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Update #19: Speaking on NTV AMERICA (Russian-American TV)

Posted on September 14, 2009

It's in Russian, and the editing is traditionally clueless... BUT THIS MAN IS ONTO SOMETHING, I tell ya...

/Here's what I wrote last night (it's a draft, but anywho...):

These days,  if one can put it on "film",  there's money to be made in antisemitism, in America-bashing, in simulated muckracking (which wasn't a good business when it came to be - it used to be dangerous). There's also enough honest and talented people today, with opinions and resources to take sides and make their case on film as of this moment.

I despise the former, and see no reason for me to be yet another one of the latter.

My film is an attempt to see what's after that, what's around the bend. Desperate to repair the fabric of society, I take an example of that 120 years strong peaceable assembly over delicious meals to show that however fragile it may be, this is what prevails and stays, and this is how it works in this world: we all just have to do our small part.

As a result of all this thinking, the film I'm working on is a comedy (I called it a "food vaudeville"). USING (as the history designated Katz's itself to do) the vehicle of this tiny spot, much loved worldwide, I weave together food-on-tv, history, philosophy, celebrity, family, culinary, war, art (more here)
We learn to live together anew each and every day, and this is how it happens in real life.

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Update #17: If you're an aspiring film mogul...

Posted on August 31, 2009

...do the following: tell me three names of your favorite stars, and I bet you one of them would BE HONORED to be in "Katz's: That's All!" Then call who you think is a worthy distributor/exhibitor, and ask them, if they'd consider a feature doc about Katz's. Listen to what they say, and then call me - we'll make it happen!

Update #16: My famous interviewees so far: People who excel at what they do, and love Katz's Deli

Posted on August 17, 2009

Diane von Furstenberg, fashion designer

Anthony Bourdain, chef, TV personality

Buck Henry, writer, actor

Cousin Brucie, a legendary radio host

Ed Koch, a former NYC mayor

Raoul Felder, a celebrity lawyer

Gary Shteyngart, a bestselling author, "Absurdistan"

Rabbi Aaron Landes, Rear-Admiral (Ret.)

Sion Misrahi (realtor, Lower East Side)

Stephen Kaufman ("Hanshi"), a karate expert

Eve Jochnowitz, food historian

Mark Katz, President Clinton's jokes writer

Steve Long, Tenement Museum

Jay Maisel, photographer

Joe Franklin, a legendary TV host

Freddie Roman, comedian

Henry Stern, former Parks Commissioner

Hasia Diner, Professor, NYU

Matthew Goodman, writer

Arnold Baskin, Professor/ Film, NYU

Theodore Bikel, singer, actor

Adam Shaffer, director, Cheim Read Art Gallery (Chelsea)

Phil Lampert, NBC food commentator

David Schechter, screenwriter ("Interview", co-wrote with Steve Buscemi who directed)

Steve Zeitlin, CityLore

Josh Ozersky, food writer, New York magazine

Albert Madansky, Professor Emeritus, Chicago School of Business, RAND Corporation

Victor Niederhoffer, a renowned hedge fund manager, author

Frederick Kaufman, author, "A Short History of American Stomach"

Patricia Volk, author, "Stuffed", Oprah Magazine

Spencer Baim, founder, vles.com (Virtual LES, released by MTV)

Asher Bernstein, realtor, NYC

James Oseland, Editor-in-Chief, “Saveur” magazine

Ken Friedman, restauranteur, “The Spotted Pig”

Israel Horovitz, playwright

Jeffrey Steingarten, Vogue magazine

Arthur Schwartz, food writer

Update #15: A short animated film I wrote

Posted on August 16, 2009

some time ago. Almost no dialogue, so don't be scared by handmade titles.
Hope it shows my vast expertise with our memory's sensual aspects, and visualization thereof.
Enjoy!

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This project reached the deadline without achieving its funding goal on October 11, 2009.

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Connected as Yura Dashevsky (508 friends)

Born in Tashkent, Uzbekistan, Yura Dashevsky lives in Brooklyn, NY. At various times he worked as a scriptwriter with presently notable Russian film directors Timur Bekmambetov (“Night Watch”, "Wanted"), Bakhtiyar Khudojnazarov, and Djanik Faiziev (“Turkish Gambit”). Member of the Union of the Filmmakers of the Commonwealth of the Independent States. Current project - a feature documentary dedicated to one most remarkable American eatery (post-production).