Shadow of Truth

Shadow of Truth
Genre Documentary
Written by Ari Pines
Yotam Guendelman
Directed by Ari Pines
Yotam Guendelman
Theme music composer Ahuva Ozeri
Country of origin Israel
Original language(s) Hebrew & Russian
No. of seasons 1
No. of episodes 4
Production
Producer(s) Mika Timor, Ben Giladi and Yotam Guendelman
Cinematography Eitan Hatuka
Editor(s) Gal Goffer
Running time 42 minutes
Production company(s) EGG Films
Distributor Netflix
Release
Original network Netflix
Picture format Digital (HDTV)
Original release January 27, 2017 (2017-01-27) – present

Shadow of Truth is a true-crime Israeli documentary television series that was created by directors Yotam Guendelman and Ari Pines and producer Mika Timor. The series was produced by Timor, Guendelman and Ben Giladi through their EGG Films and premiered on Israeli channel HOT8 in March 2016. It was subsequently sold by the producers to Netflix for worldwide distribution and was released with subtitles in over 190 countries on January 27, 2017.[1][2][3]

The series has received positive reviews, and won several awards, including the 2017 Israeli Academy Television Awards for best documentary series, best editing and best video-art and special effects.[4]

Subject matter

The series follows the 2006 murder case of Tair Rada, a 13-year-old Israeli girl whose body was found in a school bathroom, and the subsequent arrest and trial of Roman Zadorov, a Ukrainian immigrant who had worked at the school. The series is divided into four episodes, each one exploring a different aspect of the case. The first episode focuses on the narrative of the police and prosecution, according to which Zadorov is guilty. The second episode centers on Zadorov's defense team and the deconstruction of his confession. The third episode deals with a widespread conspiracy theory spurred by social media, which points at Tair's classmates as the real culprits. The fourth episode reveals a never-heard-before testimony of a man (referred to in the series as A.H.), who told the police in 2012 that his ex-girlfriend had confessed the murder to him on the very day it happened.[5]

Reception

Shadow of Truth caused a major media storm and was at the center of public debate for months after being aired, raising many doubts concerning Zadorov's conviction while also exposing flaws in the criminal justice system as a whole.[6] Many critics hailed it as one of the most important shows in Israeli history, both for its in-depth investigative journalism and its high production value and strong artistic and cinematic qualities,[7][8][9] often comparing it to the American documentary series Making a Murderer which was released shortly before.[10][11][12]

Shadow of Truth created a stir within the Israeli judicial system, which resulted in harsh criticism from the President of the Supreme Court, Miriam Naor, as well as the Israeli State Attorney, Shai Nitzan, who called the series during a press conference "a danger to democracy". The series' creators responded by saying, "He who thinks that freedom of speech endangers democracy, is a danger to it himself."[13]

References

  1. ↑ "Netflix Buys Rights to Israeli True Crime Docu About Notorious Murder". Haaretz. January 28, 2017. Retrieved January 30, 2017.
  2. ↑ "'Shadow Of Truth' Trailer Shows Why It Could Be Netflix's Next 'Making A Murderer'". The Playlist. February 24, 2017. Retrieved February 24, 2017.
  3. ↑ "The New Trailer for Netflix's Shadow of Truth Foretells an Israeli Making a Murderer". Paste Magazine. February 24, 2017. Retrieved February 24, 2017.
  4. ↑ "Israeli Academy Television Awards Winners". NRG. March 19, 2017. Retrieved March 19, 2017.
  5. ↑ "Polygraph Backs Claim of Man Who Says Blood craving Ex girlfriend Killed Schoolgirl". Haaretz. March 28, 2016. Retrieved January 30, 2017.
  6. ↑ "Another boyfriend tells Ynet: Tair Rada murder case should be reopened". Ynet. April 1, 2016. Retrieved February 3, 2017.
  7. ↑ "'Shadow of Truth' uncovers many doubts in the Tair Rada case". Walla!. March 26, 2016. Retrieved February 3, 2017.
  8. ↑ "Why you have to see 'Shadow of Truth'". Mako. March 27, 2016. Retrieved February 3, 2017.
  9. ↑ "A danger to democracy or the most important show in Israeli history?". NRG. April 4, 2016. Retrieved February 3, 2017.
  10. ↑ "Netflix's Israeli True Crime Docuseries Could Be the Next 'Making a Murderer'". Indiewire. February 22, 2016. Retrieved February 22, 2017.
  11. ↑ "Israel gets its own 'Making a Murderer' series". Al-Monitor. May 1, 2016. Retrieved February 3, 2017.
  12. ↑ "Who killed Tair Rada? Netflix's new true crime series "Shadow of Truth" is a haunting must-see". Huffington Post. February 7, 2016. Retrieved February 9, 2017.
  13. ↑ "Top Israeli Judge, Prosecutor Slam TV Documentary About Murdered Girl". Haaretz. April 5, 2016. Retrieved January 30, 2017.
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