Other with Ari’el Stachel

Moshe Rosenthal

In this episode, I sit down with Moshe Rosenthal, writer and director of the hit Israeli film “Karaoke”, which recently had its world premiere at the Tribeca Film Festival. His film went on to win multiple Israeli Academy awards, the audience award at the Jerusalem film festival, and later secured a North American distribution deal. I talk to Moshe about his upbringing as a half Egyptian, half Turkish Queer Israeli, how the “flag waving” that is expected of artists from marginalized backgrounds limits our art, and how when we tell & sell our stories over and over, our trauma can morph and become a part of our charm.

KiKi Layne

In my second episode, I sit down with star of stage and screen, KiKi Layne, most notable for her breakout role in Barry Jenkins' "If Beale Street Could Talk." She also stars opposite Charlize Theron in The Netflix action trilogy "The Old Guard." We talk about her determination to succeed in a community that has limited expectations for Black girls, her journey navigating a career in Hollywood and fighting for proper representation, and finally, we delve into the complicated nature of navigating our interracial and intercultural relationship.

Sasson Gabai

In this episode, I sit down with Sasson Gabai, an Iraqi-Israeli actor & winner of 4 Ophir Awards, Asia Pacific Screen Award, European Film Awards and Jerusalem Film Festival in 2007 as Best Actor in the highly acclaimed film "The Band's Visit" as well as the Broadway hit of the same name (where we met.) He can also be seen in Netflix's "Shtisel" and his latest film, "Karaoke," out now. We discuss his identity as an Iraqi Jew who immigrated to Israel, his childhood assimilating into Israeli society, his long career as an actor on stage and screen, and the way he continues to navigate his identity.