Today we’d like to introduce you to David Sarfati.
David, we appreciate you taking the time to share your story with us today. Where does your story begin?
I was born in Toulouse, France and when I was about a one-year-old my parents moved us to Israel. They always dreamt about moving to Israel and building a life there, which is quite an interesting turnout that I ended up promoting Israel abroad as a vocation. I grew up watching a lot (and I mean a LOT) of television. While other kids were playing soccer or going to the boy scouts, I was investigating TV shows, how they are produced and more than anything the power of their storytelling, which I knew from a first-person experience. Therefore, as a teenager, I started writing about TV shows I watched and fell in love in the magic of television not only on screen but behind it as well. In 2016, I moved to Los Angeles and started to get to know the industry from within, working with all sorts of media outlets and studios as part of my job at the Israeli Tourism Board. Realizing I want to fuel my objective in creating change, promoting Israel through the power of media and Hollywood.
Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way. Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
I wouldn’t say moving here has been a smooth road, but I’ve definitely been lucky. The thing that stands out to me most is how, when I moved to Los Angeles, I thought I would fit right in, you know? It’s funny how as a foreigner growing up on American TV shows and films, you really think you’re a part of the culture and understand it thoroughly. I was somewhat of a foreigner in Israel, growing up in a French speaking, European bred family, and I was again a foreigner here too. In a way, it helped me understand how I can bring different cultures together, but it’s not always easy not to fully belong. Being an immigrant in this country during these past few years really shifted the way I understood the world, my surroundings and the biases we have towards those who are different from us. In 2017, I went back to Israel for a month to learn more about the Israeli Palestinian conflict through the eyes of artists and performers who wanted to share their culture and history through their arts. I understood the power of media and producing events when I saw their live performances and how it brings together people in the most cohesive pure sense.
Appreciate you sharing that. What else should we know about what you do?
I think this theme speaks to my crafts and passion at large. Working with Israel in Los Angeles over the past several years, I learned how to bring completely different cultures together. I learned how to cater to American audiences and guide them through the exotic, complex destination that is Israel. Be it through social media, where I’ve produced a series where Influencers share their favorite things about the destination; I’ve also promoted the conversation around LGBT causes through tourism. For example, I auctioned a full trip to Israel at the renowned OUTFEST Legacy awards, which honors the bold, courageous, and creative storytellers of the year, where Lili Tomlin and the Cast and Creator of Pose were honored. If I examine the different projects I take on, I identify a through line, I aim to bring people together, to highlight their shared values, to help them see we share so much more that we think and that we can overcome gaps by leaning into those similarities. I think it’s imperative in this day and age. As I mentioned, being a foreigner in Israel and then a foreigner in the United States gave me perspective as to the way in which people want to be treated to and the ways in which we should treat others.
Risk taking is a topic that people have widely differing views on – we’d love to hear your thoughts.
I was just thinking about that recently. In TV you say “show, don’t tell”. I always say I’m not an adverse to risks, but then again when I stop and think about my choices and how I carved my path, I guess I am quite the risk-taker. The obvious one would be moving to Los Angeles on my own in 2016 to take the job of a producer in the tourism board with aspiration to bring forth a change in modern tourism business through storytelling. Barely knew a soul in the city, but I just had to go for it. Today it feels crazy, but I guess I would do it again. I grew to learn that nothing ventured, nothing gained. If you want your dreams to come true, you have to trust your instincts. It’s much worse to regret not doing something than having done it and failed. So far, it worked for me.
Contact Info:
- Instagram: instagram.com/DavidSarfati
Image Credits:
David Sarfati
