Gideon Raff

Although Jerusalem-born Gideon Raff grew up in the United States, his work as a writer and director usually displayed his deep Israeli roots. His family moved to Washington D.C. where his father's work as the Economic Advisor to the Israeli Embassy assured that Gideon would always have a strong interest in the political nature of both America and Israel. His family's return to Israel gave him the opportunity to study at Tel Aviv University and also serve, as all Israeli men must, in the military. His stint as a paratrooper was to prove valuable when he turned to screenplay writing. He had an early interest in film and in 2003 made the decision to return to America, this time to Los Angeles. His short "The Babysitter," his graduate film for the famed American Film Institute, caught the eye of director Doug Liman, who invited Raff to serve as director's assistant for the Brad Pitt/Angelina Jolie vehicle "Mr. And Mrs. Smith" (2005). His directorial debut came with the thriller "The Killing Floor" (2007). With several films under his belt, he returned to Israel in 2009 and began work on an idea for a television series that would come to be his signature story. The series, "Hatufim" or "Prisoners of War" (2009-12), looked at the lives of several prisoners of war after they returned home and began to try to put their lives together. Before the show had even begun to air in Israel, Raff signed a development deal with 20th Century Fox. The American show, "Homeland"(Showtime 2011- ) was developed by Howard Gordon and Alex Gansa, who had produced "24" (Fox, 2001-10). Raff stayed involved in both productions, splitting his time between both countries until "Prisoner of War" ended in 2012. While continuing his executive producer role with "Homeland," Raff began to develop a new television series, "Tyrant" (Fox 2014-16). The show again focused on the Middle East, this time centering on an American family who get caught up in the turmoil of politics when the son of a dictator returns to his family's war-torn country. Not content with just one show, Raff began development on a new show centered on Israel and its rich cultural history. The show, "Dig" (USA, 2014- ) was not only set in Israel, it was the first American television series to be shot on location in Israel. The detective show focused on the murder of a local archeologist, leading to the uncovering of a conspiracy covering hundreds of years.