What are you currently researching?
After a long study on contemporary Israeli cinema, I have oriented my research to contemporary Israeli television dramas as transnational television. The link between the two themes is not accidental. As a small industry, many Israeli filmmakers found their way to television in order to make a living. This created an interesting kind of television that corresponds with Israeli cinema, as well as challenging it at the same time.
How did you become involved in your research field?
I co-edited a book in Hebrew on the issue of Israeli television dramas with my colleagues Dr. Orna Lavie-Flint and Dr. Itay Harlap, and fell in love with the topic. But even before that, I was fascinated by television drama and its capacity to touch and comment on the most vivid items in real life. I found out that Israeli television not only takes part in commenting on Israeli reality but also influences and shapes some of its aspects.
What inspired you to become a researcher?
I am inspired by the growing number of television drama productions in current Israeli culture and their outstanding success outside Israel.
Which of your research findings would you like to highlight?
The relevance of these television products to the understanding of current Israel and the global television culture that is taking form around us.
What excites you regarding your research field?
It is a very dynamic domain that keeps evolving all the time. Since the beginning of 2000, and especially after Hagay Levy's In Treatment (2006), a series that has been broadcast in more than thirty countries around the world and has enjoyed numerous adaptations, Israel has become one of the most important television drama providers. I believe that high-quality television dramas have become an alternative way to communicate Israel to the world and explain some complex themes, such as military trauma among IDF soldiers, and the influence of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict on Israeli everyday life.