His debut, Fighter (2000) (director),[1] was named one of the top documentaries of the year by Newsweek, Rolling Stone,[2] and The Village Voice.
[3] Fighter won six international festival awards and was called “brilliant,” by The New Yorker, “enthralling” by the New York Times, and “one of the best documentaries of this year or any other” by Rolling Stone.
[4] The Philadelphia Inquirer described it as "Fascinating... A thought- provoking look at the world of abstract art, the relationship between a reporter and his/her subject, and, just for the heck of it, the nature of truth.
"[5] Bar-Lev traveled to New Orleans nine days after Hurricane Katrina and began filming a young married couple, both crack dealers, with a heroic story of survival during the storm and an uncertain future ahead.
[12] Bar-Lev’s 2013 film Happy Valley took a multidimensional look at the complicated and tragic tale of the sexual abuse scandal at Penn State, and created a parable of guilt, responsibility, and identity for a small town caught in the glare of the national spotlight.