Goldsmiths graduates scoop top documentary award

A team of Goldsmiths graduates has won a prestigious Royal Television Society award for a film inspired by the conflict in the Middle East. The alumni took first prize in the Factual TV category for their documentary My Heart Is In The East.

The winning documentary was created by Liron Zisser, Ana Beatriz Oliva, Dominique Brundler Vazquez and Giacomo Tirelli – all graduates from the Department of Media and Communications.

My Heart Is In The East is about an Israeli and a Palestinian living in London who share their moving stories of loss and trauma, which have forced them to search for a better life away from their homes.

Despite covering a controversial and a sensitive topic, director Liron, told Eastlondonlines that he used his personal experiences to help him create the film. 

“It was sort of a journey to me and it was very personal,” he said.

“It wasn’t completely objective, there was a subjective side. It was very hard to make it kind of balanced, but it was kind of discovering who I am and what I think and what I believe.”

The film follows Laila Shawa, a prominent Palestinian artist, who was born in Palestine in 1940 and Dr Ahron Bregman, a well-known Israeli academic, who was born in Israel in 1958. Both have been affected by the seemingly unending cycle of violence between the Israelis and the Palestinians. Both, devoid of any hope for leading a peaceful life, have felt compelled to leave everything that they know behind.

Zisser added: “Making this documentary has been an incredible journey for me, both personally and professionally. I started out wanting to explore the region I come from, to understand my history and who I am.

“I wanted to show the injustice of the situation in Israel and Palestine and to bring to light those stories that are hardly ever told. In the process, I discovered this film is so much more than that – it’s about our shared humanity, our want for a better life, and as much as it might sound a cliché, of perseverance in the face of adversity.”

The documentary tells both their stories, which are filled with doubt, fear, and a constant longing for their true homes. Despite all their differences, they are united by their shared humanity and a wish for a better future. Although they now both live in the West, their hearts will always remain in the East.

The team were named winners at the RTS London Centre Student Television Awards 2015, which recognised films produced last year. They collected their award at a ceremony at ITV Studios on the Southbank in central London.

Andrea Gauld, a BBC senior producer and jury chair said: “It was my favourite film out of all of the categories. We were also very impressed with the clever use of archive footage throughout the film.

This article first appeared on Eastlondonlines