Irving Saraf obit

Oscar-Winning Producer Irving Saraf Dies at 80

He produced and directed the feature documentary “In the Shadow of the Stars,” about the San Francisco Opera, and worked on the best picture winner “One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest.”

 He was not on the list.

Irving Saraf, a producer, editor and director who won an Academy Award for producing the 1991 feature documentary In the Shadow of the Stars, has died. He was 80.

Born in Poland and raised and educated in Israel, Saraf died Dec. 26 at his home in San Francisco after a three-year battle with Lou Gehrig’s disease.

One of his sons is Peter Saraf, the Oscar-nominated producer whose résumé includes Adaptation (2002), Little Miss Sunshine (2006) and Our Idiot Brother (2011).

Saraf, who came to the U.S. in 1952, founded the film unit of San Francisco public TV station KQED and was the former manager of Saul Zaentz’s production company Fantasy Films. Working with Zaentz, he produced a score of movies and served as postproduction supervisor of the 1976 best picture winner One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest.

With Allie Light, his producing partner since 1981 and second wife, Saraf co-directed, edited and produced In the Shadow of the Stars, which relegated the divas to the background to focus on the lives of the members of the chorus of the San Francisco Opera.

Saraf and Light also shared a News and Documentary Emmy for outstanding interview program in 1995 for PBS’ Dialogues With Madwomen.

His more than 150 credits also include the 1965 telefilm Poland, Communism’s New Look; 1966’s USA Poetry: Twelve Films About Modern Poets; and 2009’s Empress Hotel, about the downtrodden residents of the hotel located in San Francisco’s Tenderloin district.

A member of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, Saraf received a B.A. in motion pictures from UCLA and for many years taught film production at San Francisco State University.

In addition to Light, his wife of 38 years, and son Peter, Saraf is survived by other children Michal, Ilana, Alexis, Charles and Julia and eight grandchildren.

Editor

An Iraqi Lullaby for Children Who Are About to Die

Video

Editor

2004

 

Children and Asthma

TV Movie

Editor

2002

 

Desert Dogs

8.3

Short

Editor

2001

 

Blind Spot: Murder by Women

6.3

Editor

2000

 

Rachel's Daughters: Searching for the Causes of Breast Cancer

6.9

Editor

1997

 

Dialogues with Madwomen (1994)

Dialogues with Madwomen

8.0

Editor

1994

 

In the Shadow of the Stars (1991)

In the Shadow of the Stars

6.5

Editor

1991

 

The Mothers of the Plaza of Mayo (1985)

The Mothers of the Plaza of Mayo

7.0

Editor

1985

 

Great Spirit Within the Hole

TV Movie

Editor

1983

 

Visions of Paradise

TV Mini Series

Editor

1982

 

You Were There

TV Series

Editor

1981

 

Death and Dying

TV Movie

Editor

1980

 

Battle of Westlands

TV Movie

Editor

1980

 

Fear

TV Movie

Editor

1971

 

Fidel (1971)

Fidel

7.2

TV Movie

Editor

1971

 

From Protest to Resistance, Critical Look at the New Left

TV Movie

Editor

1968

 

Duke Ellington: Love You Madly

TV Special

Editor

1967

 

NET Playhouse (1964)

NET Playhouse

7.3

TV Series

Editor

1967

1 episode

 

USA Poetry: Twelve films About Modern Poets

TV Movie

Editor

1966

 

Poland, Communism's New Look

TV Movie

Editor

1965

 

Louisiana Diary, Voter Registration Drive

TV Movie

Editor

1963

 

Producer

Empress Hotel (2009)

Empress Hotel

7.5

producer

2009

 

The Sermons of Sister Jane: Believing the Unbelievable

Video

producer

2006

 

Good Food Bad Food, Childhood Obesity

Short

producer

2005

 

An Iraqi Lullaby for Children Who Are About to Die

Video

executive producerproducer

2004

 

Blind Spot: Murder by Women

6.3

producer

2000

 

Rachel's Daughters: Searching for the Causes of Breast Cancer

6.9

producer

1997

 

Dialogues with Madwomen (1994)

Dialogues with Madwomen

8.0

producer

1994

 

In the Shadow of the Stars (1991)

In the Shadow of the Stars

6.5

producer

1991

 

Visions of Paradise

TV Mini Series

producer

1982

 

Nellie Wong and Mitsuye Yamada in Mitsuye and Nellie (1981)

Mitsuye and Nellie

producer

1981

 

Fear

TV Movie

producer

1971

 

NET Playhouse (1964)

NET Playhouse

7.3

TV Series

producer (segment "Tyrannus Nix?")

1970

1 episode

 

Poland, Communism's New Look

TV Movie

producer

1965

 

Changing World (1964)

Changing World

TV Series

producer

1965

1 episode

 

The Rejected

TV Movie

producer

1961

 

Director

The Sermons of Sister Jane: Believing the Unbelievable

Video

Director

2006

 

An Iraqi Lullaby for Children Who Are About to Die

Video

Director

2004

 

Blind Spot: Murder by Women

6.3

Director

2000

 

Rachel's Daughters: Searching for the Causes of Breast Cancer

6.9

Director

1997

 

Shakespeare's Children

7.3

Director

1996

 

In the Shadow of the Stars (1991)

In the Shadow of the Stars

6.5

Director

1991

 

Welcome Home, Stranger

Short

Director

1983

 

Visions of Paradise

TV Mini Series

Director

1982

 

We Are Driven

TV Movie

Director

1982

 

Nellie Wong and Mitsuye Yamada in Mitsuye and Nellie (1981)

Mitsuye and Nellie

Director

1981

 

Fear

TV Movie

Director

1971

 

NET Playhouse (1964)

NET Playhouse

7.3

TV Series

Director (segment "Tyrannus Nix?")

1970

1 episode

 

Poland, Communism's New Look

TV Movie

Director

1965

 

Changing World (1964)

Changing World

TV Series

Director

1965

1 episode

 

Cinematographer

Blind Spot: Murder by Women

6.3

Cinematographer

2000

 

Rachel's Daughters: Searching for the Causes of Breast Cancer

6.9

Cinematographer

1997

 

Dialogues with Madwomen (1994)

Dialogues with Madwomen

8.0

Cinematographer

1994

 

Fidel (1971)

Fidel

7.2

TV Movie

Cinematographer

1971

 

From Protest to Resistance, Critical Look at the New Left

TV Movie

Cinematographer

1968

 

Duke Ellington: Love You Madly

TV Special

Cinematographer

1967

 

USA Poetry: Twelve films About Modern Poets

TV Movie

Cinematographer

1966

 

Poland, Communism's New Look

TV Movie

Cinematographer

1965

 

Take This Hammer

7.9

TV Movie

Cinematographer

1964

 

Louisiana Diary, Voter Registration Drive

TV Movie

Cinematographer

1963

 

Camera and Electrical Department

Blind Spot: Murder by Women

6.3

additional camera operator

2000

 

In the Shadow of the Stars (1991)

In the Shadow of the Stars

6.5

additional camera

1991

 

World in Action (1963)

World in Action

7.1

TV Series

camera operator

1969

1 episode

 

Louisiana Diary, Voter Registration Drive

TV Movie

photography

1963

 

Editorial Department

Three Warriors (1977)

Three Warriors

6.5

supervising editor

1977

 

Go Ride the Music (1970)

Go Ride the Music

TV Special

additional editor

1970

 

Production Management

Jack Nicholson in One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest (1975)

One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest

8.7

post-production supervisor

1975

 

Additional Crew

Nathaniel Dorsky, Tom Fitzpatrick, Elsa Gidlow, Pat Bond, Tede Mathews, and David Gillon in Word Is Out (1977)

Word Is Out

8.0

technical consultant

1977

 

Thanks

Miss Representation (2011)

Miss Representation

7.5

special thanks

2011

 

The Wild Parrots of Telegraph Hill (2003)

The Wild Parrots of Telegraph Hill

7.8

many thanks

2003

 

American Experience (1988)

American Experience

8.6

TV Series

very special thanks

2003

1 episode

 

Self

The 64th Annual Academy Awards (1992)

The 64th Annual Academy Awards

6.6

TV Special

Self - Winner

1992