Ari Folman

Ari Folman is an Israeli film director and screenwriter known for the animated documentary Waltz with Bashir.

born 1962Directing Waltz with BashirThe film The CongressWriting for the series BeTipul

Born: 17 December 1962, Haifa
Occupation: film director, screenwriter, film producer, writer
Education: Tel Aviv University, Hebrew Reali School

Ari Folman was born in 1962 in Haifa

Ari Folman was born in Haifa in 1962 and grew up on the Carmel. His parents were Holocaust survivors from the Łódź Ghetto. His father was a chemistry professor at the Technion and his mother was an eye doctor.

He attended the Hebrew Reali School. He later studied film and television at Tel Aviv University.

After high school he served in the Golani Brigade and became an officer. He fought in the 1982 Lebanon War and was in the area of the Sabra and Shatila massacre.

In 1991 he made the documentary Shaanan Si with Ori Sivan, and in 1996 they made the feature Saint Clara. He wrote for the series BeTipul and released Waltz with Bashir in 2008, based on his memories of the war. He later made The Congress and Where Is Anne Frank.

He is married to Anat Asulin, and they have 3 children. After the October 7 attacks in 2023, he began interviewing families of Israeli hostages.