| Juliano Mer-Khamis | |
|---|---|
 Juliano Mer-Khamis, 2009 |
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| Born | May 29, 1958 Nazareth, Israel |
| Years active | 1980s - until today |
Juliano Mer-Khamis (in Arabic, جوليانو مير خميس; born 1958 in Nazareth) is an Israeli Arab actor, director, filmmaker and political activist.
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Background
Mer-Khamis is the son of Arna Mer, an Israeli activist for the rights of Palestinians and Saliba Khamis, an Arab and one of the leaders of the Israeli Communist Party in the 1950s.
In his youth, he used to adopt his Jewish maternal name and served in the Israeli Defense Forces as a combat soldier in the Paratroopers Brigade.[1]
Career
Through the years Mer acted in both Israeli TV and film roles as well as forigen films. His first film "The Little Drummer Girl" was an American thriller from 1984 directed by George Roy Hill starring Diane Keaton which dealt with the Israeli-Arab Conflict. Afterwards he played in Avi Nesher's film "Za'am V'Tehilah" (1985). Later on he played in Israeli movies "51 Bar" (1985), "Urs al-jalil" (1987), "Tel Aviv Stories" (1992), "Zohar" (1993), "Etz Hadomim Tafus" (1994), "Overture 1812" (1997), "Yom Yom" (1998) and more. He played in several films by Amos Gitai, including "Berlin-Yerushalaim" (1989), "Esther" (1986), "Kippur" (2000), "Kedma", "Tahara" (2004). Mer was nominated for an Ophir award as Best Actor in 2002. In addition, through the years, Mer also played in several American and French-Canadians films.
Through the years Mer played in several theatre plays, in the Beit Lessin Theater and in the Habima Theatre.
In 2003 Mer produced and directed, together with Daniel Daniel, his first documentary film, "Arna's Children". The film is about about his mother's work to establish a children's theatre group in Jenin during the 1980s. Seven years after the death of his mother, and following the battle in Jenin in 2002, Mer returned to Jenin to meet and interview the children whom participated in the theater, and found out that some became fighters and were killed. In 2006, following a wave of international support which was followed by his film, Mer opened a community theater for children and adults in Jenin, called "The Freedom Theatre",
The Freedom Theatre
In 2006, Mer-Khamis continued his mother's work by creating the Freedom Theatre along with Zakaria Zubeidi, the former military leader of the Jenin Al-Aqsa Martyrs' Brigades, Jonatan Stanczak, Swedish-Israeli activist, and Dror Feiler, Swedish-Israeli artist. The Freedom Theatre is a community theatre that provides opportunities for the children and youth of the Jenin Refugee Camp by developing skills, self-knowledge and confidence and using the creative process as a model for social change.
Political activity
Mer is also a political activist which deals with the Arab-Israeli conflict. He protests against the Israeli occupation in the territories and the construction of Israeli settlements, and is an activist for the human rights of the Palestinian in the occupied territories.
Filmography
| Year | Film | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2004 | Tahara | Nagim | Nominated for Best Actor |
| 2003 | Arna's Children | Himself | Won FIPRESCI Prize |
| 2002 | Kedma | Moussa |
References
External links
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