The Role of Artistic Creativity in the Lives of Israeli Emigres in Los Angeles

Sam Firstenberg

Sam Firstenberg: Biography

by Will Taylor and Müge Solak

"My pleasure comes not only from the final product, but also from the process of creating the film. Coming up with solutions for the myriad of problems which arise daily gives me great satisfaction and makes each day interesting."  Sam Firstenberg

Biography
Sam Firstenberg was born in Poland in 1950 and migrated with his family from a war-ravaged Europe to Jerusalem, Israel. His upbringing was not influenced by European traditions, as he was fully immersed in Israeli culture. As a young boy he was introduced to American film at his local neighborhood cinema, where he developed an intense fascination for visual storytelling. However, he wasn’t able to initially pursue his interest in film because Israel didn’t have any film schools and the industry was still underdeveloped. Instead, he went on to study electrical engineering, but abandoned the profession after fulfilling his military obligations in 1971. His passion for Hollywood cinema prompted him to migrate to America to enroll in film school at Columbia College Hollywood. There he befriended the Israeli producer that offered him his first role as director for the film Revenge of the Ninja.  Overall, filmmaking enabled Sam Firstenberg to transition into American society, as it provided him with numerous opportunities to learn, interact, and network with many people from diverse cultural backgrounds.

For more: http://samfirstenberg.tripod.com/biography.html

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