Julia Bacha facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Julia Bacha
Julia Bacha at the 72nd Annual Peabody Awards
Born	1980 (age 44–45) Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
Occupation	Director, Producer, Writer
Genre	Documentary
Notable works	Budrus, Encounter Point, Control Room
Spouse	Lucas Welch

Julia Bacha, born in 1980, is a talented filmmaker from Brazil. She is known for making documentaries that tell important stories from the Middle East. These stories often focus on topics related to Palestine. Her 2021 film, Boycott, looks at laws against boycotts and how they affect people's freedom of speech.

Early Life and Education

Julia Bacha was born in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. When she was 17, she moved to the United States. There, she studied the history and politics of the Middle East at Columbia University.

She planned to get a master's degree at Tehran University. However, she couldn't get the special papers needed to enter the country. Instead, she went to Cairo to work on a documentary film called Control Room. She finished her studies at the Columbia University School of General Studies in 2003.

Making Films and Telling Stories

Julia Bacha has a special skill for finding and sharing stories from the Middle East that aren't often told.

Early Film Work

In 2004, Julia helped write and edit Control Room. This documentary was about the news channel Al Jazeera. Julia and the director, Jehane Noujaim, were even nominated for an award for their writing.

Two years later, in 2006, she helped direct another documentary called Encounter Point. This film was shown at many important film festivals. It won an award at the San Francisco International Film Festival.

Award-Winning Documentaries

Julia directed the 2009 documentary Budrus. This film was shown at the Berlin International Film Festival. Budrus won more than 18 international awards. One big award was the 2012 PUMA Creative.Impact Award, which gave $50,000 to the film that had the biggest positive effect on society.

By 2006, Julia also became the creative director at a non-profit group called Just Vision. This group works to end the conflict in the Middle East.

In 2013, her 2012 film My Neighbourhood won a Peabody Award. This award is a big honor for stories told through media. The film was first shown online by The Guardian newspaper. In 2014, it also received a special mention at the Social Impact Media Awards. Her film Naila and the Uprising was first shown in November 2017.

Boycott and Free Speech

Julia Bacha's most recent full-length documentary is Boycott. It was first shown in November 2021. This film looks at laws that are against boycotting certain countries, like Israel. It also explores how these laws affect people's right to speak freely.

The film tells the stories of people in three different states. These people refused to sign a promise not to boycott Israel. They had to sign this promise to get money or contracts from their state governments. Instead, they decided to challenge these laws, saying they were against the country's rules.

Filmography

• Control Room (2004) – Co-writer and editor
• Encounter Point (2006) – Co-director
• Budrus (2009) – Director
• Home Front: Portraits From Sheikh Jarrah (2011) – Writer and Producer
• My Neighbourhood (2012) – Co-director and Co-Producer
• Naila and the Uprising (2017) – Director
• Boycott (2021) – Director

Awards and Honors

Julia Bacha has received many awards for her important work:

• 2003: Phi Beta Kappa prize when she graduated from Columbia University
• 2009: King Hussein Leadership Prize (shared with someone else)
• 2010: Search for Common Ground Award
• 2011: Ridenhour Film Prize
• 2012: O Globo “Faz Diferença” Award
• 2017: Columbia's University Medal for Excellence

See Also

• Ronit Avni
• Jehane Noujaim
• Rebekah Wingert-Jabi