Swell Ariel Or, an Israeli actress who became a world star

Swell Ariel Or: Israeli actress shares Israel’s story with the world

At just 23 years old, Swell Ariel Or, an Israeli actress, became a global star thanks to her role in the period drama “The Beauty Queen of Jerusalem,” which aired on Netflix a year ago. In this series, she plays Luna, the beauty queen of Jerusalem, and has the responsibility of sharing with global audiences key elements of the founding of Israel.

Based on the novel by Israeli author Sarit Yishai Levy, “The Beauty Queen of Jerusalem” series follows three generations of a Sephardic family living in Jerusalem from the 1930s and traces the historical context of the struggle for Modern Israel.

Or revealed in a recent interview with Jewish Insider that she receives many messages from fans around the world, surprised to learn that Jewish communities lived in Jerusalem long before the founding of the Jewish state in 1948. She explains that many of them are also surprised to learn that these communities were mainly made up of Sephardic Jews who emigrated to the Holy Land when it was still part of the Ottoman Empire.

“The Sephardi community is so underrepresented in movies and on TV. This is a huge victory for Sephardi Jews,” she said enthusiastically.

Gold strongly encourages everyone, Jews and non-Jews alike, to watch the series, as she believes it provides a historical and authentic perspective on the Middle East region. She points out that many people talk about the Middle East without really knowing the true history of this region.

Despite her young age and lack of experience as an actress, Or rose to the challenge of telling these crucial details of Israel’s history with brilliance. She describes how she prepared for the role of Luna, a teenager living nearly 100 years ago, by doing careful historical research and keeping a diary to better understand life in Jerusalem in the 1930s and 1940s.

She points out that Luna’s character was ahead of her time, with progressive views and lofty dreams for a woman of that era. Gold sought to understand the challenges women faced during this period, including the limitations imposed by the glass ceiling of the time.

The young actress was supported and advised by the production team of the series, as well as by fellow actors such as Michael Aloni and Hila Saada. These experiences allowed her to grow and learn a lot about acting.

Besides her role in “The Beauty Queen of Jerusalem”, Or is also pursuing other projects, such as an episode in the Brazilian series “How to be Carioca”, broadcast on Disney+, and the production of her first feature film entitled ” Kissufim”. She already has an American work visa and aims to conquer Hollywood.

“I want to bring an Oscar to Israel and I can’t do it through Israeli films. My only chance to do that is in Los Angeles,” Or said determinedly.

As a promising young actress, Swell Ariel Or continues to shine on screens and yearns to share Israel’s history and culture with the world. His passion for his profession and his desire to represent the Sephardic community are a source of inspiration for many spectators.

Jforum.