On Sunday, reports emerged that Israel’s Eurovision 2022 pick Michael Ben David was contemplating withdrawing from the contest. However, national broadcaster KAN has swiftly knocked such speculation on the head by revealing that acclaimed stage director Marvin Dietmann will take charge of the X Factor winner’s stage show in Turin.
Marvin Dietmann confirmed as Israel’s artistic director for Eurovision 2022
In an Israeli Facebook group dedicated to Eurovision, KAN’s verified profile wrote: “Here’s an update! Marvin Dietmann will oversee the Israeli performance in Eurovision”. The statement continues “The Israeli delegation announced today that the international artistic director will oversee Michael Ben David’s performance on stage in Turin 2022. Dietmanm is a well-appreciated show director with great experience in everything Eurovision related.
In his rich resume you will find a number of years where the artistic director of the competition was or took part in other roles, and years in which he was held for different countries. Among other things, Dietmann signed the winning concert of Conchita in 2014. In the delegation, the choice is Dietmann based on his rich experience in Eurovision that speaks for itself, in a desire to reach the most professional result on the stage”. The postman ends with a selfie Dietman took while working at Eurovision 2019 in Israel.
Elsewhere in the Facebook group, KAN denied the rumours regarding Michael Ben David’s withdrawal. Responding to a fan, the broadcaster wrote: “Hey, these days Michael Ben David and the teams of Kan and Reshet 13 are working on the production of the directed number and the official video for the song I. M and confident that Michael will represent Israel respectfully on the biggest music stage in the world”.
Who is Marvin Dietmann?
Having been the artistic director of over 180 TV shows across Europe, Marvin Dietmann has a lot of experience under his belt. This includes a number of roles at Eurovision over the past decade.
In addition to staging Austria’s winning Eurovision entry in 2014 for Conchita Wurst, he was also behind their 2016 and 2018 entries – “Loin d’ici” by ZOË and “Nobody But You” by Cesár Sampson.
Beyond individual performances, the Austrian artistic director has also had other wider roles at Eurovision:
2019 – Assistant contest producer; Viewing room director
2018 – Stage director
2017 – Stage director; Assistant show and contest producer
2015 – Stage director
Most recently, at Eurovision 2021, he took charge of the staging for Austria, Bulgaria, Croatia, Cyprus and Spain.
Michael Ben David withdrawl rumours
Prior to KAN’s public denial, local media had reported that Michael Ben David, was considering withdrawing from the song contest. Michael, who won The X Factor and earned the right to fly the Israeli flag in Turin with his song “I.M”, was allegedly considering retiring from Eurovision due to “dissatisfaction with professional conduct”.
A source close to Michael told ynet that: “Michael comes wholeheartedly to the competition, but if he understands that there are policies that deprive him of the right to represent Israel with dignity, he will not go there to despise the flag.”
According to the source, Michael had expressed “dissatisfaction with professional conduct.” The details of this disagreement are unknown, however the source’s comments suggested issues may have arisen surrounding internal politics at broadcaster KAN.
What do you think of Israel’s staging news? Let us know down below.
Another flop by Dietmann in the making. How this guy is rippimg off half of Europe is crazy
Damn bro, you got the whole squad laughing! ._.
Hope Marvin Dietmann will not be doing like 30 stagings this year and concentrates on only a few.
Marvin Dietmann is everywhere!
When I first heard the song, I was not impressed. It sounded messy and cheap. Then I saw the live performance and it all came together. The song is written for a stage show. And it makes sense to me: Michael can sing, he can move, he has a lot of confidence – let him and his team make the best of it.
lool i am sure the rumours were kinda true, in the sense that there was a disagreement with the artistic direction of the revamp and the show. However, there’s not even a single chance he’s withdrawing and giving up on his dream, it’s not like he will be given this chance again.
Dietmann will be in charge of many entries again? Oh god, some broadcasters are really lazy finding local talent..
I’ll cut Israel some slack here because their songs are pretty much all domestic efforts. Outsourcing staging is better than outsourcing composing.
Last year people on this site were saying that Israel/Eden had no chance to qualify in the “semi of death” – search the messages they said no chance. Eden came in 5th in that semi. Where are those people now? They’re saying the same thing about Michael. There’s so much hate on this site, it’s just mostly trolling. A dynamic performer like Michael (and Eden) will easily make the final.
Are you being serious right now? Eden had a brilliant song last year. That cannot be said of Michael.
Brilliant? As my French teacher used to say, open a dictionary. The revamps, performance and staging got it through, I was even looking forward to seeing it being done again on the night of the final.
Who are you Mrs
Eden has a great catchy song and she was charismatic. Israel was unlucky with all the bad press it received during the live shows so i bet it also made people think she’s not qualifying. Many of us thoought Croatia was qualifying so one of them had to be out.
Also Eden was boosted a lot by juries which is not going to be the case for Michael.
That Croatia theory was moronic and totally discredited. Eden beat Cyprus Norway and others. One idiot in the press ran with “Croatia v Israel for the last spot” and then all of the lemmings repeated it like it was true.
What is wrong with fans of this singer?
We don’t care at all about him, just the song and presentation/dance of the song I.M. is a CRAP.
It is okey to be a fan, and suport your singer, but please, be realistic.
I remember and tbf, Michael’s song is more performance oriented, I think he’ll go through
This is an automatic qualifier and will end up around 10-15 in the final.
Since I heard the song for the first time, I liked this song, when I saw his performance I was blown away so I don’t care about the negativity and toxicity here, and it’s not because I like this song that my taste is bad and not legitimate. Michael slays already like that on stage but the israelian revamp will make it again more effective so I’m really confident Israel will slay in May. Is it an esc winner probably not, but it’s a pure party song, it stands out, it makes you move, it has ethnical elements, a pure… Read more »
It’s an easy qualifier. Won’t even be borderline to qualify.
I gave myself the chance to watch his video and you’re right.
He’ll have no problem advancing, he’s a terrific performer and has a great voice, and his entry is more performance-oriented
Knew this was just some PR nonsense.
Got us all talking for a few hours about Michael Ben David etc etc
Diva alert!
Beyonce meets Drag Race.
the only beyonce here is the one on the poster in his room
This will likely not qualify.
This will easily qualify. Not even close. Especially in this weak semi.
Ok, we all took the bait, but that doesn’t make I.M. a qualifier
The one who gave 2 points to Tanxugueiras or better say last place. I will never understand why jurors rate ethnic songs so low or better say why they put mainstream mediocre songs in the top.
We don’t know how the international jury voted. Don’t twist the situation.
That was Myriam Benedicted, Dietmann probably was the one who gave 7 points to Tanxu (and Felix 10). One of the hosts confirmed the international jury vote them well. So, as a Galician myself like Tanxus, where we have sooo many conversations about this issue, Dietmann has nothing to do here.
Come on, if someone has to withdraw let them be Azerbribejan. I’m so sick of their dirty games.
We want Michael in
I think Michael has talent but can’t they change that song? It’s a complete mess and he deserves way better than that.
The instrumental of the song is actually great. They just need to tweak small things like the lyrics… etc.
the instrumental is a copy of Swish Swish and Whine Up so it needs to change
I agree. Some fans here need to understand that we dislike the song and its unoriginal music and cringey lyrics but not Michael. he is talented but he’s seen as a gay version of Beyonce meets Drag Race which makes him look like a joke when he’s soo talented.
A better songs would be great for him.
I don’t mind him being on ESC, just give him another song, the one he’s stuck with is utter rubbish.
I’m not even sure a revamp could save it.
So… All that to get attention? Now what?
Wow, some people need to take a walk or something. He won his selection with that song, so he deserves to participate in ESC. Pretty simple to understand.
So many attentions seekers this year!
I was hoping he’d withdraw. I don’t like his song. Shalom!
Then don’t stream it. You gain nothing wishing someone to lose an opportunity like this.
Sorry…!
While I support his message, I’ll be sad for whichever country loses their place in the finals in order for his cringeworthy performance and KAN’s dire song to go through. His talent is wasted on the broadcaster hiding behind a minority.
Michael Dietman! The former choreographer who tipped the scales for Chanel to win and who last year had 4 NQs, an automatic qualifier get 6 points, and 2 top 10 bookies favorite get #11 and #16.
We already know it was the Spanish jury, not the international one ffs.
benidorm voting system was messed up anyway
Believe me, you don’t have to tell me about that…
martin*
also i agree
It wasn’t him voting only for Chanel but he did appreciate her act just like most of us foreigners. 🙂
I appreciate Chanel and I’m from Spain (Galicia like Tanxus). I like her although she wasn’t my fav. But some of ours, Spanish eurofans, are trying to stop that hate against her because she doesn’t deserve it (neither Michael Ben David). So, don’t put everybody on the same bag, please.
Nice to know, I like the song and although it’s not that great yet, it has a great frame for them to shift it into something interesting!
Who cares, we want more info about that amazing song Azerbaijan will send! Eek!
At this point, Azerbaijan is just a Caucasian Sweden, Ictimai always outsources their same formulaic, dated and generic entries to Swedes.
Drama was created with fake news to grab some attention, now he can move forward
Exactly
Nobody moved
Probably only a nice try to create some drama PR as nobody talks about his entry in the Eurovision bubble anymore.
Dietmann is becoming the Sacha JB of the contest, it’s getting tiring seeing one stage director (and his team) in charge of many entries every year. Michael will not withdraw because this is a big opportunity for him, so whatever they tell him to do, he will do it – the rest is drama rumours, maybe there was disappointment but he won’t take the risk to withdraw because his career will be over before it begins. I don’t expect the revamp to change completely the song, essentially it will be the same song with improvements (?) in the production. He… Read more »
It’s always best to not know who these people are because in the long term, every performance will always be different than the other. Prominent they can only be one for the amount of times they’ve always been cited but otherwise, it’s no different than any hardworking crewmember behind the scenes.
The problem with the song and Michael in general is that their position statement is the yasqueenslaydrama and nothing else. This isnt enough to make the song sound better
Can someone tell me why exactly he was planning to withdraw?
I’m really confused.
I’m guessing it was probably too gay for the ultra orthodox Jewish community, which has big political pull in Israel.
Dana International says hi. Stop speculating things that dont make sense
You clearly based this comment on nothing. Israel is the most pro-LGBTQIA+ country in the Middle East…
“the Middle East” lol
What a high bar you’re working with.
An Israeli here, I really don’t think this even deserves an article for it. It’s in Israel’s nature to have power struggles until the last minute, when it’s always all resolved, just like the drama in 2019 with the hosting.
And for his reasons to “withdraw”:
– Reshet (X Factor Channel) didn’t appoint a personal manager for Michael, something they must do by the contract.
– the composers of the song refuse to create a revamp until they all get a place in the Israeli delegation, after being denied because of limit of crew due to covid.
Of course , you’re not antisemtic, just aNtI-zIoNiSt /s
And pigs will remain pigs, you will die a pig and nothing will help you.
Pretty racist mate.