Biography
Gideon Raff — director with roots in the Russian Empire
Gideon Raff is an Israeli-American television writer, director, and producer who created Prisoners of War (Hatufim) — the Israeli drama series that was adapted by Showtime as Homeland, one of the most acclaimed American television dramas of the 2010s.
Russian Connection
Tracing the roots — Russia
Raff's family has Russian ancestry — part of the Russian-Jewish emigration that built Israel's cultural and creative industries. His storytelling sensibility — the interest in divided loyalties, hidden identities, and the psychological cost of service — resonates deeply with the Russian-Jewish experience of navigating between worlds.
Creator of Homeland (Prisoners of War).
Family Tree
Subject
Gideon Raff🇮🇱 Israel
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Origin
Russia🇷🇺 Russian Empire
Historical context
Russian Empire · c. 1721–1917
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Russia. At the time, this region lay within the Russian Empire, which spanned from Poland to the Pacific.
Map: Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA)
Key Achievements
A career defined by ambition
01
Created Prisoners of War (Hatufim) — adapted as Homeland (Showtime)
02
Homeland won 6 Emmy Awards and 2 Golden Globes
03
Directed The Red Sea Diving Resort (Netflix, 2019)
04
Created When Heroes Fly (Netflix, 2018)
05
One of Israeli television's most internationally influential creators
Sources