After nearly a decade as one of the top writers and directors for Israeli television, Folman began to reconstruct his experience when 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 this led to the creation of Waltz with Bashir (2008), Folman's documentary about the violence that swept though a generation of young Israeli soldiers as a result of the war.

Following the lecture, there will be commentary by:

• Michael Renov, professor of Critical Studies and associate dean of the USC School if Cinematic Arts. Renov is a documentary expert specializing in contemporary documentary filmmaking. His teaching and research interests include documentary theory, autobiography in film and video, video art and activism, and representations of the Holocaust.
• Janet Walker, professor of Film Studies at UC Santa Barbara. Her areas of specialization are documentary film, women and film, historiography, and the representation of catastrophic past events. Her most recent book is titled Trauma Cinema: Documenting Incest and the Holocaust.

Related Event

Waltz with Bashir screening, October 25, 6:30 p.m., Eileen Norris Cinema Theatre