JERUSALEM (JTA) — Brothers Joel and Ethan Coen, who have produced and directed several highly acclaimed films, will receive a $1 million prize for their contributions to filmmaking.
Tel Aviv University on Tuesday announced the recipients of the international Dan David Prize, which annually makes three awards for outstanding achievement in the categories of past, present and future time dimensions.
The Coen brothers were awarded the prize in the present category "for their ability to tell a simple story in a complex manner." The brothers are known for their cult films "Raising Arizona" and "The Big Lebowski," as well as the Academy Award-winning films "Fargo" and "No Country for Old Men."
The past category prize was awarded to Professor Marcus Feldman of the Stanford University School of Medicine for his work in the evolutionary sciences. His work explores basic scientific topics and investigates the societal consequences of the conclusions he draws in terms of models of evolution.
Professor Cynthia Kenyon of the University of California, San Francisco, and Harvard Medical School Professor Gary Ruvkun will share the future prize for their work in gerontology.
The laureates, who donate 10 percent of their prize money toward 20 doctoral and postdoctoral scholarships, will be honored at a ceremony May 15 at Tel Aviv University.
The prize is named for international businessman and philanthropist Dan David.
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