Israeli Co-Producer of Oscar-Winning ‘La La Land’ Score Gets Shout-Out at Academy Awards
by Ruthie Blum
An Israeli co-produced the music for the hit movie “La La Land,” which took home the Oscar for Best Original Score at the Academy Awards on Sunday night.
Los Angeles-based composer Eldad Guetta was given a shout-out on stage by award-winner Justin Hurwitz, causing Israel’s Channel 2 to quip about the Jewish state’s having a hand in everything.
Guetta, according to the report, is a producer with a rich history in the biz — as a member of the Israeli rock band Monica Sex, and with collaborations with Israeli artists, such as Roquefort, Keren Peles and Shlomi Saban, and even legend Eric Clapton. He moved to LA after a stint in London, and has already worked on movie scores, such as those of “Star Wars” and “Kick-Ass.” Currently he is working on an album with Pretenders lead singer Chrissie Hynde.
“Work on ‘La La Land’ began two and a half years ago, and no one believed that we would get to this place,” Guetta told Channel 2, following the awards ceremony. “It was a very happy sequence of events, and I had the honor and good fortune to collaborate with such talented people — especially [director] Damien Chazelle and Justin [Hurwitz]. It is a privilege to be part of something really special.”