Biography

Asher Tlalim (Hebrew: אשר טללים; aka: Asher de Bentolila Tlalim, 30 March 1950 – 21 October 2022) was an Israeli filmmaker, born in Tangier (then an international city, now part of Morocco), who grew up in Spain and since the beginning of the millennium was based in London. Tlalim was mostly known for his 1989-90 trilogy Kol ha’Anashim Ha’bodedim (All the Lonely People, recipient of the 1990 Wolgin Prize, Jerusalem Film Festival); for his 1994 film Don’t Touch My Holocaust (recipient of the Israeli Academy Award prize, currently named Ophir Award); his critically acclaimed film Galoot, exile in Hebrew as well as his children's videos, Dig-dig-dug 1, 2 & 3 and others.

Tlalim's films have been shown in the Berlin Film Festival, Jerusalem Film Festival, Montreal Film Festival, Hamptons Film Festival, Chicago Film Festival, Sheffield Doc/Fest, and many others. Tlalim's work has received scholarly attention by academics such as Omer Bartov and others.

Tlalim lived in London and taught at the National Film and Television School (NFTS). Asher Tlalim was born in Tangier in 1950 under the name of Mesod Bentolila to Ester and Jacob Bentolila. From Tangier, the family moved to Malaga, Spain. The family came to Israel in 1960 and settled in B’nei Brak, where he studied in a religious high-school. In 1968 Tlalim was drafted to the Golani Brigade of the army. He was stationed in the Sinai during the War of Attrition (1967-70) and later also took part in the Yom Kippur War (1973). Experiences from these wars served as the basis for his first films.

Tlalim lived in Jerusalem for many years. In 1998 he moved to London with his second wife, Ronit. He taught at the National Film and Television School (NFTS) whilst continuing to direct and produce films in the UK and Israel.