Nissim Sharim

Nissim Sharim Paz (20 July 1932 – 5 November 2020) was a Chilean actor and theater director. He was the director of Ictus theater company from 1962 to 2015, and is also known for having participated both in the TV show La Manivela and for a famous Banco Estado publicity together with Delfina Guzmán. He was also a prominent opponent of the military dictatorship.

Biography Nissim Sharim Paz was born on 20 July 1932 in Santiago, Chile. His grandfather was a Syrian Jew, and his father, Elías Sharim, was a Jew from Lebanon. He was the youngest of four brothers. His first two schools were the Windsor and Cambridge School. During his youth, he was part of the youth socialist zionist movement Hashomer Hatzair that marked him for its ideology and that, in turn, strengthened his bond with Judaism. In the meetings that he attended together with other young Chileans of Jewish descent, they offered training activities on the Jewish tradition. He started his acting career in 1962, when he entered at the Ictus theater, a company he directed until 2015. He married Argentine psychologist Juana Kovalskys and had two daughters: psychologist Dariela and actress Paula Sharim. After the completion of the program, he dedicated himself to performing theater and participating in films. Julio comienza en julio (1976), and Música y palabras (1978). In the 40-year Theater cycle of the Museum of Memory and Human Rights, the show Lindo país esquina con vista al mar from 1979 and directed by Sharim is presented. He was also a prominent opponent of Augusto Pinochet's military dictatorship, which caused harassment, persecution and even death threats. He also featured in films such as La candelaria (1982), Historia de un Roble Solo (1983), and Sexto A 1965 (1985). In politics, he was part of the central leadership of the Partido por la democracia (PPD) in 1989. Additionally, he was a columnist for Diario Siete and a board member of TVN from 2000 to 2004.

In 2008, he published his only book, entitled Espera larga. In 2012, he made his final film appearance in El incontrolable mundo del azar. In 2015, after 53 years at the helm of Ictus, he stepped down as director due to health problems, handing the leadership to his daughter Paula. He also appeared in Familia moderna (2015) and Veinteañero a los 40 (2016). On 12 December 2016, he received the Rene Cassin Human Rights Award from B'nai B'rith Chile. In 2019, he was honored with the Luz y Memoria award by the Jewish Community of Chile. Regarding his lifelong connection to the venue, Sharim had previously stated:

Filmography Cinema ¡Ufa con el sexo! (1968) Julio comienza en julio (1976) Música y palabras (1978) La candelaria (1982) Historia de un Roble Solo (1983) Sexto A 1965 (1985) El incontrolable mundo del azar (2012)

Television La Manivela (1970) Página web (1998) Familia moderna (2015) Veinteañero a los 40 (2016)