Abhiroop Das
Co-created by Moshe Zonder, Daniel Syrkin, Omri Shenhar, Maor Kohn, and Dana Eden, Apple TV+’s ‘Tehran’ chronicles Tamar Rabinyan’s journey as she races against time to stop power from falling into the wrong hands. Season 3 of this spy thriller series takes place right after Tamar receives the two biggest blows in her life yet: the death of her partner, Milad, and her mentor, Marjan. Worse still, she finds herself trapped between a two-fronted attack, led by her arch-enemy, Faraz, as well as an infamous Mossad agent named the Owl, whose sole task is to kill her. Thus, battling the label of rogue agent bestowed upon her by Mossad, she infiltrates Iran’s nuclear scene all by herself, and soon figures out the regime’s plan to become a nuclear superpower with the help of both inside and outside forces.
Upon learning that malicious forces are all set to harness powers beyond their control, Tamar goes all-out in her attempts to disrupt the process by any means necessary, even if it means risking her life and that of her cherished ones at every turn. Given that the series’ thematic core lies in how it expresses and channels the idea of loss and human perseverance in spite of it, the tribute to Lior Waitzman at the end of season 3 episode 7 attains several layers of meaning.
Lior Waitzman Brought Many Shows to Life as a Sound and Music Editor
Before Lior Waitzman joined the production family of ‘Tehran’ as a sound and foley editor, he had already established himself as one of the most sought-after creatives in the industry. In his fourth year at the School of Audio and Visual Arts at Sapir College, he joined DB Studios and quickly rose to prominence as the force behind many soundtracks for films and television. Lior met his wife, Limor, sometime before 2013, and the pair tied the knot in 2015, settling in the coastal city of Sderot.
Lior’s breakthrough work came in the form of the TV show ‘The Conductor,’ for which he worked as sound editor. From there, he went on to refine his skills and put them to use in a number of hit titles, such as ‘Transkids,’ ‘Your Honor,’ and ‘Our Boys.’ Alongside his craft in ‘Tehran,’ Lior is perhaps best known for ‘Fauda,’ where he worked as a music and editing supervisor. Lior was just as passionate about long-distance running and had participated in several half marathons and marathons. After mastering both, he found his next calling to be triathlon, and had already begun preparing when tragedy struck him and his family.
Lior Waitzman Lost His Life in the October 7 Attacks
Lior Waitzman passed away on October 7, 2023, at the age of 32, after being fatally shot during the Hamas-led attacks. He was reportedly biking as part of training for an upcoming half-Ironman triathlon contest that morning. When the shooting began, he texted his wife, Limor, to tell her that he was close by and hoping to find shelter soon. The messages were accompanied by a final selfie of him lying on the ground. The next time Lior reached out to her, it was to tell her that he had been shot, and though she exited her house to find him, the ongoing attacks forced her to return. Lior’s body was found the following morning, and he was buried on October 9 in the city of Sderot.
Lior’s death is mourned by many who remember him as a warm and loving presence, both behind the screen and in real life. Daniel Syrkin, the co-creator of ‘Tehran,’ told Deadline that “Lior was just 32 years old, and a really sweet guy… It was a normal day, and he went out on his bike smiling.” Ted Sarandos, the CEO of Netflix, echoed the sentiment at a Bloomberg event, where he added that Lior was working on ‘Bros,’ the first Netflix original production in Hebrew. Lior’s legacy continues to shine bright in the form of the art he helped bring to life. He is survived by his wife, Limor, and their son, Kfir, alongside his parents, Tamar and Baruch, and siblings, Ronen, Emmy, Daniela, and Irit.
