By Lisa Stahl
Talya Tibbon is an award-winning journalist and documentary producer and director. Her recent film, Sky and Ground, which screened on PBS World Channel last Fall and made the round of film festivals including DOC NYC, follows a Syrian refugee family on their hazardous journey across the borders of southern Europe en route to Germany.
On the eve of the film’s showing at the October 22nd NYWIFT Member Screening, Talya spoke with me about her own path.
NYWIFT Member Talya Tibbon, producer and director of the documentary Sky and Ground.
Tell me about your background, training, and interest in documentaries.
I grew up in Israel, lived in England for a short time and then came to the US but I had an interest in journalism since childhood. At 11, I had a regular spot on the radio. I did military training in the Israeli Army in a highly selective radio journalism unit. When I came to the US, I learned how to make movies at Hunter College, earned a Master’s in International Affairs at Columbia, and became a producer at CNN. But I always wanted to produce documentaries so I left CNN after 10 years to do so.
The move to making movies was quite natural for me. I’ve spent most of my life away from my own culture and language. Being an outsider is a great advantage when you make documentaries. You approach people with a different eye, have a fresher approach to events than a person who’s been on the inside. As an outsider, people feel they need to explain things to you, tell you how they see things, which is how I like to make films.
What inspired this movie?
The refugee crisis of 2015 – 2016. It was time to look at this as it’s still a big issue around the globe. Telling one specific story is a good start.
Was the film scripted? What decisions did you make about narrating and in development? What inspired the “sky and ground” theme?
The initial challenge was finding a family. First we found a refugee camp and then this family. They were planning to leave the very next day but all the borders were closed. So, every border they crossed, they crossed illegally.
The film was unscripted and very spontaneous. I had no idea what they were going to say or do. In fact, at points, we couldn’t accompany them so I gave them cameras and let them tell their own story.
The idea for [the] title and theme came from an interview I did with Heba. I kept asking “what’s home?” Heba came out with “Home is sky and ground. It’s family.”
As for the story, that’s where my editorial judgment came into play. I pulled the story out of the footage.
Sky and Ground (2017, dir. Talya Tibbon)
How far did the family walk? What did it take to make this?
It took a great deal of patience and flexibility. Nothing about this journey was organized; you couldn’t do real planning or scheduling. This family walked some 180 miles after leaving Syria. It took three to six months to film…six or seven months to edit.
What decisions did you regret or do you feel enhanced the movie?
The best decision I made was to stick with this family…. For a while I was following two other stories. But in a way it was also one of the worst decisions because for a period I was juggling following three completely unpredictable stories which was a logistical nightmare.
What obstacles did you face as a woman producer/director?
The topics I usually tackle in my films are not light and there are fewer women working in these genres which can make things harder. When it comes to TV (and often production companies) they don’t associate women with making these kinds of films. I’ve found myself feeling like I’ve just crashed a “boy’s club.” It takes convincing to get opportunities.
How have things changed for women since you’re been in the industry?
There’s a whole new generation of young women who don’t feel they need to explain why they want to create. They are not waiting for anyone to give them opportunities. They are making their own. And there are a lot more women in decision making positions, although, sadly, that doesn’t necessarily always translate into them giving women better opportunities. Things are slowly changing but there’s still so much work to do.
What are your current projects and future plans?
I’ve been filming a new feature documentary, the story of a very courageous woman who decided to challenge an entire Baltic nation over the way that country is choosing to deal with the scars of the Holocaust. It’s a fascinating story.
Sky and Ground will screen as part of the NYWIFT Member Screening Series on Tuesday, October 22nd, 2019 at 7 PM at Anthology Film Archives. Tickets are on sale now and can be purchased here.
The film is also available on Amazon Prime. Learn more about Talya Tibbon at www.talyatibbon.com.
Lisa Stahl
Lisa Stahl has followed her own unconventional path, working in and out of the industry, behind and in front of the camera (TV and film), and as a writer, producing e-learning courses on personal style online, doing development research and writing for a UN-based TV show, extensive investigative research in politics and international affairs for a prominent political strategist, and as a lifestyle editor for a chic digital magazine interviewing prominent fascinating people in the entertainment, fashion, health, wellness, and travel industries. She has also worked recently as a technical writer covering the latest anti-terrorism technologies and developments in data science and artificial intelligence.
Related Posts
Meet the New NYWIFT Member: Ruthie Marantz
Welcome to NYWIFT, Ruthie Marantz! Born and raised in NYC, Ruthie has been making films on public access TV since she was 13 years old. Since then, her works has been shown at BAMcinemaFest, SeriesFest and Seattle International Film Festival. She has her M.F.A. from NYU’s Graduate Film Program, where she was recipient of the Leo Rosner, Maurice Kanbar, and the Academy of Arts and Sciences Scholarships. Ruthie has directed and produced commercial work for clients including Netflix, LG, Samsung, Vice and Hearst. Her autobiographical pilot Rainbow Ruthie, which received funding from director Spike Lee, was accepted to the IFP Episodic Lab and premiered at SXSW, becoming Oscar eligible in 2019. More recently, she co-wrote the pilot to Southfield Supernovas, which won the 2020 SXSW Seriesfest Pitch-A-Thon. Read more about Ruthie’s amazing stories from set and upcoming adventures here!
READ MOREMeet the New NYWIFT Member: China L. Colston
Welcome to NYWIFT, China L. Colston! China is a SAG-AFTRA actress and award-winning filmmaker. As an actress, she has embodied emotional women, from the guilt-ridden mother in Strings Attached to the dealer in Sweet Thang. China’s unwavering dedication as the star, writer, director, and producer of Dark Seed led the film to acclaim from the Validate Yourself Film Festival, African American Arts Alliance of Chicago, and the Dramatist’s Guild Success In The Arts Award aka SITA. She is the recipient of a 2021 NYFA grant for her script To Cook or Not to Cook, which follows a chef in Harlem repairing his relationship with his family through food. She is the recipient of a 2021 NYFA grant for her script To Cook or Not to Cook, which follows a chef in Harlem repairing his relationship with his family through food. China brings us through her incredible journey as a creator here!
READ MOREMeet the New NYWIFT Member: Toby Perl Freilich
Welcome to NYWIFT, Toby Perl Freilich! Toby is an Emmy-nominated documentary filmmaker and writer, focusing on cultural reporting. Her work explores all sorts of perspectives, from senators to artists, spanning across the world. She co-produced and co-directed Moynihan, a film about the late New York senator, policy expert, and public intellectual. She also directed, produced, and wrote Inventing Our Life: The Kibbutz Experiment, about one of the world's longest running and most successful experiments in radical, secular communal living. Right now, she is producing and directing I Make Maintenance Art: The Work of Mierle Laderman Ukeles about the pioneering ecofeminist and the first Artist in Residence at the New York City Department of Sanitation. Read about Toby’s inspiring past and future projects here!
READ MOREMeet the New NYWIFT Member: Melisa Ramos
Welcome to NYWIFT, Melisa Ramos! Melisa is a filmmaker and professor from Puerto Rico, bringing 14 years of post-production and motion graphics experience to New York. Her first production, Puerto Rican Voices, a docu-series about the aftermath of Hurricane Maria. Following Puerto Rican Voices, Melisa continued to share Puerto Rican and Latin American stories. In 2020, she directed and produced From Performers to Spectators, a doc-series showcasing New York City performers during lockdown. She is currently in production on Hoop Warrior, her first feature film. Read all about Melisa’s journey as an editor and artist here!
READ MORE
Comments are closed