Ari Folman

Israeli filmmaker Ari Folman emerged from the 1982 Lebanon War with only vague memories of the horrors he had witnessed during his service. After nearly a decade as one of the top writers and directors for Israeli television, he began to reconstruct his experience after speaking with a fellow veteran about recurring nightmares he was having about the war. The conversation led to interviews with other vets, as well as intensive therapy on the part of Folman, all of which led to the creation of "Waltz with Bashir" (2008), his documentary about the violence that swept through a generation of young Israeli solders as a result of the war. The film, which told its stories through animation, struck a nerve with international viewers and critics, who made it one of the most acclaimed features of the year, and in turn, boosted Folman's profile as an artist with a unique and uncompromising vision.