Inspired by a gunfight in a Hollywood Western, Samuel Maoz shot his first film at age 13. The experience resulted in the destruction of his prized 8mm camera, but failed to break his creative spirit: by the time he signed up for National Service, he had made dozens of short films. Maoz trained as a Tank Gunner, the death-dealing significance of the role lost on him at the tender age of 18. Training seemed ‘like an amusement park for boys’. War with Lebanon broke out in 1982; when Maoz finally returned home, physically unharmed, his mother rejoiced, little understanding that ‘her son has died in Lebanon’. Years of inertia passed as Maoz tried to come to terms with his war experiences. He describes the completion of his film Lebanon (2009) as finally returning home. Samuel Maoz won the Jury Grand Prize at the 2010 APSAs for Lebanon, which also received the Best Screenplay award. Lebanon won the Golden Lion at the 66th Venice International Film Festival in 2009, becoming the first Israeli produced film to win that honour. Among many international accolades for the film, Samuel Maoz was named European Discovery of the Year at the European Film Awards in 2010. Maoz is well regarded as a documentary filmmaker for films such as the ARTE production Total Eclipse (2000). He is a member of the European Film Academy and the Asia Pacific Screen Academy.
The Asia Pacific Screen Academy expresses its respect for and acknowledgement of the South East Queensland Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities. We pay our respects to the Traditional Owners of country, including the custodial communities on whose land works are created and celebrated by the Asia Pacific Screen Awards. We acknowledge the continuing connection to land, waters and communities. We also pay our respects to Elders, past and present. We recognise the integral role Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander and First Nations peoples continue to play in storytelling and celebration spaces.
