David Gurfinkel

David Gurfinkel

Birth : 1938-12-12, Tel Aviv, Israel

History

David Gurfinkel was born on December 12, 1938 in Tel Aviv, Israel. He is known for Festival At The Poolroom (1975), Over the Top (1987), Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles III (1993) and Dangerous Acts (1998).

Profile

David Gurfinkel

Movies

Sof Ha'Olam Smola
Director of Photography
The year is 1968. To a small town in the south of Israel, mostly inhabited by Moroccan immigrants, a few families from India arrive, searching for a better life in the west. The instinct driven Moroccans patronize the "black" Indians, while the quiet Indians see the Moroccans as Ignorant and coarse. In this cultural war two girls, Moroccan and Indian, discover the sexual revolution of the 60's.
The Order
Director of Photography
When Rudy, an artifacts smuggler, goes to Jerusalem to rescue his kidnapped archeologist father, he faces deportation by a scheming police chief. Now, to find his dad and recover a sacred scroll, he'll have to outwit officials and a ruthless sect. With the help of a beautiful Israeli cop, Rudy battles a faction of religious zealots determined to see a holy war at all costs.
The Last Patrol
Director of Photography
After a massive earthquake destroys Los Angeles, a new order is formed. But disagreement among the ranks leads to more war and disruption, and The Last Patrol must bring order if there's to be any hope for the future.
Three Sisters
Director of Photography
"Life has passed and we have achieved nothing" Thats's what Ester the youngest says. The eldest, Karola, keeps quite. Fruma, who is my mother, tries to write what she remembers. Three sisters in thier 70's, Holocaust survivors. More then 50 years have passed and still they can't talk of thier memories. This is a film about the trauma...
Dangerous Acts
Cinematography
On the day he is released from prison, Yisarael appears on the doorstep of the woman whose life he had changed. A weird relationship develops between the two.
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles III
Director of Photography
The four turtles travel back in time to the days of the legendary and deadly samurai in ancient Japan, where they train to perfect the art of becoming one. The turtles also assist a small village in an uprising.
Blink of an Eye
Director of Photography
An agent with psychic powers comes to the rescue of the kidnapped daughter of the CIA director.
American Samurai
Cinematography
When a father passes on the traditional family sword to one of his two adopted sons, the other--in a fit of jealous rage--joins a yakuza drug smuggling mob. When the other son decides to find him and set things straight, things don't seem to go as smoothly as he planned, and a misunderstanding leads the stepbrothers into a Turkish arena to battle swordsmen from around the world.
Like Adults - Part Two
Director of Photography
Like Adults - Part One
Director of Photography
Cover-Up
Director of Photography
Mike Anderson, a tough American reporter on a dangerous foreign assignment, finds his own life in jeopardy when he uncovers a deadly labyrinth of political intrigue that threatens the lives of thousands. Dispatched to investigate a mysterious and fatal attack on an overseas US naval base, Anderson, a leading investigative journalist and ex-US marine, finds himself back on familiar ground. Instinct makes him question the official CIA explanation that cites an unknown terrorist group called Black October. Alone, and armed only with his combat training and determination to uncover the truth, he sets out to expose a complex and dangerous political web.
Like Adults
Cinematography
"Kemo gedolim" is a collection of well known Israeli, children songs sang by Ariḳ Ainshṭain and others. In between the songs embedded short skits starring Moni Moshonov and Tsevi Shisel , who embody two porters hauling a giant crate up a winding staircase and unexpectedly run into Ariḳ, a group of kids, jugglers, clowns and storytellers emerging from the crate. The two, try to do their job faithfully but occasionally they also try to sing, dance and play, which creates a variety of funny moments.
A Man Called Sarge
Cinematography
In the midst of WWII, a group of half-witted soldiers lead by a slightly smarter sergeant, battle the Germans and especially Von Kraut in the desert.
Salsa
Cinematography
Fatherless barrio Puerto Rican Rico is a menial car mechanic by day, but lives for the nights, when he dances and dates hot dancing girls, cockily convinced the title of Salsa king in fancy nightclub La Luna's upcoming contest is to be his. He encourages his best friend, courteous gentleman Ken, to date his sister Margarita so he gets a free hand with her flirtatious classmate Lola. The reigning salsa queen Luna's interest in Rico as dance-partner threatens his on-off relationship with Vicki. More jealous trouble follows when Ken and Margarita fall in true love.
Appointment with Death
Director of Photography
Emily Boynton, the stepmother to three children, blackmails the family lawyer into destroying a second will of her late husband that would have freed the children from her dominating influence. She takes herself, the children, and her daughter-in-law on holiday to Europe and the Holy Land. At a dig, Emily is found dead and Hercule Poirot investigates.
Lool
Cinematography
Directed by Boaz Davidson and Uri Zohar.
The Emperor's New Clothes
Cinematography
In Europe several several centuries ago, a group of prisoners about to be executed are freed as part of the celebration of the upcoming marriage of the emperor's daughter, Princess Gilda, to a very rich prince from another country. Sid Caesar composed the song "Clothes Make the Man". Ran 93 minutes on German TV.
Rumpelstiltskin
Cinematography
A musical version of the classic story about a miller's daughter who recieves help from a mischievous dwarf, then ends up over her head. Now, she and a mute servant girl may be the only hope for her baby son, John.
Over the Top
Director of Photography
Sylvester Stallone stars as hard-luck big-rig trucker Lincoln Hawk and takes us under the glaring Las Vegas lights for all the boisterous action of the World Armwrestling Championship. Relying on wits and willpower, Hawk tries to rebuild his life by capturing the first-place prize money, and the love of the son he abandoned years earlier into the keeping of his rich, ruthless father-in-law.
America 3000
Director of Photography
900 years after a nuclear war in the USA, mankind is back to the stone ages. Amazon women rule the tribes, while the men are weak and dumb - either kept as slaves or living wild as animals. Only Korvis and a friend are intelligent enough to flee and found a tribe of their own. Will they manage to teach the women to love men again?
The Delta Force
Director of Photography
A 707 aircraft jetliner, en route from Athens to Rome and then to New York City, is hijacked by Lebanese terrorists, who demand that the pilot take them to Beirut. What the terrorists don't realize is that an elite team of commandos have been called in to eliminate all terrorists on the jetliner.
Mata Hari
Cinematography
Based loosely on the real-life story of the World War I spy. The exotic dancer uses her contacts in European high society, along with her seductive charm, to collect military secrets during the war. She successfully plays both sides against each other until at last her deceptions catch up with her.
Rappin'
Cinematography
An ex-con and break-dancer helps save a neighborhood from a greedy developer while trying to win a rap contest.
The Naked Face
Cinematography
Chicago psychiatrist Judd Stevens is suspected of murdering one of his patients when the man turns up stabbed to death in the middle of the city. After repeated attempts to convince the cops of his innocence, Dr. Stevens is forced to go after the real villains himself.
Sahara
Cinematography
After her father dies, young Dale takes his place in a trans-African auto race, but ends up being abducted by a desert sheik.
Revenge of the Ninja
Director of Photography
After his family is killed in Japan by ninjas, Cho and his son Kane come to America to start a new life. He opens a doll shop but is unwittingly importing heroin in the dolls. When he finds out that his friend has betrayed him, Cho must prepare for the greatest battle he has ever been involved in.
Enter the Ninja
Director of Photography
After completing his training of ninjutsu within Japan, an American Angolan Bush War veteran by the name of Cole visits his war buddy Frank Landers and his newly wed wife Mary Ann Landers, who are the owners of a large piece of farming land in the Philippines. Cole soon finds that the Landers are being repeatedly harassed by a CEO named Charles Venarius.
The Apple
Director of Photography
In the glitzy, glittering futuristic world of 1994, music is king -- and the man who controls it is all-powerful malicious mogul Mr. Boogalow. Now he has his eye on two fresh-faced young singers, Alphie and Bibi, who score a hit at his WorldVision Song Festival and fall under the irresistible spell of fame, money, and temptation.
Worlds Apart
Cinematography
After fighting the Arab armies, Assaf, an Israeli soldier, falls in love with an American living in the Arab district of Jerusalem. One day, he believes he recognizes a wanted terrorist.
The Magician of Lublin
Director of Photography
Yasha is a Jewish stage magician who tours through eastern Europe while destroying his career through personal problems. He has one more chance at theatrical success, but he needs to do a brand new trick in a Warsaw theater.
Aunt Clara
Cinematography
Clara, a polish born Jew, living in Tel Aviv of the 1970's, has her ideas about how people should behave, and runs everybody's life accordingly: her husband, her sisters, their husbands, their children, her brother who lives in London (probably because it was the only way to get away from her...). Whenever something "improper" does happen, Clara's way of handling it is simply to shove it under the carpet and ignore it completely, as if it never happened. 3 basic rules, are, of course: 1. Never marry some one "under" your class (Or the class you think you are). 2. Never become pregnant out of wedlock and 3. No Abortions. As one may expect, everything crumbles when her niece gives her no option, but to break at least one of those rules
Kid Vengeance
Director of Photography
One of Cannon Films' two 1976 Italian-Israeli co-productions starring Lee Van Cleef and Leif Garrett (Gianfranco Parolini's Pistola di Dio was the other), this spaghetti western was actually shot in the Middle East by American director Joseph Manduke. Pop star Garrett plays Tom, a teenager who teams with a black gunfighter named Isaac (Jim Brown) to avenge his family. The culprit was McClain (Van Cleef), a sadistic outlaw who carried out the brutal rape-massacre, but his role is minor, as most of the film deals with Tom's maturation and coming to terms with his feelings. Omnipresent 1970s character actors Glynnis O'Connor and John Marley co-star. If there is anything remarkable about Kid Vengeance, it is Francesco Masi's fine musical score, but the film is otherwise anemic.
Festival At The Poolroom
Director of Photography
The story is about two twin brothers, Azriel and Gavriel. Azriel is a shy, religious Jew who works in a fruit shop in Jaffa. Gavriel, is a hoodlum and a good-for-nothing hustler who runs a Snooker Bar. Gavriel and his friend Hanuka make easy money by swindling people into gambling on Snooker games.One day Gavriel is forced to renew contact with his brother because he is in trouble with a gangster.
The Father
Director of Photography
Kazablan
Director of Photography
An adaptation of a popular Israeli stage musical. Kazablan is an army veteran turned gang leader in the Israeli port of Jaffa who masks his feelings of bitterness with a lot of bravado. He's sweet on Rachel, a young woman who lives with her father and stepmother. The budding relationship scandalizes the neighbors (not to mention Rachel's parents) and infuriates Yanush, a middle-aged shoe store owner who wants Rachel for himself. (Yanush feels he's entitled to marry Rachel since they're both Ashkenazi Jews of Eastern European origins, whereas Kazablan is a Sephardic Jew from Morocco.) The neighborhood has something else to worry about besides the antics of Kazablan and his gang: the city wants to tear down their crumbling homes. The residents pool their resources to save their houses, but the money that's collected is stolen. When he's jailed for the theft, Kazablan must find a way to clear himself.
Escape to the Sun
Cinematography
Two young university students wish to escape the oppressive Soviet Union. But their plans are monitored by the KGB, who try to intimidate them. One of them is taken into custody and tortured, which spurs them to make an escape attempt that could cost them their lives
The Policeman
Director of Photography
Azulai is a policeman in Jaffa, whose incompetence is only matched by his soft-heartedness. His superiors want to send him to early retirement, but he would like to stay on the force, and the criminals of Jaffa don't want to see him leave either...
The Highway Queen
Cinematography
A story of a street walker, who tries to leave the world of prostitution when she gets pregnant.
Take Off
Director of Photography
3 friend try to have swingers night.
Three Days and a Child
Director of Photography
Based on a short story by Abraham B. Jehoshua, the movie follows Eli (Oded Kotler) taking care of an old girlfriend's child for three days. He wants him to get hurt, he worries about him. Will the child survive the three days? Will Eli?
Siege
Director of Photography
Story of a war-widow pressured by her friends to behave in the role of the heroic widow, and the journey she takes in a country of people under siege.
Every Bastard a King
Director of Photography
An American reporter and his girl-friend are visiting Israel to get a "sense of the people", in the process he meets many Israelis and some Arabs as well, particularly becoming friends with an Israeli Army reserve officer as well as an idealistic young man who is a pacifist.
The Other Side
Cinematography
An experimental and absurd avant-garde film about a bunch of unrelated people, all standing on the side of the road waiting for the traffic light to change from red to green, but the traffic light won't change. More and more people gather on the sidewalk, and a kind of class society is formed there. The film was shot during one day in which Ephraim Kishon lent Uri Zohar the set of "Blaumilch Canal" at Herzliya Studios.