On July 9, "GOLDA" filmmakers Udi Nir and Sagi Bornstein discussed Golda Meir, Israel's fifth Prime Minister, and the making of their new documentary. Joining the discussion were scholars from Boston University and UCLA.
Program presented by the UCLA Y&S Nazarian Center for Israel Studies in collaboration with the Murray Galinson San Diego-Israel Initiative.
Note: The virtual screening for "GOLDA" has ended. The film was available to us for a limited time only.
Credit: GPO (Israel), circa 1973
About the Program
A discussion with the "GOLDA" film's creators, Udi Nir and Sagi Bornstein, and scholars about iconic politician Golda Meir, Israel's fifth prime minister, and the making of this illuminating new documentary. Prior to the discussion, a virtual screening of the documentary was made available to registrants. Participants included scholar Pnina Lahav, Professor of Law at Boston University and the author of the forthcoming biography Golda Meir: Through the Gender Lens. Live discussion moderated by Professor Dov Waxman, Director of the UCLA Y&S Nazarian Center for Israel Studies. Co-hosted by Susan Lapidus, Director of the Murray Galinson San Diego-Israel Initiative. Originally recorded July 9, 2020.
"GOLDA" Documentary Synopsis
Shortly before her passing, Golda Meir (1898-1978) was interviewed for Israeli television. After shooting ended, the cameras kept rolling, recording an intimate talk with the first and only woman to ever rule Israel. As she lit one cigarette after the other, Golda spoke freely about her term as Prime Minister – five turbulent years that secured her place in history, albeit at a high personal cost. Based on these never-before seen materials, testimonies of supporters and opponents and rare archival footage, Golda tells the story of Meir's dramatic premiership – from her surprising rise to power to her iconic international stature as “queen of the Jewish people."
"GOLDA" filmmakers Sagi Bornstein (left) and Udi Nir. Credit: udiVsagi production.
About the Participants
Sagi Bornstein (filmmaker) has more than 15 years of experience as a director, producer and editor of documentary films, reality formats and news. His work includes the documentaries Golda (2019) and #Uploading_Holocaust (2016), and Kafka's Last Story (2011). His films have won awards in European and American film festivals. He studied photography at the Camera Obscura School of Arts in Tel Aviv and worked for several Israeli broadcasters before starting his own production company.
Udi Nir (filmmaker) is a writer, director and producer. His first feature documentary was #Uploading_Holocaust (2016). He studied playwriting in Israel and created and directed theater stage shows. He worked as a producer at Clipa Theater in Tel Aviv. Before turning to arts, he worked for Amnesty International and other human rights organizations.
Pnina Lahav (discussant) is a Professor of Law at Boston University. She is a graduate of the Hebrew University of Jerusalem and of the Yale Law School. She has published extensively on Israeli law and culture, and is author of several books and the upcoming biography Golda Meir: Through the Gender Lens.
Dov Waxman (moderator) is a Professor and The Rosalinde and Arthur Gilbert Foundation Chair in Israel Studies at UCLA, where he also directs the UCLA Y&S Nazarian Center for Israel Studies. He joined the UCLA faculty in January 2020 from Northeastern University.
Susan Lapidus (co-host) is Director of the Murray Galinson San Diego-Israel Initiative (MGSDII), a network of Israel Studies programs on San Diego campuses including UC San Diego, San Diego State University, CSU San Marcos, University of San Diego, and Cal Western School of Law.