Three of the stars of “Fauda,” the hit Israeli Netflix series, will join a “Coffee with the Cast” webinar, part of Friends of the Israel Defense Forces’ (FIDF) Engage webseries, on Friday, April 17, at 11 AM EST; one day after the third season of Fauda launches on Netflix. The event is a temporary digital alternative to community events and galas across the United States, as many of them have been postponed due to Covid-19.
The new season of Fauda is a 12-episode series presented bilingually in Hebrew and Arabic with subtitles. The thriller tells the story of an undercover unit in the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) with a focus on Israeli agent Doron Kavillio, played by the show’s creator, Lior Raz. The show’s last two seasons took place primarily in the Judea and Samaria region of Israel. The new season, which was partly filmed in the Israeli-Arab town of Jisr az-Zarqa, moves the action to the Gaza Strip.
AFP reported that in the third season Kavillio, posing as a coach, steers a young Palestinian boxer with a bright future down a path with substantial consequences.
Scenes set in Gaza were also filmed in the Arab-Israeli city of Kfar Kassem.
I think (Season 3) it’s a much darker season,” says Lior Raz. “It’s an emotional journey for Doron that’s stronger than the other seasons. Another thing: Doron is the hero but he’s losing all the time. He never wins, and in Season 3 he will lose so many things while he tries to do what he thinks is best for him, for Israel, for his team and for Bashar, who’s a great character.
“Doron has (figuratively) lost his family and his son, who doesn’t want to talk to him anymore,” he says. “He has Bashar, who becomes like a son to him, but he’s losing him, too.”
Actor Yaakov Zada Daniel, who plays one of the members of the elite IDF anti-terror unit in the show, will be among those participating in the “Coffee with the Cast” webinar. Daniel is a recipient of the FIDF IMPACT! Scholarship Program, which grants four-year academic scholarships to combat and combat-support soldiers from challenging socioeconomic backgrounds.
Also on the panel will be actors Rona-Lee Shim’on who plays Nurit, the only woman in the Israeli counter-terrorism unit, and Boaz Konforty who plays Avihai, a member of the counter-terrorist unit who is always ready to jump into action with very little emotion. The stars will answer questions asked by those who have registered in advance for the webinar. Hosting “Coffee with the Cast,” will be Michal Divon, noted TV journalist and anchor of i24 news.
According to an AFP report, Fauda, which means “chaos” in Arabic, has won accolades and drawn controversy since it premiered in 2015 as the first prominent Israeli show to screen in both Hebrew and Arabic.
It has attracted a global following since it was picked up by Netflix in 2016, and the streaming service is set to release the third season in most of the world this week.
AFP reported that Fauda has been praised by many as offering a nuanced depiction of the conflict, and the New York Times in December called it one of the 30 best international television shows of the decade.
With unprecedented numbers of people streaming television at home during isolation forced by the COVID-19 pandemic, Fauda’s third season appears poised to draw a substantial audience.
