Dafna Lemish
CARBONDALE, Ill. -- Her home is now New York City, and she will candidly tell you that her filmmaking career has her living in "airports and airplanes." But Southern Illinois University Carbondale provides many special memories for Emmy-nominated and Peabody Award-winning producer and director Hilla Medalia.
"It's always good for me to come back to a place that I lived for so long, and then of course, because I learned so much here and so much of my career started here," Medalia said Monday. She returned to campus as a keynote speaker at a two-day interdisciplinary conference focused on the Middle East conflict.
Medalia's first feature documentary, "To Die in Jerusalem," details the lives of two 17-year-old girls -- one Palestinian and one Israeli -- whose lives and families link together after a bomb blast in a Jerusalem market in March 2002. A black purse the Palestinian girl carried -- armed with explosives -- detonated, killing both girls, a security guard, and injuring 30. In addition to earning the George Foster Peabody Award, the film earned three 2008 Emmy nominations from the News & Documentary Emmy Awards including Best Documentary, and "Outstanding Informational Programming -- Long Form."
It was while Medalia, an Israeli citizen, was at SIUC that the film got its start as an award-winning thesis short-film, "Daughters of Abraham." The film won the 2004 Angelis Award, aired in a special screening at the 2005 Sundance Film Festival, and earned the SIU Alumni Association's 2004 Outstanding Thesis Award.
Medalia said she "really learned the tools of filmmaking" along with discipline while at SIUC. She was also involved with award-winning projects while working with alt.news 26:46, WSIU, and in the classroom.
"I had some really, really good professors who guided me through the process and during my thesis project really guided me through from storytelling to production and how to make it and how to get out in the real world," Medalia said.
She said another important factor is taking the tools you have and implementing them. She used a lot of her classroom work on projects that contributed to her later success. Medalia said she also took advantage of "really good equipment and the freedom that I got" while in school.
"I think I was a student who really wanted to make things happen and really wanted to make my projects," she said. "The University really allowed me the freedom to take the equipment and to go do. If you are motivated to go do things then the University and the department really gave me the opportunity to do what I wanted to do."
A dual SIUC degree graduate, Medalia earned her bachelor's degree in radio-television in 2001, and a master's degree in professional media practice in 2004.
While on campus this week, Medalia also spoke to a master's level class in radio-television, and spent time visiting with former women's track team coaches. She competed in the triple jump for the Saluki women's track team.
Medalia's 2009 documentary "After the Storm," is the story of Broadway theater professionals resurrecting a musical arts program for teens in New Orleans in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina. The film is about "how love, art and community can actually help people rebuild their lives," she said. The film won a Crystal Heart Award and Audience Choice Award last October at the Heartland Film Festival in Indianapolis, Ind.
Medalia said she realized the pivotal power that films can have as millions viewed "To Die in Jerusalem" when it began airing on HBO in November 2007.
"I really decided to focus my work on films that have social importance -- that to me are subjects that I think are very important to discuss and for people to know about," she said.
Filmmakers are always working on new projects that are in various stages of being completed, she said. Medalia is finishing a new film that focuses on post-traumatic stress disorder, and plans to work on another film in China. Much of her time is spent on location shoots, film festivals, and speaking engagements about her films.
Success, she said, is relative.
"I'm really fortunate that I am able to really take what I learned here in Southern Illinois and actually do what I wanted to do, which is making films," she said. "But I have big dreams. You reach a goal and then you already have a new goal.
"It was true when I was running track here in Southern Illinois and it's also true today for my work in films," she said. "I think the synergy of having your film and work out there is that it makes it easier in a way to get your film, get your next film, or your next project and also when you are trying to get financed or when you are calling places. It obviously helps when you have something to show them that you have done."
Medalia admits that life for burgeoning film directors can be difficult. It's not only how talented a filmmaker you are but also how much you push, she said.
"But if you want it enough and you keep doing it then it's very possible," she said. "Especially now in this time and age where actually the whole structure of distribution really has changed and you no longer need the overall deal of the big guys. Everything is available. There is the Internet and it's just much easier in a way to get your film out there, especially for the younger generation who are very Internet-savvy and can really put their work out there."
Source: http://news.siuc.edu/news/April10/040710par10049.html
CARBONDALE, Ill. -- The conflict in the Middle East has been making headlines for decades. So have various attempts at peace negotiations.
An interdisciplinary conference at Southern Illinois University Carbondale will bring together scholars representing different points of view and ethnic traditions to examine the role ethics plays and might play in conflict resolution between the two main groups in the conflict.
The conference, "Higher Roads to Peace: The Role of Ethics in Resolving Conflicts Between Arabs and Jews," is April 5-6, and includes two full days of discussion with an international roster of top scholars, and a screening of the award-winning documentary film "To Die in Jerusalem," the work of SIUC alumna Hilla Medalia.
This conference also includes graduate student paper presentations. Opportunities to continue discussion in a more casual, conversational atmosphere are built into the conference schedule. The entire conference is free of charge. The University and area communities are invited and warmly welcome.
Event coordinator Rebecca Farinas, a graduate student in philosophy at SIUC, said the assembly of international scholars is meant to promote the study of peace, to seek possible alternatives to conflict, and to highlight the role of ethics in conflict resolution. A publication of papers and keynote addresses will preserve the experience of this interdisciplinary symposium. As symposium literature states, the conference "will step back from the fray.... It will explore ways in which ethics and mutual understanding might offer a higher road to peace than the clash of propaganda and force of arms."
A full schedule and complete information about the keynote speakers is available online at http://higherroads.siuc.edu. Here are some highlights:
April 5
Keynote speaker Mohammed Abu-Nimer (professor of philosophy at the School of International Service in International Peace and Conflict Resolution -- American University, and director of the Peacebuilding and Development Institute), "Interfaith Dialogue in the Israeli-Palestinian Possibilities and Challenges," 9:30 a.m., John C. Guyon Auditorium, Morris Library.
Keynote speaker John Pawlikowski (professor of social ethics at Catholic Theological Union -- University of Chicago), "Doing Inter-religious Dialogue in a Globalized World," 11:30 a.m., John C. Guyon Auditorium, Morris Library.
Keynote speaker Brian Klug (senior research fellow at St. Benet's Hall, Oxford University, also affiliated with University of Southampton and the Parkes Institute for the Study of Jewish/non-Jewish Relations), "Being Jewish, Doing Justice and the Israelis-Palestinian Conflict," 2:30 p.m., John C. Guyon Auditorium, Morris Library.
Conference dinner (kosher and halal selections available), 5 p.m. at the Old Main Restaurant, Student Center
Film screening, "To Die in Jerusalem," with keynote address by Hilla Medalia (producer and director, Peabody Award winner), 7 p.m. Student Center Auditorium. Followed by a wine reception on the auditorium terrace.
April 6
Philosophical discussion with keynote speakers, moderated by Lucian Stone (Southern Illinois University Edwardsville), 9 a.m., DeJarnett American Heritage Conference Room, Morris Library.
Graduate papers, 1 p.m., Department of Philosophy Seminar Room, Faner Hall, Room 3061.
Keynote speaker Tomis Kapitan (professor of philosophy at Northern Illinois University), "The Roots of Violence and the Prospects for Peace in the Israeli/Palestinian Conflict," 4 p.m., John C. Guyon Auditorium, Morris Library.
Announcement for Higher roads to Peace Conference - Note that alumna Hilla Medalia will be the Keynote speaker for this event.
Registration for "Higher Roads to Peace, The Role of Ethics in Resolving Conflicts Between Arabs and Jews" has opened. The conference will take place at Southern Illinois University Carbondale on April 5th and 6th. All conference events are free and open to the public, but those attending are asked to please register. Please visit the web site at www.higherroads.siuc.edu for the schedule of events and to register. Please forward this message and attached poster to any persons who might be interested in the conference, and please print and display the poster for your colleagues to see. Thank you. If you have any questions or problems please do not hesitate to contact us. We hope to see you in April.
Monday, April 5, 2010
9:30 AM
Campus of Southern Illinois University Carbondale
John C. Guyon Auditorium, Morris Library
Keynote Speaker: Professor Abu-Nimer
"Interfaith Dialogue in the Israel Palestinian Possibilites and Challenges"
11:00 AM
Break: Coffee in the Rotunda
11:30 PM
Keynote Speaker: Professor Brian Klug
"Being Jewish, Doing Justice and the Israeli-Palestinian Conflict"
1:00 PM
Break
2:00 PM
Keynote Speaker: Professor John Pawlikowski
"Doing Inter-religious Dialogue in a Globalized World"
3:30 PM
Break
5:00 PM
Conference Dinner (Kosher and Halal selections available)
Old Main Restaurant
Second Floor Student Center SIUC
7:00 PM
Keynote Speaker: Hilla Medalia
Film Screening: "To Die in Jerusaleum"
Student Center Film Auditorium
Second Floor Student Center SIUC
9:30 PM
Wine Reception with Hilla Medalia
Film Auditorium Terrace
Tuesday, April 6, 2010
9:00 AM
A Philosophical Conversation with Professor Abu Nimer, Professor Brian Klug, Professor John Pawlikowski, Professor Tomas Kapitan. SIUE Professor Lucian Stone will moderate the discussion.
De Jarnett American Heritage Conference Room
4th Floor Morris Library
11:30 AM
Break
1:00 PM
Graduate Papers
Philosophy Department
Seminar Room Faner (Room 3061) – SIUC
3:00 PM
Break
4:00 PM
Keynote Speaker: Professor Tomas Kapitan
"The roots of violence and the prospects for peace in the Israeli/Palestinian Conflict"
John C. Guyon Auditorium
Morris Library, SIUC
A Troubled-Waters Musical as a Community Salve - By JEANNETTE CATSOULIS
Source: http://movies.nytimes.com/2009/10/05/movies/05storm.html
A big, warm hug of feel-better entertainment, "After the Storm" follows a troupe of plucky youngsters in New Orleans as they stage a benefit performance of the Lynn Ahrens-Stephen Flaherty musical "Once on This Island."
The brainchild of the writer and actor James Lecesne (and a response to his shock on seeing the post-Hurricane Katrina devastation), the performance was intended to help finance the restoration of a once-vibrant 100-year-old community center. With the help of his friends, the actor and choreographer Gerry McIntyre and the musical director Randy Redd, Mr. Lecesne drills and encourages, soothes and cajoles his inexperienced — and in many cases, still traumatized — cast members.
"I've never been in a rehearsal situation where I've seen so many people cry," remarks Gerry, and the musical, set on a Caribbean island after a storm and with obvious parallels to the young people's dislocated lives, provokes expected emotions. In wrenching video diaries, the kids discuss their hurricane experiences ("I saw my first dead body," says Grant, 17) and current living situations, many of them troublingly impermanent. Battles with insurance companies and the Federal Emergency Management Agency are the norm; psychological help is not.
Directed by Hilla Medalia with exactly the right balance of musical theater and personal drama, "After the Storm" presents a touching affirmation of the healing power of right-brain stimulation. As the gutting of our high school arts programs continues, its message is unfortunately more bitter than sweet.
Published: October 5, 2009
Hilla Medalia, Director/Producer -- A Peabody Award Winner Israeli Producer and Director. After joining the Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) she began her academic career in the United States where she earned a bachelor's degree and a master's degree from Southern Illinois University (2001 and 2004). She then worked in various positions including senior producer of the award-winning documentary 39 Pounds Of Love. The film won the 2005 Ofir Award ("Israeli Oscar") and was released in U.S. (Landmark) theatres in late 2005 and made it onto the Academy Award short list for best documentary film.
Medalia received a 2005 Regional Emmy Award for her student documentary project Condition: John Foppe (program feature - public affairs category) and the 2004 Angelus Award for directing the student film, Daughters of Abraham. Her first feature documentary TO DIE IN JERUSALEM, screened around the world and has garnered many prestigious awards, including the George Foster Peabody Award and 3 Emmy Award nominations. The film screened in multiple festivals around the world including the Jerusalem Film Festival, Edinburgh Film Festival, Fipa Biarritz, where it won a jury award. The film was broadcast in the United States as an HBO feature and has aired on television around the world including YES in Israel.
For more information, please visit the website at www.afterthestormfoundation.org
Hilla Medalia's inspiring documentary, ostensibly about three New York theater vets who come to New Orleans to mount a benefit production of the Broadway musical "Once on this Island" goes right to the eye of the storm. The production, which hauntingly mirrors the real-life events of the hurricane, is fraught with the raw emotions of children struggling to live in a broken-down city. Quickly disabusing any notion that New Orleans' problems can be fixed with mere wood and nails, the film journeys into the personal family life of each teen cast member. The mesmerizing courage of these young performers speaks volumes about the role art can play in re-invigorating the heart and soul of New Orleans. [Description courtesy of LAFF]
"After the Storm"
Documentary Competition
Directed By: Hilla Medalia
Executive Producers: Ed Priddy, John Priddy
Producers: Hilla Medalia, James Lecesne
Screenwriters: Bob Eisenhardt, Hilla Medalia
Cinematographers: Ran Shetreet, William Sabourin OíReilly
Editor: Bob Eisenhardt A.C.E.
Music: Stephen Flaherty
Featuring: Gerry McIntyre, James Lecesne, Randy Redd, Ray·n Arnold, Annie Britton, Eric T. Calhoun, Jr., Griffin Collins III, Deshawn Dabney, Joel C. Dyson, Hannah Guillory, Grant Hunter, Taylor Marrs, Gabrielle Porter, Ashley Rose Richard, Jasmin Simmons, Desiree Stevenson, Jon Stevenson, April Stewart
U.S.A., 2009, 89 mins
[EDITORS NOTE: This is part of a series of interviews, conducted via email, profiling International Spotlight and dramatic and documentary competition directors who have films screening at the 2009 Los Angeles Film Festival.]
What initially attracted you to filmmaking and how has that evolved since starting out?
The heart of this project is the importance of art and community in people's lives and in the lives of kids in particular.
What wasfascinatingis that kids, especially adolescents, haven't fully developed the ability to create a narrative about their own lives. And that ability is stifled in people who have survived trauma. By offering them the vehicle of the play, and watching them tell their own stories, we got to see them create a narrative. As Ashley says, "This is what happened to me during Katrina, and this is how I got over it."
The other thing I felt was that we all have heard about Katrina, but we don't really know "how it is now." I didn't want to make a film about Katrina; I wanted to make a film about life inNew Orleans now, through the eyes of the kids participating in the show. I wanted to show how theater helped them put their lives in order and allowed them to actually deal better with everything else in their lives.
How did the idea for your film come about and what excited you to undertake the project?
As fate would have it, I was introduced to James Lecesne, a writer and actor who was planning a trip to New Orleans one year afterHurricane Katrina.He wanted to see for himself what the situation was on the ground.He didn't know where he was going and what he was going to do; the only thing he knew was that he wanted to help. He saw the connection between OnceOn This Island and post-Katrina New Orleans.
I am not sure why, but I was immediately inspired to join him. During this first trip, I realized I had to tell this story and when I met the kids, I was convinced even furtherÖ they are just amazing.
How did you approach making the film, and were there any pivotal moments of learning during the life of the project for you?
From thebeginning,I was very interested in the kids. I felt that by simply following their lives I could create a portrait of New Orleans that could span the past, present and more importantly, the future. At the same time, the dedication and the determination of the New York crew of artists that went down proved the healing power of art. Their work could serve as an inspiration not only for the film, but also for the kids.
For me, it was the first time I was filming kids, so I had to learn how to get them to open up while being really gentle.What was really difficult was talking to them about some of the experiences they went through. It felt like it was closed in a box inside them andevery timeI tried to talk to them about it and open this box, they would be so emotional and cry.I had to learn to WATCH the kids and learned to trust that they would tell their stories through their affect, or through ACTION rather than through WORDS. I learned that within the context of storytelling, each child would tell his or her own story in his or her own way, and not necessarily by explaining it or narrating it for the audience. We get to SEE their storyówhich is the perfect use of film.
What were some of the biggest challenges in making the film?
There were manychallengingmoments, just like in every other project I have worked on. One of those was when we discovered just how total the whole Mardi Gras thing was in New Orleans. We had no idea that the entire city would shut down. Everything was closed, exceptóof courseóPopeyeís [Chicken and Biscuits].
Another moment was when it started raining really hard. It seemed like the city was going crazy, and no one showed up or could move. It rained and rained and all the kids freaked. One of them, Jon, left the show; Joel, the lead, didnít show up and Gerry, the director of the play, said he was leaving. And it all threatened to fall apart. Itís in the film, so you can see it.
Are there any interesting anecdotes from the shoot?
The first day of shooting during theauditions was very powerful. After I was blown away by Rayan, who made us all cry, we met Grant, Eric and Hannah. I realized that each one of these kids was so badly traumatized and yet put a happy face on it all, making it seem as though, in Ericís words, ìGood things come out of bad experiences, too.î For me, that was a real eye-opener. Still, they were so divorced from their own pain and from the fact that they had survived something horrific. And yet, when given the opportunity, they broke down crying.
What other genres or stories would you like to explore?
My first film,ìTo Die in Jerusalem,î is a political documentary. ìAfter The Stormî is also somewhat political, but really is more positive, inspiring and funny. I love documentaries, but I am also interested innarrativefilms and other genres, as long as the story is strong and I feel it is important that it be told.
What other projects are you looking to do?
I am interested in a number of different areas. What connects all my projects is the social importance I see in the issues on which each of them focuses. Iím currently working on a new documentary, ìHappy You Are Alive,î which focuses on PTSD and its treatment. I am developing other projects, including a documentary about women in the Middle East, and working on a feature film, but since it will be my first fiction project, I am taking my time.
Hilla Medalia has a new trailer available online for her upcoming documentary, After the Storm. The film is in production.
Related Stories:
Hilla Medalia wins major filmmaking honors
Hilla Medalia, Director/Producer -- A Peabody Award Winner Israeli Producer and Director. After joining the Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) she began her academic career in the United States where she earned a bachelorís degree and a masterís degree from Southern Illinois University (2001 and 2004). She then worked in various positions including senior producer of the award-winning documentary 39 Pounds Of Love. The film won the 2005 Ofir Award (ìIsraeli Oscarî) and was released in U.S. (Landmark) theatres in late 2005 and made it onto the Academy Award short list for best documentary film.
Medalia received a 2005 Regional Emmy Award for her student documentary project Condition: John Foppe (program feature - public affairs category) and the 2004 Angelus Award for directing the student film, Daughters of Abraham. Her first feature documentary TO DIE IN JERUSALEM, screened around the world and has garnered many prestigious awards, including the George Foster Peabody Award and 3 Emmy Award nominations. The film screened in multiple festivals around the world including the Jerusalem Film Festival, Edinburgh Film Festival, Fipa Biarritz, where it won a jury award. The film was broadcast in the United States as an HBO feature and has aired on television around the world including YES in Israel.
Medalia is now in the filnal editing stages of her new film,
After the Storm which is a collaboration with Rosie OíDonnell and Priddy Brothers and is expected to be released early 2009.
CARBONDALE, Ill. -- Southern Illinois University Carbondale graduate Hilla Medalia's poignant documentary that explores one of the many tragedies of the Middle East conflict earned three Emmy nominations earlier this week.
Medalia's national and international award-winning film, "To Die in Jerusalem" is one of seven films nominated for Best Documentary in the 29th annual News & Documentary Emmy Awards. The film, which already earned a George Foster Peabody Award in April, is one of five pieces nominated for "Outstanding Informational Programming -- Long Form" and is one of five nominees for "Outstanding Individual Achievement in a Craft: Music and Sound."
Medalia is pleased with the nominations, particularly when considering the quality of entrants.
"In general, there are so many great films" she said in an interview from Amsterdam. "And this year there have been so many great films that are in the same categories. There have been a lot of meaningful and great Iraq films."
The National Academy of Arts & Sciences announced the nominations Tuesday. The Emmy presentations will take place Sept. 22 in New York City.
The 76-minute documentary aired throughout the world, including on HBO, in November. The film is the heart-wrenching look into the tragedy of a March 2002 suicide bomb attack that killed two 17-year-old girls -- one Palestinian, the other Israeli -- resulting in an emotion-packed meeting between the girlsí mothers more than four years later.
The film started as a thesis project while Medalia was at SIUC. She read about the March 29, 2002, suicide bombing in a Jerusalem market where the lives of Palestinian Ayat al-Akhras and Israeli Rachel Levy became forever linked. Explosives that al-Akhras carried in a black purse detonated, killing both girls, a security guard and injuring 30.
In 2003, Medalia completed her winning thesis short film, "Daughters of Abraham." The film won the 2004 Angelis Award and aired in a special screening during the 2005 Sundance Film Festival. The film included separate interviews with the girlsí family members, but the mothers did not meet. The families live less than four miles apart.
The thesis film sparked interest from award-winning documentary filmmakers John and Ed Priddy to finance "To Die in Jerusalem". Over the next year-and-a-half, Medalia did more research and returned to Israel and the West Bank to re-shoot interviews and scenes, and this time, the first meeting, via video link, of the girls' mothers, Avigail Levy and Um Samir Al-Akhras.
Medalia, who is an Israeli citizen, believes the film is a microcosm for a conflict that is complicated on many levels and hard to follow and relate with. It provides viewers an opportunity for greater reflection and dialogue based on a personal story.
It' easier to feel, listen and to identify with a mother and daughter. I think that "To Die in Jerusalem" really provides that to people. You can really listen to these mothers and actually get a reflection of the conflict,î Medalia said.
Medalia is finding audiences throughout the world are engaged and asking many questions after watching the film.
"The one thing I have found everywhere is that people cannot ignore the film" she said. "It moves them and they want to talk about it afterwards, and it really creates beautiful dialogue."
That was precisely one of her goals in making the film.
"I think with dialogue, that is the only way we can find a solution" she said.
She remains in contact with both mothers, who are very supportive of the film, she said.
Their initial reactions to the film were each very different, she said. For Israeli mother Avigail Levy, the film was initially hard to watch because "it brought her back to that moment. But as she kept looking at it, she really embraced it" Medalia said. For Palestinian mother Um Samir Al-Akhras, she looked at whether the film represented her fairly so that she and her family's pride were not hurt in the Palestinian culture, Medalia said.
"As long as I was respectful to them they were fine with the film" she said. And while both families were looking for different things in the documentary, both are very supportive, Medalia said.
Medalia earned a bachelor's degree in radio-television from SIUC in 2001, and a master's degree in professional media practice in 2004.
Jan Thompson, an associate professor in radio-television, chaired Medalia's thesis committee.
"It's absolutely astounding to have a former student's thesis reach this level" Thompson said.
Medalia acknowledges that on the first day she started on her thesis project nearly six years ago, she could not envision the results. The documentary's acclaim is a combination of hard work, having a good project, and luck, Medalia said.
She initially viewed the thesis project as a way to tell her friends a little bit about the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.
"I think when I started I just wanted to graduate" she said with a laugh. "It's not that I woke up one morning and I was a student doing my thesis, and the next day I am nominated for an Emmy. There were steps along the way, and every step was a surprise."
The film is now available on DVD at http://www.todieinjerusalem.com/
Medalia hopes her latest documentary project, "After the Storm," is finished in September. The film is the story of Broadway theater professionals resurrecting a musical arts program for teens in New Orleans in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina.
CARBONDALE, Ill. - Southern Illinois University Carbondale graduate Hilla Medalia, already an award-winning filmmaker, continues to earn national and international recognition.
Medalia's documentary, "To Die in Jerusalem," captured honors in both the United States and France this week.
The film earned a George Foster Peabody Award on Tuesday, one of 35 recipients judged to be the best in electronic media for 2007, according to event organizers. The award "recognizes distinguished achievement and meritorious public service by stations, networks, producing organizations and individuals." Documentaries, network specials, entertainment series, and local television news programs are among this year's recipients from more than 1,000 total entries. The 67th annual awards luncheon is June 16 in New York City.
In addition, the 76-minute documentary also captured the grand prize at the Sixth International Human Rights Film Festival earlier this week in Paris. The two awards follow the film winning a jury award at the 21st annual International Festival of Audiovisual Programs in Biarritz, France, earlier this year.
"The primary criterion for the Peabody Awards is excellence. The international awards indicate that Hilla is making a difference in our society," said John A. Koropchak, SIUC's vice chancellor for research and dean of the graduate school. "There's not much more that we can ask of our Saluki alums than to be excellent at what they do and make a difference."
The documentary aired throughout world, including on HBO in November. The film will also air in many other countries, including in Israel and throughout the Arab world. It is a heart-wrenching look into the tragedy of a March 2002 suicide bomb attack that killed two 17-year-old girls ó one Palestinian, the other Israeli ó and resulted in an emotion-filled meeting between the girls' mothers more than four years later.
Winning the awards is "a great honor and a big encouragement to keep working hard," said Medalia, who earned a bachelor's degree in radio and television from SIUC in 2001, and a master's degree in professional media practice in 2004.
One of the more gratifying aspects of the film is seeing people's reactions after they watch the documentary, Medalia said.
"After watching the film, people cannot ignore it and the result is the film sparks a dialogue," she said.
Medalia, who is an Israeli citizen, hopes the dialogue contributes "to a more open and peaceful relationship between the Israelis and Palestinians, as well as a clearer international understanding of their situation."
Her film began as a thesis project while Medalia was at SIUC. She read about the March 29, 2002, suicide bombing in a Jerusalem market where the lives of Palestinian Ayat al-Akhras and Israeli Rachel Levy would become forever linked. Explosives that al-Akhras carried in a black purse detonated, killing both girls, a security guard and injuring 30.
In 2003, Medalia completed her winning thesis short film, "Daughters of Abraham." The film won the 2004 Angelis Award and aired in a special screening during the 2005 Sundance Film Festival. The film included separate interviews with the girls' family members, but the mothers did not meet. The families live less than four miles apart.
Medalia's thesis film sparked interest from award-winning documentary filmmakers John and Ed Priddy to finance "To Die In Jerusalem." Over the next year and a half, Medalia did more research and returned to Israel and the West Bank to re-shoot interviews and scenes, and this time, the first meeting, via video link, of the girls' mothers, Avigail Levy and Um Samir Al-Akhras.
Medalia admits that during the filming, she did not believe the documentary's impact would be as great as it is.
"In fact, I think all I really was trying to do is to tell my friends in Southern Illinois about the Israeli-Palestinian conflict," she said. "I was hoping it maybe will air, but I never imagined it will take me all over the world and that more than two million people will watch the film."
Koropchak recalls when Medalia proposed "this ambitious project," which resulted in the 2004 Outstanding Thesis Award and other early honors.
"It is extremely gratifying to me and SIUC to see Hill achieve this success and recognition, which are testaments to the excellent faculty mentoring and opportunities that we provide to students," he said. "Hilla's success can be an inspiration for all SIUC students, demonstrating that they can compete with the best, anywhere!"
Jan Thompson, an associate professor in radio-television, chaired Medalia's thesis committee.
"This is a tremendous accomplishment for one of our recent graduates," she said.
The film is now available on DVD at http://www.todieinjerusalem.com/
Medalia's latest documentary project, "After the Storm," is under editing in New York. The film is the story of Broadway theater professionals resurrecting a musical arts program for teens in New Orleans in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina. Medalia hopes the film is finished by August. Rosie O'Donnell joined the film team as another executive producer, she said.
Radio-Television student Hilla Medalia is the recipient of the 2004 Outstanding Thesis Award. A faculty committee of ten from the University enthusiastically selected her work after a university-wide competition among the 60 SIU master's programs. Ms. Medalia's project has also been submitted to the Midwestern Association of Graduate Schools' Distinguished Master's Thesis Award competition as the SIU representative.
A recent Professional Media Practice graduate from the College of Mass Communication and Media Arts Graduate Programs, Hilla Medalia, has won the Outstanding Documentary Award from the Angelus Awards competition. There were over 400 entries this year competing in the international festival.
The documentary, "Daughters of Abraham", was her graduate project. This was announced this past Friday afternoon at the Directors Guild of America luncheon in Los Angeles. Hilla was competing with students from Munich Academy for Television and Film, Australian Film & Television School, Columbia University, The American Film Institute, Loyola Marymount University, and Florida State University to name a few. With this award, she will receive $1,800. The documentary will be screened next month at the Director's Guild of America Banquet.
Medalia achieved numerous honors, including second place in the documentary category at 2004 BEA and the 2003 UFVA Carole Fielding Student Grant for the documentary Daughters of Abraham and was awarded second place in the promo/commercial category at BEA 2003 for the commercial Tantastic. She also gained the NATPE Film and Student Award for ALT.LANDSCAPE.
SIU Foundation