Songs of the Sephardim in Izmir
In Izmir, an ancient Turkish city rich with religious history and culture, Ceni is working to preserve Ladino—the endangered language of Sephardic Jews. Ceni’s family migrated to Turkey centuries ago, following the expulsion of the Jews from Spain. Like many others in her generation, Ceni grew up with parents and grandparents who spoke Ladino at home, but the language wasn’t passed down. Preparing for a musical performance organized by Nesim Bencoya, director of the Izmir Jewish Heritage Project, Ceni finds a deep connection with her Sephardic heritage and hopes to save Ladino for future generations.
Sacramento Jewish Film Festival 2024
Ann Arbor Jewish Film Festival 2023
Austin Jewish Film Festival 2023
Seattle Jewish Film Festival 2023
Boston Jewish Film Festival 2022
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Brooke Saias
Director / Producer
Brooke Saias (she/her) is an independent filmmaker, producer, and director. In her independent film practice she explores personal and collective memory in relationship to place, family, and identity. Her documentary short, Songs of the Sephardim in Izmir about the preservation of the Ladino language, premiered at the Boston Jewish Film Festival in November 2022 and is currently screening in festivals. She was recently awarded a 2023 Arts & Culture Community Impact Grant for her film in development exploring more of the Sephardic Jewish experience. Brooke also collaborates with various organizations, institutions, production companies, and artists. She is currently an Associate Producer with Arch+Bow Films, supporting independent films with bold artistic vision. She previously produced a collection of international documentary films for Compass Light Productions and worked as an award-winning video journalist for Education Week.
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Anna Clare Spelman
Director / Cinematographer
Anna Clare Spelman (she/her) is a documentary filmmaker based in between Phoenix, Arizona, and Istanbul, Turkey. She comes from a family of artists and storytellers and believes the documenting and sharing of stories is fundamentally important to understanding each other. She works with individuals and communities to tell empowering stories, often focusing on human rights issues within immigrant and LGBTQ communities. Anna collaborates with news outlets around the world, independent filmmakers, and NGO’s. She is currently directing and producing her first feature film, which follows a family in North Carolina for ten years as they navigate raising their transgender daughter. As part of exploring her own Jewish identity while living in Cambodia, she worked on a series of photographic essays about the Jewish diaspora in Southeast Asia.
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Eli Kao
Producer
Eli Kao (he/him) is a documentary writer, producer, and director whose experience ranges from mentoring community media-makers in the Boston area to producing network shows for millions of viewers across the Asia-Pacific region. He grew up in mid-coast Maine, where he currently works as a producer for Compass Light Productions. Previously, he lived in Taiwan and worked for one of Asia’s largest factual production companies. He has produced, directed, and scripted award-winning programs for Discovery Networks and the National Geographic Channel. His independent projects explore the intersections of race and culture with science and technology.
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Brian Gersten
Editor
Brian Gersten (he/him) is an award-winning documentary filmmaker, editor, and teacher based in the Hudson Valley. His films have gone on to screen in ten different countries and at dozens of notable film festivals around the globe. Much of Brian’s work can be seen on PBS, Amazon, Kanopy, and The Atlantic. His films have been written about and featured in Forbes, Film Inquiry, CBS Sunday Morning, and The AV Club. Aside from making films, Brian has also taught filmmaking courses and workshops at Rutgers University, Northwestern University, and the Salt Institute for Documentary Studies.