Episode 30 - Ina Fichman - “Hallelujah”
Photo Credit: Ina Fichman
[Image Description: Ina is pictured from the neck up. She has shoulder-length dirty blond hair and wears a white v-neck top with a black jacket. She wears gold and diamond earrings and a gold necklace with black and gold accents.]
In this episode, I speak with Canadian producer extraordinaire, Ina Fichman. During our conversation, we chat the nuts, bolts, and knowledge needed to be a great international co-production partner, her work with the Documentary Organization of Canada, and the specific steps the organization took to ease some of the stress of pandemic for Canadian filmmakers. We also discuss some of her most recent work on the films such as Laila at the Bridge, Stray, and The Gig Is Up, and her ongoing support of Palestinian filmmakers. For this episode, Ina chose a masterpiece written by her fellow Canadian Leonard Cohen, “Hallelujah.” Regarding the meaning of the song, Leonard Cohen said:
“This world is full of conflicts and full of things that cannot be reconciled. But there are moments when we can… reconcile and embrace the whole mess, and that’s what I mean by ‘Hallelujah’.
The song explains that many kinds of hallelujahs do exist, and all the perfect and broken hallelujahs have equal value. It’s a desire to affirm my faith in life, not in some formal religious way but with enthusiasm, with emotion.”
When one looks at Ina’s body of work, it is clear that documentary is the medium she has chosen to find meaning and reconcile the many contradictions that we face in life.
Episode 24 - Abby Sun - “I Want to Break Free”
Photo Credit: the DocYard, Leah Astore
[Image Description: B&W photo. Abby stands on stage holding a microphone and book in front of an audience of onlookers in an auditorium. She wears dark shoes and a dark dress. There are two chairs and a screen behind her.]
In this episode, I speak with curator, Abby Sun about her work with the DocYard, an award-winning film and discussion series at the Brattle Theatre in Cambridge. We also chat about her work with Distribution Advocates, an organization committed to demystifying and transparency in distribution with the goal of creating a more ethical and equitable framework. Because ethical and equitable practices are rooted in liberation and require us to take actions that break us from the things that seem safe and stable, this episode’s song is Queen’s “I Want to Break Free.”