Nana: A Portrait

From her New York City apartment, 80-year-old Louise Zilkha reminisces about her life which began in Baghdad. She talks about centuries-old traditions of Jewish family life, the sometimes peaceful, often turbulent coexistence with Moslems, and the threats that led her family on a journey out of Iraq to Beirut, Cairo, and finally, to New York.

Jamil Simon - Producer / Director For over 30 years, Jamil Simon has produced, directed and written, documentary and educational films and videos, several of which have been broadcast in the United States on PBS and commercial stations. He has produced documentary films and videos for Harvard University, Hampshire College, Oxfam America, Blue Cross / Blue Shield and WGBH-TV. His educational films and have been shown in schools and universities all over the world. Jamil has also done work for a number of children's programs including Sesame Street, and Zoom. Awards include Red and Blue Ribbons at the American Film Festival, The International Film and Television Award, several CINE Golden Eagle Awards, and the Audubon International Certificate of Excellence. In addition to his video work, Jamil also works as a consultant designing educational programs for a wide range of institutions and organizations in developing nations all over the world, including Mali, Senegal, Morocco, Tunisia, Jordan, Egypt, Indonesia and Poland. Jamil is an accomplished still photographer, too. His photographs have been published in books, magazines, and brochures. Since the beginning of his career, Jamil has been documenting his family's history through interviews with key family members. Nana: Un Portrait, about his grandmother, was the first in a series of films to offer a window into the life of Sephardic Jews who were forced to migrate from their traditional home in the Middle East eventually to Europe and America.