Yedioth Achronot and The Marker, and currently teaches at Sapir College. He served as a commando in the IDF Special Forces.
He is married to the writer Ayelet Gundar-Goshen, who is also a collaborator on Kipat Barzel. They have two children and live in Tel Aviv.
Sponsor(s): Younes and Soraya Nazarian Center for Israel Studies, Center for the Study of Religion