Zeev Revah

Ze'ev (Ze'evik) Nachum Revach (; 15 August 1940 – 18 January 2025) was an Israeli comedian, actor and filmmaker. His prolific acting career included many roles in film, TV, and theater.

Revach was a particularly prominent actor in the Bourekas films genre, and some of those films, such as '' Hagiga B'Snuker'', and ''Charlie Ve'hetzi'', developed a cult following in Israel over the years.Cinema festival to recognize Ze'ev Revach
Haaretz In addition to his acting career, Revach also wrote and directed over a dozen films, mostly comedies, in which he also starred.

Revach has won a total of three Ophir Awards – two in the Best Actor category and one in the Lifetime Achievement category. He is considered one of the most influential and important figures in Israeli cinema.

Biography

Early life

Revach was born in 1940 in Rabat while it was part of the French protectorate in Morocco to Hana and Rabbi Yitzhak Rioch. He was the eldest of eight siblings. His parents named him after Ze'ev Jabotinsky and Nahum Sokolow. In 1948, at the age of eight, he immigrated with his family to Israel. The family initially settled in an Israeli refugee absorption camp in Haifa. Between the ages of nine and thirteen he lived with his family in the Musrara neighborhood of Jerusalem, where his father later established a synagogue. The family eventually moved to the Kiryat HaYovel neighborhood of Jerusalem. His Moroccan heritage and the working-class environment he grew up in would later inspire many of the characters and scenarios depicted in his films.

At thirteen Revach began studying at the agricultural high school yeshiva in Kfar Hasidim. He later served as a combat soldier in the Israeli Defense Forces as part of the Nahal Brigade.

After his military service Revach studied at the Beit Zvi School for the Performing Arts.

Career in Acting and Entertainment

In Theater

From 1963 to 1966 Revach was part of the Ohel Theater. During this time Revach performed in various plays including "''The Idiot''", "''The Three Angels''", and "''Without the Evil Eye''".

From 1966 to 1973 Revach was part of the Cameri Theatre. During this time Revach performed in various notable roles, including as Leonardo in "''Blood Wedding''", as Ubu in " ''Ubu the King''''"'', as Prince Hal in "'' Henry IV''", as Lancelot in "'' The Dragon''", as Figaro in "''The Marriage of Figaro''", and as Inspector Azoulay in "''The Inspector''".

In 1988 Revach played in the popular musical "'' Salleh Shabati''" at the Habima Theatre which was directed by Ephraim Kishon and had music composed by Nurit Hirsh. The production, which featured also Geula Nuni and Hanny Nahmias, included the hit song "Ah Ya Rab" and it was performed 172 times across Israel.

Throughout the 1990s and 2000s, Revach continued to act in various notable productions with different theaters, include the plays "''The Baker's Wife''", "''Peter Pan''" in which he played Captain Hook, in "''Ali Baba and the Forty Thieves''", in "''Valentino"'' and in the play ''"Rubber Merchants"''.

During the 2000s Revach began also directing theater plays including the 2004 play "''I Raised and Elevated Children"'' in which he directed and performed, and the 2014 play "''Momo Renovations"'' which he both directed and starred in''.''

In 2013 Revach reprised his role as 'Haham' Hannukah in the theatrical adaptation of the popular 1975 Israeli film "''Snooker".''

In 2019 Revach acted in a leading role in the play "''Restless Old Men"''.

In Film

Throughout his prolific career, spanning more than five decades, Ze'ev Revach appeared in over 40 films, directed 15, wrote or co-wrote the scripts for 16, and solidified himself as one of the most prominent figures in Israeli cinema. Renowned for his versatility as an actor, director, and writer, Revach contributed to various cinematic genres, though he is particularly revered for his significant contributions to the Bourekas genre—a distinctly Israeli style of comedy-drama films that employs exaggerated ethnic stereotypes to explore social issues. Revach became synonymous with the genre, portraying many colorful and larger-than-life characters, many of whom depicted Mizrahi Jews navigating life on the fringes of society. His roles often embodied underdogs, misfits, or con men, as well as individuals with intellectual disabilities, who found themselves entangled in humorous yet chaotic situations. Revach’s characters frequently used disguises and switched identities during the films, including transformations between Ashkenazi and Mizrahi identities, male and female personas, or playing characters from vastly different socioeconomic backgrounds. Ravach's films often reflected and satirized the social dynamics of the Israeli society, and using humor to tackle serious themes such as cultural assimilation, poverty, and the struggles of marginalized communities. His ability to balance slapstick comedy with poignant social commentary made him a beloved figure in Israeli popular culture.

Revach began his film career in the mid-1960s, making his debut in the film ''"Sabina"'' (1966), followed by the film ''"Scouting Patrol"'' (1967). His early work also included a role in the Italian-produced film ''" La Battaglia Del Sinai''" (1968), which was released in both Italy and Israel. That same year, he appeared in the short film ''"The Other Side"'', directed by Uri Zohar.

During the 1970s Revach collaborated with the director Boaz Davidson in three films which ended up producing some of Revach's most iconic performances. Those three films were "''The Snail"'' (1970), ''" Charlie and a Half''" (1974), and "''Snooker"'' (1975). The latter two, in particular, solidified Revach's status as one of Israel’s leading comedic actors. In addition to these iconic roles, In the first half of the decade Revach also portrayed Elimelech Zorkin in ''" Hasamba and the Deserted Youths"'' (1971) and appeared in the American production "''The Jerusalem File''" (1972), directed by John Flynn.

In the mid-1970s Revach began directing films in which he also starred. His directorial debut, "''Only Today''" (1976), in which he also played the lead role, became a critical and commercial success. This marked the beginning of a prolific period as a filmmaker which led to the production of the films ''"Stealing From a Thief is Excused"'' (1977), ''"Little Man"'' (1978), "''Wrong Number"'' (1979), and "''Sweet and Sour"'' (1979). In the second half of the 1970s, besides his directorial projects, Revach also starred in the film ''"Beautiful Troubles!"'' (1976) which was directed by Assi Dayan, and in the film "''Five Hundred Thousand Under the Table''" (1977) which was directed by Shaike Ophir.

In the 1980s Revach co-wrote and starred in the satirical film "'' The Man Who Flew in to Grab''" (1981). In addition he continued his work as a director-actor in films like "''Mr. Leon''" (1982), "''The Ladies' Hairdresser''" (1984), "''Batito the Unemployed''" (1987), "''On the Fringe''" (1988), and "''Lend Me Your Wife''" (1989). In 1987 he also played a lead role in the French film "''If You Go to Rio...You Die"'', which was filmed in Brazil and co-written by Revach.

The 1990s marked Revach’s entry into Hollywood, with appearances in productions such as "'' The Quest''" (1996), starring Jean-Claude Van Damme and "'' Escape: Human Cargo''" (1998). In addition, during the this period Revach also directed the films "''A Bit of Luck''" (1992) and "''Buskila Twins''" (1998) in which he also played a lead role.

In 2000, he appeared in the Hollywood action film "'' The Last Warrior''" (2000), starring Dolph Lundgren. This decade saw him transition to more dramatic roles, with notable performances in the films "''Beitar Provence''" (2002), "''It Will Be Alright''" (2008), and Haim Bozaglo's crime drama "''Honor''" (2009), which demonstrated his range and depth as an actor.

In the 2010s were marked by critically acclaimed performances in films such as Shemi Zarhin's ''"The World is Funny"'' (2012), David Ohana's ''"White Panther"'' (2013), and in Ronit and Shlomi Elkabetz's "'' Gett: The Trial of Viviane Amsalem"'' (2014). He also appeared in the film''s " The Farewell Party''" (2014) and "''Last Honor''" (2017), further cementing his reputation as a dramatic actor of note.

During the 2020s Revach voiced the character Ben-Gamla in the animated historical drama film "'' Legend of Destruction''" (2021) directed by Gidi Dar, and starred in the film "''The Flower Gate''" (2022). In 2021 Revach also participated in a music video for Eyal Golan's cover version of the song “ ''Yamim Tovim''” (ימים טובים), originally composed by Yair Rosenblum with lyrics by Yoram Taharlev. The song originally served as the opening theme song for Revach’s film "''Only Today''" and was originally performed by his younger brother, Uri Revach. The music video, which paid homage to Revach's cinematic legacy, featured Golan and Revach viewing clips from the original film.

In 2025, a documentary titled ''"Good Days: The Story of Ze'ev Revach"'', directed by Alon Gur Aryeh, is set to premiere. The film, which focuses on Revach's life and career, includes also interviews with Revach and archival footage. The film is set to compete at the Haifa International Film Festival, the Docaviv Film Festival, and Cinema Darom Festival. It will also air on the Israeli TV channels Hot 8 and Yes Doku.

On Television

In 1978 Revach played a lead role in the TV film "''Hafif''", alongside Jacques Cohen. In 1994 he played a lead role in the comedy TV series "''Papa''".

Between 1999 and 2000 Revach hosted the Israeli talk show ''" In the Tavern''" which was broadcast on Channel 1.

Between 2002 and 2004 he portrayed Avraham Algrabli in the Israeli drama series ''"The Truck"'', which aired on Channel 2.

In 2002, Revach directed and starred in the television film "Rubber Merchants", based on an Israeli play of the same name. The screenplay for the film was co-written by Assi Dayan and Ze'ev Revach. Revach played a leading role alongside Yosef Shiloach

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