ALMAGOR, GILA

ALMAGOR, GILA (1939– ), first lady of Israeli stage and screen; also the author of several children's books. Born in Petaḥ Tikvah, Almagor wrote about her troubled childhood as the daughter of a widowed, mentally ill Holocaust survivor in her book, The Summer of Aviya, which was filmed in 1988. It starred Almagor herself in a role based on her mother. The prize-winning film was followed by another book, Under the Domim Tree, and another film adaptation starring Almagor. These two films are highlights in a career that began when she was 17 and appeared in the Habimah National Theater's production of The Skin of Our Teeth. Her stage credits include Medea, The Crucible, and Three Sisters. She has appeared in over 35 films, including Sallah Shabbati (1964), The House on Chelouche Street (1973), Operation Thunderbolt (1977), Life According to Agfa (1992), and The Gospel According to God (2004). She was awarded the Israel Prize in 2004. Almagor is married to Ya'akov Agmon, the former director of Habimah. (Hannah Brown (2nd ed.)