From "Snooker Celebration" to "Yellow Peppers" • At his death, the late Yehuda Barkan left behind a long legacy of masterpieces that have become a milestone in Israeli culture • Review
Died only 75 years old.
Yehuda Barkan
Photography:
Eric Sultan
About three weeks after he was hospitalized, actor Yehuda Barkan passed away from Corona.
Barkan, 75, was hospitalized in the intensive care unit of Hadassah Hospital in Jerusalem, and tonight (Saturday) his associates were informed of his death.
News of his death was published online during the day, but at the request of the family, it was only officially published at the end of Shabbat.
With his hospitalization and deteriorating condition, his family sought to maintain privacy and pray for him.
"At the request of the Barkan family, we do not issue updates on Yehuda Barkan's condition.
The family wanted to say that they thank the public for their love and ask everyone to continue to pray, "the hospital said at the time. Many industrialists joined in and asked to pray for him as well.
Yehuda Barkan was a director, actor and producer in film and television, winner of the Lifetime Achievement Award from the Israeli Film Academy.
He was born in Netanya under the name Yehuda Yehezkel, in the army he served in the Combat Engineering Corps and in the Northern Command Band and upon his release he joined the "Dizengoff Command Band" alongside Edna Lev, Shashi Keshet, Tzila Dagan and Arie Moscone.
What began in the early 1970s, as part of the "Hot and Delicious" radio program edited and presented by Gadi Livneh, as a thriller where Barkan and others performed live phone pranks developed into a genre of films that made Bark famous and exposed on the big screen.
Over the years his name has also been linked to bankruptcy due to debts, conviction for tax evasion and return to repentance and rapprochement with the worlds of religion and spirituality.
In 1967, he played Rafi in the film "He Went to the Fields" written and directed by Yosef Milo (according to the book "He Went to the Fields" by Moshe Shamir) and in other films including "Lupo", "The Great Breakthrough", "Queen of the Road" "Katz and Kerso" In 1974 he played Charlie Ben Hanania in the movie "Charlie and a Half" and in 1975 he played Gabriel (Gabri) Levy and his twin brother Azriel Levy in the movie "Snooker Celebration", two films that entered the Israeli borax film pantheon.
During the 1980s, Barkan began directing, acting, and producing thrillers, which became a genre he identified with.
He co-wrote and directed with Yigal Shilon the films "Smile, You Eat It", "The Big Stretch", We'll Meet on a Tour "and more. He hosted the TV show" Get Out of It ". He wrote and directed the film" Camera Without Shame "and directed the film" We'll Meet on Safari " - A thriller comedy filmed in Zimbabwe and South Africa in 1992. He wrote and directed the film "Mrs. Open It's Me".
In 1985 he played the lead role in the film "Shoe Compote" which he also wrote (alongside Yossi Savya), and in 1987 he began playing Yitzhak (Chico) Ben David in the film "Stolen Father" written by Haim Marin and Pini Eden and directed by Yankol Goldwasser;
The film became a trilogy with two more successful films ("Stolen Father 2" written by Pini Eden and Shlomo Mashiach (based on Barkan's idea) and "Stolen Father 3" written by Haim Marin and Shlomo Mashiach and directed by Ayelet Menachami) and the character of Chico Ben David as one Favorite characters on screen.
In 1990 he played Arik Schwartzman in the film "Kiss in the MPC" written by Barkan alongside Shlomo Mashiach and directed by Shmulik Furstenberg and in 1993 he played Mickey in the film "Looking for a Husband on Four" written by Yaron Zelig and Hagit Maor (based on Barkan's idea) and directed by Shimon Azulai , A movie that became a box office failure and led Barkan to bankruptcy.
His suspense genre has also reached the small screen in the nation with the program "Do Not Knock an Account" on Keshet broadcasts.
He later starred in roles in other films and series, including the documentary "Camera Caution" alongside Nurit Geffen and Josie Katz, and the drama series "Love in the Fall" alongside Lia Koenig.
From 2010 he played Meir Rotenberg in the drama series created by the Margalit Foundation "Yellow Peppers" and with the process of repentance he also starred in various films of the religious sector alongside presenting various radio programs.
Among his last roles: in the film "Love in Shlakes" in 2019 alongside Nitza Shaul.