International Emmys for Israeli interracial comedy series and Etgar Keret film
Leading actor and co-creator Yosi Vasa collects Emmy for ‘Nevsu,’ depicting Ethiopian-Ashkenazi marriage, and Dutch filmmakers win for documentary about beloved Israeli writer
An Israeli show won the Best Comedy series at the 46th annual International Emmy Awards in New York, on Monday night.
“Nevsu,” depicts a marriage between an Ethiopian man and an Ashkenazi Jewish woman. It became the first Israeli show to include a black lead character on a prime time show, when it debuted last year.
Leading actor and co-creator Yosi Vasa, along with director Shai Ben Atar, were on hand to collect the award.
The show is produced by Endemol Shine Israel, Gesher Fund, and the Avi Chai Fund.
The success came after an Israeli documentary film about racism among fans of a controversial soccer team won an Emmy Award in the Outstanding Politics & Government Documentary category last month.
“Forever Pure” is a film by Israeli documentary director Maya Zinstein that was broadcast by the Independent Lens show, on the US television network PBS.
In April, Deadline reported that Fox was to produce a local version of “Nevsu,” called “Culture Clash,” that will focus on a relationship between an Ethiopian refugee and a white, Midwestern woman. Actor and writer Biniam Bizuneh and “Two Broke Girls” star Beth Behrs landed the lead roles.
Two Dutch filmmakers, Stephane Kaas and Rutger Lemm, won the International Emmy Award for Arts Programming for their 2017 documentary, “Etgar Keret: Based on a True Story,” about the beloved Israeli writer and humorist.
The 67-minute documentary brings Keret’s family, friends and colleagues to the screen, including Keret’s wife, Shira Geffen; his childhood best friends; his agent; his colleagues, including Jonathan Safran Foer, Gary Shteyngart and Ira Glass; Keret and Geffen’s son, Lev; and his brother and mother.
The Times of Israel Community.