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Aya (Israel/France 2012)

Composing the music for the film “Aya”, was a unique work process. Although the movie is only 40 minutes long and contains only 2 music pieces, the formation of musical direction was an intense research. The credit to this experience goes to to the creators of the film, Oded Binnun and Mihal Brezis who redefined perfectionism for me.

The film is the story of Two strangers that meet at an airport unexpectedly. He mistakenly assumes her to be his assigned driver. She, enchanted by the possibilities of the random encounter, does not hurry to prove him wrong..
Aya is the winner at the Israel academy awards as the best short film for 2013.

Directors: Oded binnun & mihal Brezis
With: Sarah Adler, Ulrich Thomsen
Editing: Dov Steuer
Sound design: Gil Toren
Production: Pablo Mehler, Yael Abecassis, Hillel Roseman, Casis films

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A Film Unfinished (Germany/Israel 2010)

Yael Hersonski’s acclaimed, award-winning film is an extraordinary documentary which tells the story of a Nazi propaganda film shot – but never completed – in the Warsaw Ghetto on 1942. Hersonski’s film tracks down the actual events of that time and reconstructs the “reality” of the film from an original perspective. The Nazis’ footage remained silent, allowing for the creation of a new relationship between image and sound – made up of picturesque, surreal music performed by numerous artists and instruments.

Awards and nominations:

World Cinema Documentary Film Editing Award, Sundance Film Festival
Nominated for Sundance Grand Jury Prize for World Documentary Cinema, Satellite Award (International Press Academy) For Best Documentary Motion Picture

Director: Yael Hersonski

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And on the Third Day (Israel 2011)

First film directed by the much esteemed actor Moshe Ivgy. Three days in the lives of seven different characters, who are caught in a chain of events leading to a point of no return. While the synopsis recalls that of Year Zero, the soundtrack is utterly different and resembles much more that of Beaufort: electronic music with bits and pieces of electric guitars, which lends the film its hidden beat and undertone.

Image taken from "And in the third day".

Nominated for the 2010 Ophir Award for Best Music.

Director: Moshe Ivgy
Editing: Zohar Sela
Cinematography: Yoram Millo
Sound design: Alex Claude
Production: UCM

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Beaufort (Israel 2007)

A film by Joseph Cedar, recounting the story of the last remaining soldiers on the Beaufort outpost on the eve of the Israeli withdrawal from Lebanon. Unlike the dramatic, sometimes bombastic soundtrack that accompanies most war films, Beaufort echoes with heavy, hypnotic electronic music that conveys the inherent claustrophobia of the place and circumstances. The soundtrack was composed, mixed and produced in Ishai’s studio to the sound of sirens and radio reports from the frontlines of the second Lebanon war, which took place at the same time the film was produced.

Awards and nominations:

Silver Bear for Best Director, 2007 International Berlin Film Festival
Nominated for the 2008 Academy Award for the Best Foreign Language Film
2007 Ophir Awards (Israeli Academy) for Best Sound, Best Editing, Best Cinematography and Best Art Direction
Nominated for the 2007 Ophir Awards for Best Film, Best Music and additional categories

Direction: Joseph Cedar
Editing: Zohar Sela
Cinematography: Ofer Inov
Sound design: Alex Claude
Production: David Mandil, Chilik Michaeli & David Silber

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Year Zero (Israel 2004)


An elaborate film by Joseph Pitchhadze, presenting the stories of seven previously unrelated people, whose lives undergo various changes due to fateful encounters. The soundtrack features neo-classical music performed by a string quartet, piano and bass clarinet (quartet arrangement by Yoni Silver).

Awards and nominations:

2004 Ophir Award for Best Sound
Nominated for the 2004 Ophir Awards for Best Music and additional categories

Director: Joseph Pitchhadze
Editing: Dov Steuer
Cinematography: Itay Ne’eman
Sound design and music mixing: Gil Toren
Production: Lior Shefer, Joseph Pitchhadze & Dov Stoyer

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The Golem

Project by the Israel Goethe Institute: live music played during the screening of the classic 1920 silent movie. Cooperation between Ishai and Sheer Sofer, who plays here a multitude of world instruments and also contributes harmonic overtone singing. The result is modern classical music that combines atonal foundations and pagan elements, and a fascinating encounter between digital arrangements, sampled sounds and live performance.  jerusalem cinematheque 2002.