Benny Brunner

Benny Brunner (; born 1954) is an Israeli-Dutch filmmaker, born in Bârlad, Romania and based in Amsterdam since 1986. He studied film at Tel Aviv University. and films concerning the modern history of the Middle East. He describes himself as "a veteran leftist" his films have been screened at the San Francisco Jewish Film Festival, the International Documentary Film Festival Amsterdam, the Jerusalem Film Festival, the San Diego Jewish Film Festival, and numerous international, human rights and Jewish film festivals. Brunner studied film at Tel Aviv University at the Ramat Aviv campus in the Katz Faculty of the Arts' Department of Film and Television. The film won a Taurus trophy for special commendation in Non-Fiction at the Prix Europa in 1991. Brunner collaborated with the historian to find images to accompany the text. He researched archives and propaganda footage. Brunner toured with Al-Nakba to discuss the subject with audiences in Israel and San Francisco.

The Concrete Curtain (2004) The film follows his own film The Wall (2003) as further documentation of the West Bank wall and the difficulties imposed upon Palestinians. Variety noted the film for its Kafkaesque absurdism and dark humor.

The Great Book Robbery (2011) While shooting State of Suspension in 2008, Brunner stated that he read Salvage or Plunder? Israel's "Collection" of Private Palestinian Libraries in West Jerusalem by Gish Amit. He was "stunned" at the appropriation of 70,000 books by the State of Israel during the 1948 Palestinian expulsion and flight as significant to the loss of Palestinian cultural heritage and decided to make a film on the topic.

Views Brunner self-describes as a former Zionist who sympathizes with the Palestinian people.

Personal life Brunner still visits the Middle East two to three times a year. Guernica said his visits are a source of creative inspiration.