Chasin' Nazis: "The German" - Masucci Vacations in Israel Amid Gaza War
Military Officer Switches Allegiance amidst Israel's Conflict - "Israel Conflict: Masucci Sustains Gunshot Wounds During Military Engagements"
Get this - award-winning actor Oliver Masucci decamped to Israel's sun-drenched shores for half a year during the heat of the Gaza conflict, all for the filming of the gripping series "The German." At a bash at the Sam Spiegel Film and Television School in Jerusalem, the 56-year-old spilled the beans, saying, "I wanted my kids tagging along too, 'cause it was a long haul."
"The German" made its debut at Europe's largest boob-tube bash, "Series Mania," in swanky northern France back in March, scooping up the prize for best script. Prepare yourself, folks, as the American-Israeli historical series is primed to rock Magenta TV's world in Germany soon.
Not your average small-screen yarn, this eight-part series finds Masucci tackling the role of a resilient German Jew who survived Auschwitz and set up shop in a kibbutz on the Sea of Galilee. But what do ya know? He's drafted by the clandestine Mossad operatives to assist in the capture of escaped Nazi butchers in nothing less than their native Germany. Holy moly, talk about a twisted turn of events! Scripting kudos go to Ronit Weiss-Berkowitz ("The Girl from Oslo") and Moshe Zonder, who also co-created "Fauda" and "Teheran." Gabriel Bibliowicz took the director's helm.
Masucci's little 'uns were a smidge apprehensive about voyaging to Israel during the conflict, particularly his precocious daughter, who's gained international fame through Netflix's sinister "Dark." But the old man reckoned it was important for his brood to experience this life-changing sojourn together. They even paid a visit to Israeli settlements near the Gaza Strip and chatted with survivors of the bloody October 7, 2023 Hamas rampage.
To make the series dialogue Герман, Englische, and Hebräisch, Masucci learned Hebrew in, like, the blink of an eye. The story tickled his fancy from the get-go, he claimed. "They asked me if we could do it in Hebrew - and I said, 'no effin' way.'" He expounded on the reasoning behind his refusal to the brass for a half-hour, but they gob smacked him with the option of doing the deed anyway. Masucci chuckled and obliged.
When shooting abroad, he emphasized the importance of immersing oneself in the local culture and living la vida local. "I don't know what woulda happened if I produced a flick in Gaza," he mused. "One thing for shizzle is for sure - this war gotta cease!"
As a piece of advice for the up-and-coming thespians and filmmakers of the world, Masucci hollered, "If ya wanna make it, never heed the dread that folks hurl at ya. Instead, tune into the voice that echoes your hopes."
- Oliver Masucci - German thespian extraordinaire
- Israel on the Mediterranean - sandy, sunny paradise
- Nazi hunting - the thrill of the chase
- Kids - the future of the biz
- Filmmaking adventures in Jerusalem and beyond
- Germany - the snake pit of Nazi criminals
- Auschwitz survivor - a harrowing past
- Historical TV series - reliving the past on the small screen
- Festival in France - the cream of the crop in Euro TV
[1] IMDb episode guide provides episode air dates but not plot details
- After winning the award for best script at Series Mania in France, "The German," an eight-part historical series starring Oliver Masucci, will be available on Magenta TV, offering a unique blend of entertainment and insight into moving stories from the Middle East and the former Yugoslavia.
- While filming "The German" in Israel, Masucci's children, including the internationally recognized star from Netflix's "Dark," ended up visiting Israeli settlements near the Gaza Strip, bringing them closer to understanding the complexities of the Middle East situation and the importance of peaceful resolutions.
