Making a film about Shaike Ophir, one of Israel’s greatest acting, entertainment, and pantomime talents is a heavy responsibility. For a period of three years, in the making of the film, I felt an obligation to reveal the real story of a man who became a cultural icon. Shaike's enormous talent was recognized both at home and abroad, yet Shaike the man remained an enigma. He was the man of a thousand faces whose real face was almost never seen. My goal was to become intimately acquainted with Shaike the human being – to find out what drove him, what determined the course of his personal life, and to come to know the people important to him, particularly the women who were significant figures in his life.

It started with Ophir's extraordinary widow, Lydia, whom I met several years ago. When conditions were suitable, Lydia agreed to open up her home to me, to allow me access to her coveted memories. She was and would remain Mrs. Shaike Ophir until her dying day. She saved Shaike from fading from the annals of Israel's cultural history over the past thirty years since his death at age fifty-nine. Lydia Ophir passed away about a year ago, and did not get to view the film. I am certain she would have been thrilled by the love with which it has been received. We dedicate this film to her memory.

Shaike Ophir was one of the foremost figures in Israeli culture that I grew up with in in the 1970s and 1980s. At the time, there was one black and white TV channel in Israel with 100 percent audience ratings. Shaike was a dominant force on television, as well as on the big screen. His film, "Policeman Azoulay" won the Golden Globe and was nominated for an Oscar, and there were others. Shaike had it all, yet something went awry. What happened, and which Shaike will you take away with you when you see the film? I leave that to you, dear viewers.

-Ari Davidovich