‘To Die in Jerusalem’ nominated for 3 Emmys
With three Emmy nominations for HBO-distributed documentary about meeting between mothers' terrorist, victim, director Hilla Medaila forges ahead with promising career backed by US actress Rosie O'Donnell as producer
Israeli filmmaker Hilla Medalia’s debut documentary film “To Die in Jerusalem” is nominated for three awards at the prestigious 29th Annual News & Documentary Emmy Awards ceremony to be held in New York on September 22. The film, produced by Medalia and Keren Rattenbach in association with HBO network, will compete in the categories of Outstanding Information Programming Long Form, Best Documentary and Outstanding Individual Achievement in a craft: Music and Sound, created by Issar Shulman.
The film will premiere on Israel’s Yes cable TV’s documentary channel on July 27, telling the story of two young women – 17-year-old Racheli Levy, who was killed in the 2002 suicide attack in Jerusalem’s Kiryat Yovel neighborhood, and Levy’s killer, suicide-bomber Ayat al-Akhras, also 17, a schoolgirl from a Palestinian refugee camp several miles away.
The film sheds light on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, the cultural differences, the outlook on death, and the pain shared by both mothers who were left behind.
Medalia told Ynet over the phone from Amsterdam: “It’s hard to believe. It’s rather funny; when I set out to shoot the film I didn’t even have a broadcasting channel. I rented equipment from Berger - the best place in Israel for (film) equipment rental. They asked me which broadcasting channel was backing me and I jokingly said HBO.
“This was two years before the US network joined in. I didn’t imagine the film would reach so many places and earn recognition. I tried to do the best I could and aim the highest.”
Scene from the film: Two mothers, one shared pain (Photo: Ran Shitrit)
Despite the honorable list of awards the film has won, including the acclaimed Peabody Award , which is a kind of Pulitzer for electronic media, Madalia still finds it too good to be true. “I used to say in a sort of childish manner that I would like to be nominated for an Emmy. It was a joke; after all, what chances do I stand of winning with a debut film,” she said. “I look at the list of all categories and know it will be a tough competition.”
You knew you had a good story when you started. Did you realize just how good it was?
“When I began filming, I didn’t even think of introducing the two mothers, I thought it was an interesting story that could represent the Israeli-Palestinian conflict and reflect the reality through the mothers’ eyes. I started the film as a student and all I wanted was to complete my degree. When Racheli’s mother told me she wanted to meet with the terrorist’s mother I knew it was going to be a long journey. I finished my degree and started raising funds. It took a long time until the meeting with them (the mothers) materialized. I went ahead one step at a time.”
“To Die in Jerusalem” has been screened in major film festivals in Hong Kong, South Africa, France, Spain, Ireland and Poland, sweeping major prizes in most of them. Medalia hasn’t had one moment of rest for the past half a year.
“I’ve mostly been based in airports in the last few months,” she laughs. She is not complaining, though; Medalia is now working on a film produced by American actress Rosie O'Donnell. “It happened by chance,” she said. “When shooting the meeting between the mothers was on hold, I decided to travel to New Orleans with a film crew. I met a group of actors working with kids and trying to help them restore their lives after Hurricane Katrina.”
'She more or less wrote the check'
“I finished the shooting and went back to Israel to continue ‘To Die in Jerusalem.’ After the film was released in the US, I got an email from Rosie O'Donnell. I didn’t know her back then, but it turns out she saw my film and fell in love with it. She asked me to send her more of my films. I told her that unfortunately I didn’t have any, but that I was working on a new film. I sent her three minutes of it and she more or less wrote the check.”O'Donnell agreed to join the adventure and is producing Medalia’s next film, “After The Storm,” whose post-production will end in the coming weeks.
Medalia also began production on another Israeli film dealing with shellshock, whose subject matter is musician Kobi Vitman, star and writer of "Milhama," a musical that premiered in Tel Aviv’s Tzavta Theater last year.
“I wanted to explore the subject of shellshock and mostly how it is treated,” said Medalia. “I am also documenting Kobi Vitman and his friends that were with him in Jenin.”
With all this running around, did you have time to fathom your success?
“After receiving yesterday (Saturday) night’s phone call, I thought how crazy this was. I’ve had many surprises along the way. It amazed me to see how people from all over the world, people who come from different backgrounds and cultures, are moved by the story. The most amazing thing is their need to speak after the screening.
"People can’t disregard what they see and that’s exciting. I know the Emmy will open doors for me, that thanks to these nominations, people will watch the film even in places that would have not invited it otherwise. That’s heartening.”
