Amos Guttman

Amos Guttman (Hebrew: עמוס גוטמן‎; May 10, 1954 – February 16, 1993) was an Israeli film director, born in Romania. He directed the first ever Israeli LGBT-themed film and most of his films were based on events that happened in his own personal life.

Guttman was born in Sita Buzăului, district of Covasna, in Transylvania, Romania and emigrated to Israel at the age of seven. He studied film at Beit Zvi.

Between 1975 and 1982, Guttman directed three short films: A Safe Place, Returning Premiers, and Drifting.

In 1983, he directed his feature debut, Drifting (no relation to the earlier short film). He then directed three other feature films: Bar 51 (1985), Himmo, King of Jerusalem (1987), and Amazing Grace (1992).

Guttman was a homosexual, and most of his films (except Himmo, King of Jerusalem, a film about the 1947–1949 Palestine war, based on a story by Yoram Kaniuk) were about homosexual experience and AIDS, which was the subject of his last film, Amazing Grace. Many Israeli actors made breakthrough performances in Guttman's films, including Jonathan Sagall, Alon Abutbul, Sharon Alexander, Aki Avni, and Rivka Michaeli.

Guttman was part of a group of young Israeli directors who called for quality films at the expense of commercial cinema. While he was an active director, He created a rich and stylish cinematic language, providing a unique sound. His films were notable for his attention to the visual and his distinct content.

Guttman died in Tel Aviv on February 16th 1993 of AIDS at the age of 38. He was buried in the Kiryat Shaul Cemetery in Tel Aviv. Even after his death, Guttman remains among the most influential people in Israel’s LGBT community.