# Nissim Sharim

Nissim Sharim Paz (20 July 1932 – 5 November 2020) was a Chilean actor and theater director. He was the director of Ictus theater company from 1962 to 2015, and is also known for having participated both in the TV show La Manivela and for a famous Banco Estado publicity together with Delfina Guzmán. He was also a prominent opponent of the military dictatorship.

## Biography

Nissim Sharim Paz was born in Santiago de Chile on July 20, 1932. His grandfather was from Syria, and his father, Elías Sharim, was from Lebanon. Whereas his mother, Fortuna Paz, was from Egypt. he was the youngest of four brothers, and also was of Jewish descent. His first two schools were the Windsor and Cambridge School. During his youth, he was part of the youth socialist zionist movement Hashomer Hatzair that marked him for its ideology and that, in turn, strengthened his bond with Judaism. In the meetings that he attended together with other young Chileans of Jewish descent, they offered training activities on the Jewish tradition.
At the age of 16, he entered the Law School of the University of Chile for five years. Although he graduated and served as a civil judge for a short period, he soon devoted himself to the theater. He started his acting career in 1962, when he entered at the Ictus theater, a company he directed until 2015. He married Argentine psychologist Juana Kovalskys and had two daughters: psychologist Dariela and actress Paula Sharim.
During the 1970s, he participated as protagonist in the humorous television program La Manivela, which was successful in audience. After the completion of the program, he dedicated herself to performing theater and participating in films. Among the films in which he participated are ¡Ufa con el sexo! (1968), Julio comienza en julio (1976), and Música y palabras (1978). In the 40-year Theater cycle of the Museum of Memory and Human Rights, the show Lindo país esquina con vista al mar from 1979 and directed by Sharim is presented. He was also a prominent opponent of the Augusto Pinochet's military dictatorship, which caused harassment, persecution and even death threats.
During the 1980s, he was the face of an advertising campaign for Banco de Santiago that would pigeonhole him for years as the character "Perico", along with actress Delfina Guzmán and the catchphrase ¡cómprate un auto, Perico!. He also featured in films such as La candelaria (1982), Historia de un Roble Solo (1983), Sexto A 1965 (1985). In politics, he was part of the central leadership of the Partido por la democracia (PPD) in 1989, being one of its vowels. After the return of democracy, they chose it as part of the board of Televisión Nacional de Chile (TVN) for four years. He was also a columnist for Diario Siete and a board member of TVN from 2000 to 2004.
In 2008 he published his first and only book entitled Espera larga. In 2012, he made his last film appearance in El incontrolable mundo del azar. In 2015, at 85 years old and after 53 years at the helm of the company, he left the direction of the theater company in the hands of his daughter, Paula Sharim, due to health problems. He also featured in Familia moderna (2015) and Veinteañero a los 40 (2016). On December 12, 2016, he received the Rene Cassin Human Rights award during the ceremony held at the B'nai B'rith Chile headquarters. In 2019 during the International Holocaust Day ceremony, the B'nai B'rith and the Jewish Community of Chile awarded him the Luz y Memoria award. He also argued that the memories of the Holocaust should not be forgotten, since "they are a reminder so that history does not repeat itself."

## Death

Nissim Sharim died at 5:50 a.m. on Thursday, November 5, 2020, before the death, the Ictus theater company declared that: As Ictus theater, its home for more than 60 years, we hope that it carries with it the recognition of an entire country that witnessed the resistance and struggle that gave through theater, he looked closely at his absolute dedication to the performing arts. In addition, his wake was held from 12 a.m. to 4 p.m. in the Ictus theater comedy room, located at Merced 349 in the Lastarria neighborhood, in the words of Nissim Sharim before his death:
   "No death will ever be able to take me away from this theater, as none of those who were here have been taken away. Let's tell him at the same time that his effort to erase the footprints of the shoes that have stepped on this scene, is useless."

## Filmography
### Cinema

* ¡Ufa con el sexo! (1968)
* Julio comienza en julio (1976)
* Música y palabras (1978)
* La candelaria (1982)
* Historia de un Roble Solo (1983)
* Sexto A 1965 (1985)
* El incontrolable mundo del azar (2012)

### Television

* La Manivela (1970)
* Página web (1998)
* Familia moderna (2015)
* Veinteañero a los 40 (2016)