Roman Shumunov (
Hebrew: רומן שומונוב) (born 1984) is an Israeli film director and screenwriter.
Biography
Roman Shumunov was born in
Tbilisi,
Georgia in 1984. In 1993, after the
war in Abkhazia, his family moved to Russia. In 2001 he immigrated to Israel at the age of 17 as part of the students' preparation program Selah mir (
Russian: СЭЛА МИР,
Hebrew: סל"ה מיר)[1] and was trained at the
University of Tel-Aviv. In 2004 he enlisted in the
Israeli Air Force. During 2008-2011 he graduated with honors from the
Sapir Academic College. In a number of his films Shumunow attempts to raise the awareness of the life of young immigrants to Israel.[2][3] In his interview to a Russophone TV program "Day" of
Channel 9 Shumunov says that the three films, No One But Us, Babylon Dreamers, and Here and Now are a kind of a trilogy, an evolution of the same idea.[4]
Summary: A
breakdancing team formed by immigrants from the
former Soviet Union in a poor neighborhood in Israel plan competing in the International Breakdancing Competition in Germany.[6]
2018: Here and Now (
Hebrew: כאן ועכשיו), full feature film debut [7]
Summary: A social drama evolving around a rap band of young immigrants from the former Soviet Union who live in the poor neighborhood of
Ashdod and are rehearsing for auditions for an international music festival.[8]
Based on a real story of
Leonid Berenstein [
he] (1921–2019), commander of a partisan battalion, who discovered the secret test site of the Nazi "doomsday weapon",
V2-rocket[9]
2022: One and a Half Generation, TV mini series produced by
Kan 11.[14]
Awards
No one but us
2012: Best Short Film, at the Mexico International Film Festival.
2012: Best Actor Award and Honorable Mention Prize: Haifa International Film Festival.
2011: Best Original Music, Cinema South Film Festival, Israel.
Babylon Dreamers
2016: Best debut film, at the
DocAviv, Tel-Aviv International Documentary Film Festival
Jury Rationale: "The best debut prize is given to Roman Shumunov, a young filmmaker who brings his great rebel spirit to his film Babylon Dreamers. His fresh approach in portraying a group of tough and sensitive breakdancers opens up a window of hope and new possibilities for
underground culture."[6]
2017: Best Documentary Film Award: KIFF Kiev International Film Festival, Ukraine[6]
2015, At the project stage, under the tentative title No Future, the film won the
Jerusalem Film Festival Pitch Point’s Van Leer Foundation Award.[17] Jury's opinion: "The film has the potential to be a unique, sensitive and authentic voice of an important ethnic group in Israel"[18]
Roman Shumunov (
Hebrew: רומן שומונוב) (born 1984) is an Israeli film director and screenwriter.
Biography
Roman Shumunov was born in
Tbilisi,
Georgia in 1984. In 1993, after the
war in Abkhazia, his family moved to Russia. In 2001 he immigrated to Israel at the age of 17 as part of the students' preparation program Selah mir (
Russian: СЭЛА МИР,
Hebrew: סל"ה מיר)[1] and was trained at the
University of Tel-Aviv. In 2004 he enlisted in the
Israeli Air Force. During 2008-2011 he graduated with honors from the
Sapir Academic College. In a number of his films Shumunow attempts to raise the awareness of the life of young immigrants to Israel.[2][3] In his interview to a Russophone TV program "Day" of
Channel 9 Shumunov says that the three films, No One But Us, Babylon Dreamers, and Here and Now are a kind of a trilogy, an evolution of the same idea.[4]
Summary: A
breakdancing team formed by immigrants from the
former Soviet Union in a poor neighborhood in Israel plan competing in the International Breakdancing Competition in Germany.[6]
2018: Here and Now (
Hebrew: כאן ועכשיו), full feature film debut [7]
Summary: A social drama evolving around a rap band of young immigrants from the former Soviet Union who live in the poor neighborhood of
Ashdod and are rehearsing for auditions for an international music festival.[8]
Based on a real story of
Leonid Berenstein [
he] (1921–2019), commander of a partisan battalion, who discovered the secret test site of the Nazi "doomsday weapon",
V2-rocket[9]
2022: One and a Half Generation, TV mini series produced by
Kan 11.[14]
Awards
No one but us
2012: Best Short Film, at the Mexico International Film Festival.
2012: Best Actor Award and Honorable Mention Prize: Haifa International Film Festival.
2011: Best Original Music, Cinema South Film Festival, Israel.
Babylon Dreamers
2016: Best debut film, at the
DocAviv, Tel-Aviv International Documentary Film Festival
Jury Rationale: "The best debut prize is given to Roman Shumunov, a young filmmaker who brings his great rebel spirit to his film Babylon Dreamers. His fresh approach in portraying a group of tough and sensitive breakdancers opens up a window of hope and new possibilities for
underground culture."[6]
2017: Best Documentary Film Award: KIFF Kiev International Film Festival, Ukraine[6]
2015, At the project stage, under the tentative title No Future, the film won the
Jerusalem Film Festival Pitch Point’s Van Leer Foundation Award.[17] Jury's opinion: "The film has the potential to be a unique, sensitive and authentic voice of an important ethnic group in Israel"[18]