A Kiss to This Land

This imaginative, fascinating documentary tells the story of Jewish immigration to Mexico in the 1920s and 30s. With great dignity and humanity, A KISS TO THIS LAND presents the memories and oral histories (with remarkable archival footage) of Jewish immigrants who arrived in Mexico from Syria, Turkey, Poland and Ukraine. Among those interviewed are a Socialist trade union worker, a musician/composer, an actor, and a factory owner. The men and women who tell their life stories offer a potent message of how immigrants make a positive contribution to their country - a refreshing contrast to the anti-immigrant mood in the United States.

EDUCATION University of Southern California, 1989 · Masters of Art in Film and Television Production · Specialization in Direction and Screenwriting Texas A&M University, 1985 · Bachelor of Science in Electrical Engineering STILL PHOTOGRAPHY Children of the World Photographic Calendar (1990). Nature and Wildlife Photographic Calendars (1991-1999). SCREENWRITER Meyer (1989). A coming of age story about two Jewish immigrant friends who arrive in Mexico from Poland in the 1920's. The Crazy Carousel (1987). Comedy. The struggle of a an Italian-American family to rescue their Little Italy restaurant, where patrons sing Opera, from going into bankruptcy. PRODUCER AND DIRECTOR The Hidden Ones (In Progress). A documentary film uncovering the plight of the present day descendants of the Crypto-Jews in Mexico and the Southwestern United States who were forced to convert to Catholicism at the end of the 15th century. Financial support and awards include: · Fellowship, John Simon Guggenheim Memorial Foundation · U.S./Mexico Fund for Culture · Mexican Institute of Cinematography · National Foundation for Jewish Culture (USA) · National Foundation for Culture and the Arts (Mexico) A Kiss to this Land (1995). 93 min. 35mm. A documentary about the personal and human aspects of Jewish immigration to Mexico in the 1920s and 1930s. · Golden Gate Award, San Francisco International Film Festival · Prize of the Austrian Public, Innsbruck International Film Festival · Gold Medal, Houston International Film Festival · Silver Apple, National Educational Media Network March of the Living (1992). 48 min. Video. A documentary about the journey of 200 Jewish Mexican youths to Polish concentration camps to participate in an event to remember the Holocaust. · First Place, Documentary Category, Mexican National Video Competition The Making of Eternity (1989). A documentary about the making of the film Eternity, staring actor Jon Voight. Contracted by Crystal Sky Communications. Halcyon (1988). 3 mins. 16mm. A visual poem about the art of diving staring world-class athlete Greg Louganis. · Special Jury Award for Cinematography, Jaca Sports Film Festival, Spain · Blarney Trophy for Best Photography, Cork Youth International Film Festival, Ireland · First Place in the Experimental Section, Prize of the Press and Public's Choice Award, International Film Festival, Algarve, Portugal · Bronze Medal, Brno International Film Festival, Czechoslovakia · Cine Eagle, Washington, D.C. · Best Short Film to represent the United States at international film festivals and competitions in 1990, Special Prize awarded by the Board Members of CINE CO-PRODUCER Chato is Dead: An Immigrant Story (In Progress). Full-length documentary exploring the job-related death of an illegal Mexican immigrant in the United States and the reaction of his family in his home village as well as his compatriots in the United States. Co-production with Oren Rudavsky Porductions of New York. In-Progress financial support and awards: · Soros Documentary Fund