David Perlov, a film director who won the Israel Prize for Cinema in 1999, died on Dec. 13. Cause of death was not released. He was 73.
Born in Brazil to a circus magician, Perlov spent his 20s in Paris, learning about photography and cinema. In 1958, he immigrated to Israel and began a film career that lasted for half a century.
His first project was commissioned by the Histadrut Labor Federation. It was supposed to be a pleasant public relations piece about its senior citizen homes; Perlov’s movie showed a different view, one that included death.
Perlov’s 1963 documentary, “In Jerusalem,” which played on the film festival circuit, is considered one of the most important films in the history of Israeli cinema. He then spent two decades working on “Diary,” a six-hour film that chronicles Israeli society through the eyes of his family and friends.
From 1973 to 1999, Perlov taught cinema at Tel Aviv University. His final documentary, “Photos 1952-2002,” was screened in Jerusalem in July.