Departures of note

Yaakov (Yankul) Goldwasser was born in Tel Aviv in 1950 to parents who had immigrated from Poland. He began making short films as a teenager with his friend Yaki Yosha, and launched his professional career in 1969 with the short film 'Re'ut', later editing Yosha's 'Shalom, Tefilat HaDerech' (1973) and producing 'Transit' (1980).

In 1982 he directed his first feature, 'Mitach La'Af' (Under the Nose), written with Haim Marin and based on a real 1976 Tel Aviv heist, starring Moshe Ivgy and Uri Gavriel; it became an Israeli cult film. In 1987 he directed 'Abba Ganuv' (Stolen Father) with Yehuda Barkan, a local box-office smash and cult phenomenon. He went on to direct 'Me'ever Layam' (1991), which swept the Ophir Awards, 'Max ve Morris' (1994), and 'Ein La Elohim' (2006). In 2018 he returned to cinema with 'Sharuchim' (Laces), starring Dov Glickman and Nevo Kimchi, inspired by his relationship with his son Uri.

In television, Goldwasser served as the main director of the hit drama 'Me'urav Yerushalmi' (Jerusalem Mix), which ran for three seasons, and also directed 'Litpos et HaShamayim'. Over the years he taught film and directing at Tel Aviv University, Beit Berl, Bezalel, and the Sam Spiegel Film School, and was a member of the Israeli Academy of Film committee.