MEET THE CAST
BEN BOCKO
CHAIM
Ben is constantly toeing the line of being in front of and behind the camera. With over a decade of industry experience, he employs as many of his skills as possible to help a story come to life. His performance work has shown up in network series such as Showtime’s "City On A Hill" starring Kevin Bacon, and his camera work can be seen in documentaries such as Netflix's "Making Malinche" featuring Hans Zimmer. Ben recently wrapped production as a VFX Coordinator on Sony’s "Lyle, Lyle, Crocodile" starring Javier Bardem, and continues to expand his work in Visual Effects. He is thrilled to be a part Nerot Shel Shabbat and looks forward to telling this important story with his fellow cast & crew members.
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Social: @benbocko
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TALIA MARTIN
RIVKAH
Talia Martin is an Israeli-American actress and singer, born in Beer-Sheva, Israel. Acting has been a part of her life since she was 12-year-old. She performed in countless musicals over the course of 6 years before serving in the Israeli Defense Forces.
After the military, she enrolled in acting classes, first in Melbourne, Australia, and later in Los Angeles, California. In 2022 she wrote and directed her first short film titled ‘Teshuva’ and won her first award for the film ‘Enclosed’ as ‘Best Supporting actress’ at the LA Indie Short Film Festival.
HOVHANNES JOHN BABAKHANYAN
HEAD RUSSIAN GUARD
Hovhannes John Babakhanyan is an American- Armenian actor, singer, and artist. You may know him from the movies “Fake News” with Eric Roberts and Martin Kov. “Herostratus,” “Cagliostro,” "The Priestess," “ Romeo and Juliet,” “Julius Caesar,” “Jonathan Livingston Siegel.” He was in S.W.A.T. as a guest star on” “Doublebase,” “The Commandment,” “I And I,” “Lend Me a Tenor,” “A Streetcar Named Desire,” “Those Charming Lips,” and many others.
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Hovhannes has a particular passion for challenging himself by diving into the learning and getting more and more knowledge and new skills. He has graduated from three universities, earning two bachelor's and a master's degree. He became a classically trained actor who sang in seven different languages and painted portraits capturing facial features and people's characters. The unique combination of these three skills keeps him always busy and fulfilled. During his 40-year professional acting career, he has played over 270 roles in films, theatre, and TV. He loves traveling and presenting his multicultural art worldwide by participating in many film and Theatrical festivals, singing competitions, concerts, and Art exhibitions.
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During his professional career as an actor, singer, and artist Hovhannes John Babakhanyan has been awarded numerous awards such as the Woodrow Wilson gold medal, Lifetime Achievement award, The Best International Actor, Golden Microphone, 14 Grand-price, and three gold medals from the Theatrical Union.
He received the title Honored Actor of Armenia in 2006 from the country's president.
WILLOW HALE
OLDER WOMAN
WILLOW HALE acted on Broadway as Gypsy Woman in New York (STRIDER) by Tolstoy, and Nastya in The Lower Depths (Circle Rep in NYC). She plays VANGA (Bulgarian mystic) in VANGA (short film) and is ROBIN HINTON in Marvel’s Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.
She recently acted in MRS. DAVIS as Sister June in a new tv series for PEACOCK NBC/WARNER BROS./DISCOVERY.
She has over 169 tv and film credits. Willow is happy to be cast in NEROT SHEL SHABBAT film in such an important story. She lives life in the moment with her wild bird and beautiful cat.
SAANA LAIGREN CAMPANA
MOTHER
Saana Laigren Campana grew up in a small town of Järvenpää, Finland. She trained in an intensive theater program in Laajasalo, Helsinki for two years before moving to Los Angeles to pursue her dream and study acting for film in New York Film Academy. She has worked in various theater and film productions in Helsinki and Los Angeles, including her leading roles in films Mr. Kunibert, Alone at Last and Arithmetic of Survival, which were all selected in various international film festivals, winning several awards.
When she is not on set, she loves to spend time with her family: her husband Tom Campana and three rescue cats Jack, Lucy and Daisy.
MURPHY TOWNE
SON
Murphy Towne is 19 years old and was born and raised in LA, and is proud to be in Nerot Shel Shabbat. His theatre credits include, Sense and Sensibility, Scapino!, and Radium Girls.
EMILENE BELL
YOUNG RIVKAH
Emilene Bell (Young Rivkah) is excited to be a part of this film, as she enjoys doing accents and as it so happens, her character's name is her Bubbie's Hebrew name.
Recent credits include: The Bitch Who Stole Christmas (Young Olivia/Dir. Don Scardino), educational videos with EUX Media/Pearson Polaris 4 (student/Dir. Lizze Gordon, Dutch Doscher), Child Mind Institute "Understanding Feelings" for Elementary School Students (V.O.), and The Rainy Days and Nights of Noah (Unicorn/Dir. Tom Dulack).
She is in 3rd grade and a member of the San Fernando Valley Youth Chorus. Thanks to her family and agents at PMT for all of their support.
LILA DUNHAM
RAIZEL
Lila Dunham has studied acting, dancing, and singing for several years in the Thousand Oaks/LA area. She holds a Second Degree Black Belt in TaeKwonDo and is proficient in multiple styles of dance, including tap and ballet. In addition to performing, she enjoys mountain biking and studying French.
Most recently, she performed as Fletcher in the Young Artists Ensemble's production of Freaky Friday the musical, and as the lead in Home, a Pepperdine University student film.
SERA HEYWOOD-RAKHIMOVA
DAPHNA
Sera Heywood-Rakhimova (she/her/hers) [DAPHNA] is a Canadian-American international performer & graduate of The Ilkhom Theatre of Mark Weil School of Drama Studio 7, a Russian theatre conservatory in Tashkent, UZ, where she performed in 5 mainstage shows in The Ilkhom Theatre’s repertory, in English, Russian & Uzbek. Sera also holds a BA in drama & minor in Slavic languages & literatures from the University of Washington. Sera graced Broadway her 1st year in NYC (self-devised 1-woman show) & her 1st film (ever!) was accepted to the Court Métrange Short Film Corner at Cannes.
Sera has worked in an array of experimental theatre & bi-lingual films across NYC. She is also a published writer, a Reiki & EFT Tapping Practitioner & creator of the brand & ensemble-based company Actor to Artist. Sera is thrilled to make her first LA screen appearance in such a vital and moving story such as Nerot Shel Shabbat.
NANCY VAN IDERSTINE
PASSPORT WOMAN
Nancy Van Iderstine can be seen in Holiday Breakup on Amazon Prime and in her award-winning role of Helen in Velvet Crush on various streaming platforms.
A slate of new films is in the works for 2023.
Nancy has won acclaim in Los Angeles for her many live performances – including an ADA-nominated turn at the Group Repertory Theatre, and prior to that at the former HBO Workspace for her one-woman show, “7 Years I Could Have Spent In Vermont.”
As a voice artist, Nancy mostly works in animation, ADR, narration, and audiobooks. She is also a playwright, author, film studio copywriter, and copy editor.