Amir Bogen
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Film journalist and writer, certified Master Jedi by Tel Aviv Uni. (MA in cinema studies/Star Wars history)
Articles by Amir Bogen
‘We lost the information war’: Jonah Platt takes on Israel’s online battle
One of the side effects of social media is the podcast phenomenon. So many podcasts have been launched in recent years that the common joke among podcasters is that "everyone has a podcast these days." In the virtual marketplace of ideas, which is constantly expanding, though not necessarily deepening, thanks to the internet, some manage to stand out, gain increased exposure and attention through their podcasts and even earn a handsome income from them.
Netanyahu stars in mystery Hezbollah pager film set for release days after Israel election
The timing could hardly be more striking.
‘NAZA’ faces New York protest as Gaza documentary wins audience award in Spain
The U.S. premiere of the Israeli documentary “NAZA” at the prestigious New York Film Festival drew a pro-Israel protest outside Lincoln Center on Saturday, even as the controversial film received an audience award and a public show of support at Spain’s San Sebastián Film Festival.
Guy Nattiv delivers his best film yet as Toronto fires up the Oscar race
The Toronto International Film Festival, one of the world’s biggest film events, came to a close this week. Every ending, as the saying goes, is also a beginning, and Toronto traditionally marks the starting line of awards season, with the road leading all the way to the Oscars. Hollywood’s major studios parade their favored contenders, while dark horses arrive in Canada hoping to build momentum.
Guy Nattiv delivers his best film yet as Toronto fires up the Oscar race
Pop Culture 4 hours ago Neil Peart documentary explores both the human and virtuoso sides of the Rush drummer The Globe and Mail - Brad Wheeler • 4h For their new documentary on the late Rush drummer Neil Peart, directors Scot McFadyen and Sam Dunn recruited four top-flight drummers to play songs from the band’s catalogue with surviving band members Geddy Lee and Alex Lifeson in a studio.
After uproar in Israel, Gaza documentary ‘NAZA’ heads to US theaters in independent release
As controversy over the documentary “NAZA” continues in Israel, the new film by Israeli filmmakers Yuval Abraham and Rachel Szor is moving toward a much wider public audience abroad, with a U.S. theatrical release set to begin immediately after its appearance at the New York Film Festival.
Toronto Film Festival braces for protests as Avi Nesher brings Oct. 7 drama
Toronto International Film Festival director Cameron Bailey went through a major upheaval last year, one that nearly cost him his job. After inviting Canadian Jewish filmmaker Barry Avrich to screen his documentary about retired Maj. Gen. Noam Tibon and his story of heroism on October 7, Bailey reversed course, citing a series of peculiar arguments, including that the use of video footage filmed by Hamas terrorists during the massacre could constitute a copyright violation.
Yayoi Kusama, Japanese avant-garde icon behind infinity rooms, dies at 97
Japanese avant-garde artist Yayoi Kusama, whose hypnotic polka dots and immersive mirrored rooms made her one of the most recognizable figures in contemporary art, has died at the age of 97. Kusama died at a hospital in Tokyo on August 14, her studio announced Thursday. No cause of death was given.
‘Lanterns’ review: DC’s Green Lantern reboot struggles to take flight
It is far from easy to adapt superheroes for the small screen and turn them into a successful series. On the one hand, the starting point is promising, with familiar characters capable of generating interest and attracting large audiences. In an industry that has developed a dependence on intellectual property, or IP in Hollywood parlance, comic-book companies Marvel and DC Comics are blessed with an array of brands such as Spider-Man, Batman, Wonder Woman, Captain America and others.
‘Monsters of God’ review: reptiles fascinate, but the humans fall flat
Summer. Sweltering heat. Vipers, jackals, chameleons and lizards crawl beneath the rocks at the height of their active season. So do cold-blooded humans, emerging from their holes to rile up their hot-tempered companions with heated, sweaty political discourse ahead of the elections that are supposedly coming for our benefit. Somehow, all kinds of reptiles have suddenly slithered into Israel’s public agenda at full force.
Israeli director Guy Nattiv brings Holocaust survivor family story to Toronto with ‘The Liberation’
Israeli filmmaker Guy Nattiv’s new film “The Liberation” will be among the hundreds of titles screening this year at the Toronto International Film Festival, one of the world’s largest and most influential film events. The psychological thriller is rooted in Nattiv’s own family history. At its center is a Holocaust survivor inspired by his grandmother, Rita Cooper, who is tempted to leave her family behind and join a hedonistic women’s cult offering the promise of a new life.
‘Not on our dime’: Why opposition to US aid to Israel is gaining ground
One of the unfortunate and unnecessary phenomena of contemporary discourse is the insistence on veering away from reasoned and measured debate into the psychoanalysis of the speakers. It happens to all of us on the street and on Facebook, especially in political arguments. Logical exchanges pale in comparison to what we believe the person arguing with us “really” thinks. Thus, the intellectual dialectic has become a profiling process for amateurs that leads nowhere on a personal or national level.
Can Jews still sing Shlomo Carlebach’s music? New film confronts his darkest legacy
Every time a celebrated musician becomes engulfed in scandal, the same question returns: Can the art be separated from the artist, and can audiences continue to embrace work created by someone accused of causing profound harm? The debate has long surrounded German composer Richard Wagner, a revolutionary figure in classical music who also published antisemitic writings and whose work was later embraced by the Nazi regime.
Postville’s Kosher dream: How an Iowa slaughterhouse built a Jewish community and why its future is unclear
The town of Postville, Iowa, lies in the frontier region of the Midwest, halfway between the state capital of Des Moines and the cities of Madison, Wisconsin, and Minneapolis, Minnesota—and close to none of them. It is seemingly just another small, isolated town in the middle of nowhere that could have served as the perfect location for a Coen brothers cinematic thriller, much like Fargo, North Dakota, which is about a six-and-a-half-hour drive away.
Nicolas Winding Refn died for 25 minutes, then found a new reason to make films
During a press conference for the premiere of his new film Her Private Hell at the Cannes Film Festival, Nicolas Winding Refn shared a startling and deeply personal revelation. A routine examination had uncovered a heart valve leak that was damaging his lungs, and the acclaimed Danish filmmaker was sent for emergency surgery. During the procedure, his heart stopped and he was clinically dead for 25 minutes. Refn, 55, eventually emerged from a coma alive.
The generation that will shape America's future is losing faith in Israel
Wish congratulations to the four million American college students who graduated this summer from thousands of universities and colleges across the country. Soon they will begin new careers at prestigious law firms, on Wall Street, in Hollywood and on Broadway, as well as at Google, Microsoft and the world's other leading technology companies. These talented young men and women in their 20s will go on to lead the economy, science, culture and politics in the United States and beyond.
The Left vs. The Establishment: Why the anti-Israel backlash is just a symptom
"We occupied Times Square!" Miri Regev shouted from the stage during the 70th Independence Day celebrations she orchestrated in New York back in the summer of 2018. This particular "occupation" required no military force. All it took was funneling a few million shekels to the city and the operators of the giant billboards projecting Israeli landscapes into the heart of Manhattan. But for whom, exactly, was this ostentatious street party intended?
The Left vs. The Establishment: Why the anti-Israel backlash is just a symptom
Trump Administration Now ‘Scared s–tless’: Republicans brace for Trump’s primetime speech POLITICO - By Alex Gangitano, Megan Messerly and Myah Ward • 1m Rehashing grievances about the 2020 election could motivate the Republican base and press GOP lawmakers to pass the SAVE America Act. President Donald Trump is promising to reveal “really big news” on election security. Many Republicans wish he wouldn’t.
Palestinian flags and Soviet symbols: anti-Israel protest erupts beside New York Pride March
The New York City Pride March has been taking place for 57 years and is currently considered one of the largest, and certainly the most colorful, annual events. The march, held on Sunday in the heart of Manhattan, was also one of the happiest, following a festive month in the city that included the New York Knicks winning their first NBA championship title since 1973, as well as the success of progressive representatives in last week's Democratic Party primary elections.
‘After October 7, I thought: I can’t make Israelis the bad guys’
After closely following Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny inside the dangerous machinery of Vladimir Putin’s regime, the young Canadian Jewish filmmaker wanted a change of pace — to make a fictional, entertaining film. The acclaim and awards that followed Navalny, which won the Academy Award for best documentary in 2023, made that possible, leading to The Piano Tuner. But the film, intended as broad entertainment, quickly became entangled in heated public debate in the United States.
No Israeli filmmakers in latest Hollywood academy membership wave
If further evidence was needed of a quiet shift in international cultural representation — particularly in cinema — it arrived overnight Wednesday, with the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences announcing its latest round of invitations. A total of 529 new members were invited to join the organization behind the Oscars. Unlike previous years, however, none of them are filmmakers currently active in Israel’s domestic film industry.
Review: it took a while, but 'House of the Dragon' is finally good
Hard to believe, but seven years have already passed since Game of Thrones signed off for good at the end of its eighth season in spring 2019. Many attempts have been made across streaming platforms, from Netflix to Disney+, to replicate the unprecedented success of that extraordinary television phenomenon. The bottom line: They all failed. And so did HBO, which launched House of the Dragon as the first prequel to the original series.
Trump booed at Knicks NBA finals game as visit snarls Manhattan traffic for hours
U.S. President Donald Trump’s appearance at the New York Knicks’ first home game of the NBA Finals was not warmly received by many of the fans who packed Madison Square Garden for the marquee matchup against the San Antonio Spurs. During the national anthem before tip-off, cameras showed Trump saluting the American flag from his box, where he was joined by his granddaughter Kai Trump, Steve Witkoff and others.
Storm at Tribeca: This is the joke that complicated the premiere of an Israeli film
In a turbulent political climate that has been anything but favorable to Israel, the Tribeca Film Festival continues to stand out as a welcoming venue for Israeli cinema: No fewer than three Israeli films were invited to premiere at the glittering New York festival. One of them, “The Wedding Jester” by Gidi Dar and Shuli Rand, screened Thursday and appeared to pass without protests by pro-Palestinian activists.
How YouTubers turned viral nightmares into Hollywood’s newest horror obsession
A’Ziah King was known to her family and friends by the nickname “Zola” and to patrons of a Detroit nightclub as one of the more successful strippers on staff. But over one day in October 2015, King gained coast-to-coast exposure thanks to a dizzying series of 148 tweets that described, in real time, the wild, unpredictable and frightening scenario she found herself in with three strangers who seemed friendly. At first.
Review: Spider-Noir proves the superhero genre was never really the point
After roughly 15 years of unchallenged dominance by Marvel Studios and DC Comics over American commercial cinema and its television offshoots, and against the backdrop of their films’ spectacular recent decline at the box office, it is now possible to declare that the superhero genre’s bluff has been exposed. Superhero characters and their backstories have thrived for years in comics, and on screen too, but not because of a winning formula rooted in the genre’s narrative and visual conventions.
Cannes closes with surprise Palme d’Or win and veiled anti-Israel speeches
Romanian director Cristian Mungiu won the Cannes Film Festival’s top prize Saturday night for Fjord, a surprise Palme d’Or winner at a closing ceremony that was also marked by a string of political speeches, several of them apparently directed at Israel, though mostly by implication. The clearest Middle East reference came from Canadian filmmaker Xavier Dolan, who quoted from Palestinian poet Mahmoud Darwish’s “On This Earth” before presenting the best director award.
John Travolta to premiere first directed film at Cannes
John Travolta is set to premiere his first film as a director at the Cannes Film Festival, marking a new chapter in a decades-long career in Hollywood. The film, Propeller One-Way Night Coach, will screen in the Cannes Premiere section at the Debussy Theater, with Travolta expected to attend. It is an adaptation of a children’s book he wrote and illustrated in 1997, inspired by his longtime passion for aviation. 1 View gallery (Photo: Ernesto S.
'Sticks out so much above waist': Kim Novak rejects Sydney Sweeney casting in planned biopic
If you are among Sydney Sweeney’s millions of followers on social media, you may have recently seen her high-profile campaigns. But veteran actor Kim Novak is not convinced the younger star is the right choice to portray her on screen. In an interview with The Sunday Times of London, Novak, 93, criticized the casting of Sweeney in a planned biographical film about her life.
“A doctor told me: 'I can fill your penis with filler, but not the hole in your heart'”
In November, headlines resurfaced from the past, including a widely circulated claim that Adolf Hitler had a micropenis, a real medical condition that, in popular imagination, is often linked to deep-seated inferiority complexes. The dubious report gained global traction, revealing more about mass psychology than any credible insight into the dictator’s psyche. There is no way to verify such claims, or how physical traits might relate to moral character.
The chasm between Israeli and Ameri
Politically as well, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and U.S. President Donald Trump have largely aligned their messaging. Yet when it comes to media coverage, a significant gap is evident between the two sides of the Atlantic.
New York City declares state of emergency as blizzard shuts down travel
In the evening hours, New York City residents received a text message on their mobile phones containing a warning from Mayor Zoharan Mamdani: "Mayor Mamdani has issued a State of Emergency for New York City; a TRAVEL BAN is in effect BEGINNING AT 9PM due to dangerous blizzard conditions. All NON-ESSENTIAL VEHICLES are RESTRICTED from NYC roads until 12PM on 2/23. Vehicles are only permitted for essential & emergency travel".
Eric Dane recorded emotional last words in Netflix interview
Shortly after news broke of Eric Dane’s untimely death from amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, or ALS, Netflix revealed that the American actor had agreed to record a final interview, with the understanding that it would air only after his death. The interview is now available to subscribers of the streaming giant, but the central message of Dane’s remarks was directed at his daughters, Billie and Georgia. “You are my heart. You are everything to me. Good night. I love you.
Protests erupt in NYC after Pride flag removed from Stonewall
Christopher Park is a small, charming corner at the intersection of Seventh Avenue and Christopher Street in central Manhattan, but these days it is at the top of the agenda for many New Yorkers and for the United States as a whole, as part of the “culture war” that is heating up once again. The modest garden is part of Stonewall National Monument, which commemorates the struggle for LGBTQ rights in the country.
the Super Bowl 2026 trailers everyone is talking abou
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Tarantino, Spielberg and Pixar: the Super Bowl 2026 trailers everyone is talking about
2 hours ago Fan Fest Nights is returning for the second time at Universal Studios Hollywood for a celebration of "the exhilarating world of fandom through immersive and interactive in-world experiences." Fan Fest Nights invites guests to step into a mix of immersive worlds that spotlight popular fandoms, …
Salman Rushdie returns to public life as ‘Knife’ premieres at Sundance
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Justice denied? New documentary reopens Alex Odeh murder mystery
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Who killed Alex Odeh? New film reopens 1985 US bombing case and points to suspects
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Amy Schumer defends Israeli comic after US show axed over Gaza statement
The cancellation of a performance by Israeli comedian Guy Hochman in Beverly Hills amid political tensions related to the war in Gaza has sparked broader debate in the United States and drawn public criticism from American comedian and actress Amy Schumer. Schumer, who has been vocal in her support of Israel since October 7, said the decision to cancel Hochman’s show was a serious error by the venue.
Five years after Jan. 6, public memory fades as Trump dominates agenda
Five years have passed since the events of January 6, 2021, when thousands of Donald Trump's supporters stormed Capitol Hill in Washington in an attempt to violently prevent the transfer of power to President-elect Joe Biden. Although this marked an extraordinary milestone in US history, the presence of that dramatic and grim day in the nation’s collective memory appears to be steadily fading.
New York swears in Zohran Mamdani as mayor as Israeli critics protest nearby
Despite freezing weather and a public holiday in the United States, thousands of New Yorkers flooded the streets of lower Manhattan on New Year’s Day for the inauguration of the city’s new mayor, Zohran Mamdani. Wrapped in winter coats and wool hats, and in some cases keffiyehs, they stood for hours in a line stretching more than ten blocks to take part in what many viewed as a historic moment.
Iranian actress Golshifteh Farahani: 'I’m in survival mode; I escaped monsters'
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new details on Nick Re
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New York increases security at Hanukkah events after deadly Sydney attack
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'I have a normal life outside of th
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German actor Udo Kier dies at 81 after decades of iconic roles in film and television
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Israeli director Joseph Cedar returns with US thriller starring Meryl Streep and Sigo
After a lengthy hiatus, Israeli director Joseph Cedar is making a major return with a new American film starring Meryl Streep and Sigourney Weaver, Deadline reported over the weekend. The film, a thriller titled Useful Idiots, is set in New York. Streep, an Academy Award winner, will play the lead role of Diane Castle, a real estate journalist disillusioned with covering the city’s wealthy elite.
Dancing with the dead: Inside Oaxaca’s Día de Muertos festivities
This past weekend, millions around the world marked Halloween. In the U.S., UK, Europe, and yes, even in Israel, wild parties took place with men and women in revealing costumes. It’s somewhat similar to Purim, in its international version. Today’s modern take on “All Saints’ Eve” draws inspiration not from biblical villains like Haman and Zeresh, but from vampires, monsters, horror films and pop culture as a whole.
'I won’t go near Netanyahu’s g
Radiohead front man Thom Yorke announced he has no plans to return to Israel. “I don’t want to go within 5,000 miles of Netanyahu’s government,” he said in an interview to The Times. According to legend, Radiohead’s first major international breakthrough began in Israel, where the then-unknown British band arrived in the early 1990s and was met with great enthusiasm.
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