CHAMPAIGN, Ill. – Acclaimed Israeli writers and filmmakers Etgar Keret and Shira Geffen will visit the Illinois campus Aug. 23-Sept. 3 and participate in several public events focusing on their work.
Etgar Keret, acclaimed Israeli writer and filmmaker
Considered one of the most important and popular short-story writers in Israel, Keret has developed an international following and won numerous awards for his writing, which also comprises graphic novels, novellas, screenplays and children’s books. His stories have been translated into 29 languages and published in 34 countries, appearing in The New York Times, Le Monde and The Paris Review.
Keret has written several short-story collections, the most recent being “Pit’om Dfika Badelet” (“Suddenly a Knock on the Door”) (Kinneret Zmora-Bitan, 2010). His collection “Missing Kissinger” (Vintage Books, 2008) was a finalist for the Frank O’Connor International Short Story Prize.
More than 40 short films have been based upon Keret’s stories, and his recent film “Skin Deep” garnered numerous honors, including Israel’s equivalent of an Academy Award and first prizes at several international film festivals.
Known primarily as a poet and playwright, Geffen has produced a body of work that includes scriptwriting for TV and film, children’s books and directing and acting in plays.
Geffen and Keret, who are married and frequently collaborate on their work, co-directed the film “Jellyfish” (“Meduzot”), based on Geffen’s story by the same title. “Jellyfish” won the Camera D’Or prize for best debut feature at the 2007 Cannes Film Festival and the Best Director Award from the French Artists and Writer’s Guild.
Their campus visit, sponsored by the Israel Studies Project, includes several public events:
Aug. 24
• 7 p.m., third floor Levis Faculty Center, 919 W. Illinois St., Urbana. “An Evening With Etgar Keret.” Keret will read from his work and discuss it with Rachel Harris, a professor of comparative literature and in the Program in Jewish Culture and Society.
Aug. 25
• 4 p.m., Music Room, Levis Faculty Center. Panel discussion: “Debating the Country, Surprising the People: The Public Sphere in Israel.” Harris; Todd Hasak-Lowy, professor of Hebrew at the University of Florida and author of “Captives” (Spiegel and Grau, 2008) and “The Task of this Translator” (Harcourt, 2005); and Keret. Moderated by Matti Bunzl, the director of the Program in Jewish Culture and Society.
Aug. 31
• 4 p.m., 109 English Building, 608 S. Wright St., Urbana. Jewish Studies workshop with Geffen and Keret, who will discuss their work and Israel’s cultural scene. Sept. 1
• 7 p.m., Cohen Center for Jewish Life, 503 E. John St., Champaign. Screening and discussion of “Jellyfish” (“Meduzot”) with Geffen and Keret.
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