Avshalom Pollak

{{BLP sources|date=January 2023}} {{Infobox person | name = Avshalom Pollak | native_name = אבשלום פולק | native_name_lang = he | image = Avshalom pollak.jpg | image_caption = Avshalom Pollak | birth_name = | birth_date = {{birth date and age|1970|10|5}} | birth_place = Haifa, Israel | death_date =  | death_place = | death_cause = | body_discovered = | resting_place = | resting_place_coordinates =  | monuments = | other_names = | citizenship = | education = | alma_mater = | occupation = Director, choreographer, artistic director, actor. | years_active = | employer = | organization = | known_for = | notable_works = | height =  | television = | title = Artistic Director | term = | predecessor = | successor = | party = | movement = | opponents = | boards = | criminal_charge =  | criminal_penalty = | criminal_status = | spouse = | partner = | children = | parents = | relatives = | callsign = | awards = | website =  }}

'''Avshalom Pollak''' ({{langx|he|אבשלום פולק}}; born October 5, 1970, also known as '''Avshalom Polak''') is an Israeli actor, director, choreographer and dance company artistic director.

==Early life and education== Avshalom was born in Haifa, Israel. He was trained as a classical actor and graduated from the Nissan Nativ Drama School in Tel Aviv.<ref>{{Cite web |last=למשחק |first=ניסן נתיב-בית הספר |title=ניסן נתיב – בית הספר למשחק – הבוגרים שלנו {{!}} תל אביב |url=https://www.nissan-nativ.org.il/he/%D7%94%D7%91%D7%95%D7%92%D7%A8%D7%99%D7%9D-%D7%A9%D7%9C%D7%A0%D7%95-%D7%AA%D7%9C-%D7%90%D7%91%D7%99%D7%91 |access-date=2023-11-18 |website=ניסן נתיב – בית הספר למשחק |language=he}}</ref> After graduating, Avshalom was playing in a large number of films and television programs, as well as many theatrical plays. Among his leading roles were William Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet as Romeo; Casssio in Othello; Molière's Valere in The Miser; Chekhov's Tuzenbach in Three Sisters and more. He had the opportunity to work at the Habimah Theatre, the Cameri Theater, Gesher Theater and the Haifa Municipal Theatre.

Since 1994, Avshalom Pollak has been working with Inbal Pinto, with whom he founded the Inbal Pinto and Avshalom Pollak Dance Company.

In 2011 Pinto and Pollak were given Israel's ministry of culture award for creation of ''Toros'' and ''Rushes Plus''. In 2003 they directed, choreographed and designed the opera ''Armide'' by Christoph Willibald Gluck. In 2013 they directed, choreographed and designed the original musical ''The Cat That Lived A Million Times''<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qAwhjE8aTPQ |title=The Cat That Lived A Million Times |date=15 August 2015 |access-date=4 December 2015}}</ref> by Yoko Sano in Tokyo, and the opera ''The Cunning Little Vixen'' by Leoš Janáček in Bergen, Norway.

Together, Inbal Pinto and Avshalom Pollak have created, choreographed and designed the following works for their company: ''Oyster'' a co-production with The Maison De La Danse, Lyon, France (1999), ''Oyster'' won the award of The Israel Theater Academy Award for the year 2000 as The Best Production in Stage Arts category. BOOBIES a co-production with DeSingel Theater, Antwerp, Belgium (2002).<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.desingel.be/en/programme/dance/5008/Inbal-Pinto-Dance-Company-Boobies-wereldcreatie- |title=Boobies |date=18 April 2002 |website=deSingel |access-date=4 December 2015}}</ref> ''Shaker'' (2006). ''Armide'' an opera by Christoph Willbald Gluck at the Opera House of Wiesbaden in Germany (2004)<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.faz.net/aktuell/rhein-main/kultur/maifestspiele-in-wiesbaden-armide-ohne-durchblick-im-phantasialand-1159514.html |title="Armide" ohne Durchblick im Phantasialand |publisher=Frankfurter Allgemeine |date=2 May 2004 |website=Faz |access-date=4 December 2015}}</ref> and The Israeli Opera (2007). RUSHES A collaboration with Pilobolus Dance Theatre (2007). ''Hydra'' a co-production with Saitama Arts Foundation, Israel Festival (2008) and Stepts No. 11 (2008). ''Trout'' a co-production with Stavanger2008, Cultural Capital of Europe, Collaboration with the Kitchen Orchestra (2008).<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.jpost.com/Magazine/Big-fish-on-a-small-stage |title=Big fish on a small stage |date=26 September 2009 |website=JPOST |access-date=4 December 2015}}</ref> ''Bombyx Mori'' (2011). GOLDFISH (2013). ''The cunning little vixen'', an opera by Leoš Janáček at the Bergen National Opera, Norway (2013)<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.operabase.com/a/Avshalom_Pollak/1862 |title=Opera Base |date=March 2013 |website=Opera Base |access-date=4 December 2015}}</ref> Dust (2013). ''Wallflower'' a collaboration with Tel Aviv Museum of Art (2014). Wrapped Renewed Production. Originally created in 1998 (2015). Since 2008 he is the artistic director of Avshalom Pollak Dance Theatre.

In 2021 Avshalom collaborated with musician Umitaro Abe, created twelve short video-dance pieces titled "Liquid Season", all taking place in watery environments, each dedicated to a different month of the year. Water, as a field of emotions, is a platform for the creation of a world, from which we are made, and in which we create and change. The cycle of works embodies water as the element of nature and life, which makes for constant transformation. Concurrently, the cycle pays homage to the Duke of Berry's Book of Hours (The Très Riches Heures)—an illuminated Christian prayer book also serving an almanac, commissioned by Jean, Duc de Berry, in the early 15th century from the Limbourg brothers. The manuscript's illuminations portray scenes from the life of lords and peasants, against nature's changes throughout the year. "liquid Season" is presented at the Petach Tikva Museum of Art’s.<ref>{{Cite web |last=felix007 |title=Liquid Season – מוזאון פתח תקווה |url=https://www.petachtikvamuseum.com/exhibitions/24003/ |access-date=2023-11-18 |website=www.petachtikvamuseum.com |language=he-IL}}</ref>

In 2021 Avshalom Played the leading role "Y" in Nadav Lapid's film Ahed's Knee.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Lapin |first1=Andrew |title=Ahed's Knee: Provocative film picks fight with Israeli culture ministry |url=https://jweekly.com/2022/03/22/aheds-knee-fictional-director-does-battle-with-israels-culture-ministry-in-provocative-new-film/ |access-date=31 July 2022 |work=J. The Jewish News of Northern California |agency=Jewish Telegraphic Agency |date=22 March 2022}}</ref> The film was selected to compete for the Palme d'Or at the 2021 Cannes Film Festival.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/movies/movie-news/2021-cannes-lineup-1234961248/ |title=Sean Penn, Wes Anderson, Ildikó Enyedi Join 2021 Cannes Lineup |work=The Hollywood Reporter |date=3 June 2021 |access-date=3 June 2021}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.indiewire.com/2021/06/2021-cannes-film-festival-lineup-1234641655/ |title=Cannes Film Festival 2021 Lineup: Sean Baker, Wes Anderson, and More Compete for Palme d'Or |work=IndieWire |access-date=3 June 2021}}</ref> At Cannes, the film shared the Jury Prize with ''Memoria'' by Apichatpong Weerasethakul.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.cineuropa.org/en/newsdetail/407794 |title=Cannes' Palme D'Or goes to Titane |work=Cineuropa |access-date=18 July 2021}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://hk.asiatatler.com/life/cannes-2021-list-winners |title=Cannes Film Festival 2021: Full Winners List |work=Asia Tatler |date=18 July 2021 |access-date=18 July 2021}}</ref>

In March 2023, he choreographed the Opera ''Bastarda'', an Opera in two evenings based on the life story of Elizabeth I, an adaptation of the four operas focused on the Tudor family by Gaetano Donizetti, at La Monnaie De Munt in Brussels, Belgium.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2023-03-21 |title=Bastarda |url=https://www.lamonnaiedemunt.be/fr/program/2648-bastarda |access-date=2023-11-18 |website=La Monnaie / De Munt |language=fr}}</ref>

In 2025, he directed the stage adaptation of The manga "Chi. – About the Earth's Movement -" in New National Theatre in Tokyo.

==Selected work==

=== Acting === {| class="wikitable" |+ !Year !Film !Role !Comment |- |1998 |''Zbeng'' |Shin |TV Series, 1 episode |- |1998 |''Gentila'' |Itzhaka'le | |- |1997–2000 |''Florentine'' |Tomer Shavit |TV Series, 39 episodes |- |2012 |''Prime Minister's Children'' |Evyata Ben Ari |TV Series |- |2015 |''Mountain'' |Reuven |Venice international film festival |- |2021 |''Ahed's Knee'' |Y |Jury Prize Cannes Film Festival |}

=== Choreography and Direction === {{div col}} * ''A chance for a 100'' 1994 * ''Wrapped'' 1998 * ''Oyster'' 1999 * ''Boobies'' 2002 * ''What Good Would the moon be'' 2004 * ''Armide'' 2003 * ''Shaker'' 2006 * ''Armide'' 2006 * ''Rushes'' 2007 * ''Hydra'' 2007 * ''Trout'' 2008 * ''Toros'' 2010 * ''Bombyx mori'' 2011 * ''Goldfish'' 2012 * ''The cunning little vixen'' 2013 * ''The cat that lived a million times'' 2013 * ''Dust'' 2013 * ''Wallflower'' 2014 * ''Wrapped'' 2015 * ''Slug'' 2016 * ''Icetree'' 2017 * ''Rashomon'' 2018 * ''Krump'' 2019 * ''Antu'' 2020 * ''Liquid season'' 2021 * ''Space Invaders'' 2021 * ''Moby D'' 2022 * ''Bastarda'' 2023 * ''Castor'' 2024{{div col end}}

==Awards== *2000 Israeli Theater Academy award for "Oyster"{{Citation needed|date=October 2023}} *2007 The Israeli Ministry of Education and Culture award for creation{{Citation needed|date=October 2023}} *2011 The Israeli Ministry of Education and Culture awards for Artistic achievements and performance{{Citation needed|date=October 2023}} *2014 The Israeli Dance Critics Circle award "Best Dance Show" for "Wallflower"{{Citation needed|date=October 2023}}

==References== {{reflist}}

==External links== *[http://www.avshalompollak.com Avshalom Pollak Dance Theatre website] *[https://vimeo.com/user5799793 Avshalom Pollak Dance Theatre's Vimeo] *[https://web.archive.org/web/20150508014615/http://www.israel-opera.co.il/Eng/?CategoryID=263&ArticleID=292 Israeli Opera Web Site] *[http://www.danceinisrael.com/?s=inbal+pinto&x=0&y=0 Israeli Dance Web Site] *[http://www.suzannedellal.org.il/?CategoryID=257&ArticleID=193 Suzanne Dellal Dance Center Web Site] *[http://www.jewish-theatre.com/visitor/article_display.aspx?articleID=1811 Jewish Theatre on Oyster] *[https://www.jpost.com/Arts-and-Culture/Arts/Dance-review-Inbal-Pinto-and-Avshalom-Polak-Wallflower-Tel-Aviv-Museum-July-15-363486 JPOST Reviewing "Wallflower"] *{{IMDb name|0688793}} *[https://web.archive.org/web/20151208165008/http://eng.bno.no/production-rental/the-cunning-little-vixen/ Bergen National Opera] *[https://web.archive.org/web/20151208165008/http://eng.bno.no/production-rental/the-cunning-little-vixen/ La Monnaie Opera]

{{DEFAULTSORT:Pollak, Avshalom}} Category:1970 births Category:Living people Category:Israeli male stage actors Category:Israeli choreographers Category:Israeli theatre directors Category:Male actors from Haifa Category:Israeli dancers