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
Russia-Georgia War, 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
Russia-Georgia War, 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]