In 2007, Israeli filmmaker Assaf Bernstein made the spy thriller THE DEBT, about a trio of Mossad agents whose encounter with an escaped Nazi hangs over their lives for decades. While THE DEBT was remade by Miramax in 2010, Bernstein did not follow his film into the American studio system at that time, instead working on a couple television series in Israel.
Nine years after making his version of THE DEBT, Bernstein is preparing another feature, one that has been set up with Ace in the Hole Productions, Primary Wave Entertainment, and Dana Lustig Productions to be his U.S. directing debut.
He will be writing and directing a psychological thriller called BEHIND THE GLASS, which has a rather interesting synopsis:
Maria, a shy and reclusive 18-year-old high school girl, is alienated by her parents and known as an outcast by her peers. Her only confidant is her own reflection in the mirror, from which she derives comfort, a sense of belonging, and ultimately, her own demise.
Bernstein says that this is a story he has had in his mind since he was a boy, and that the lead double role of Maria/Airam is "amazingly powerful, rare, and dynamic."
Casting is currently underway, with an actress with a magnetic, unique screen presence, someone who can "play innocent and complex in the same instance", being sought for Maria/Airam. Another major role is Maria's father Dan, who is described as a modern Dorian Gray and is said to be "truly enigmatic and intriguingly dark."
BEHIND THE GLASS definitely sounds like one to keep an eye on as it comes together.
THE DEBT 2007