Keren Yedaya was born in the U.S. in 1972, but her family moved to Israel in 1975, when she was just three.
She trained at the Camera Obscura School of Art, in Tel Aviv.
Yedaya is known as a political activist for women’s rights and takes part in protests against Israeli military presence in the West Bank.
She began her career making short films, such as Elinor in 1994, about the tribulations of an Israeli female conscript to the Army.
Lulu in 1998 dealt with prostitution in Israel.
French producer Emmanuel Agneray then invited Yedaya to France where she shot her third short film Les dessous (Underwear), about a Parisian lingerie and women’s wear store.
In 2001, she received from the Montpelier Mediterranean Film Festival financial support for developing a feature film, Or (My Treasure), which won the Camera d’Or (Best First Film) at the 2004 Cannes Film Fest.
Her follow-up feature, Jaffa, in 2009, also screened at the Cannes Film Fest.
Her 2014 film, That Lovely Girl, was selected for the Un Certain Regard section at the 2014 Cannes Film Fest.
Filmography as Director
1994: Elinor (short film)
1999: Lulu (short film)
2001: Les dessous (aka Underwear)
2004: Or (My Treasure)
2009: Jaffa
2014: That Lovely Girl
