Interview by Kaidia Pickels

Talya Tibbon is an award-winning director, producer, and writer. She’s worked in four continents documenting wide-ranging subjects such as street gangs, mass shooters and those who survive their crimes, and human trafficking. She’s currently in the early production stages of a film about her father and his work identifying soldiers lost in battle. Her most recent film, “Christiane Amanpour — On Sex and Love in Berlin,” will air as part of CNN Originals on April 7.

“Sky & Ground” will premiere at the 2018 Full Frame Documentary Film Festival on April 7. The film is co-directed by Joshua Bennett.

W&H: Describe the film for us in your own words.

TT: “Sky & Ground” is a film about a journey. On the surface it’s a physical journey — this family of three generations is trekking through seven countries with the hope of finding a new home in Germany. But the film is also very much about an emotional journey of dealing with the physical reality of displacement and reconciling those circumstances with the ties that keep families together.

W&H: What drew you to this story?

TT: I remember watching the enormous tsunami of people walking through the fields and the roads of Europe during the summer and fall of 2015. It was hard to shake off those images and it brought to mind history. I kept thinking how similar those images were to the black and white ones from Europe 70 and 80 years ago. Parts of my family went through a very similar journey.

When I first walked around Idomeni — this makeshift refugee camp that emerged on the border of Greece and Macedonia — I was a little overwhelmed. The place was absolutely insane and filled with anxious, restless energy. Emotions and tensions were running high. There were constant clashes with police, and between groups and families, and it seemed impossible to find any privacy or peace.

But inside the Sheikh Nabi-Abdulrahman tent there were lots of giggles, and there was singing, cooking, and of course bickering over chores — some sense of normalcy. I loved how despite the cards they were dealt, the uncertainty of the future, and all this chaos around them, this family managed to keep its dignity. It was what drew me to them.

W&H: What do you want people to think about when they are leaving the theater?

TT: There are labels that get thrown around these days like “migrants” or “refugees.” They help put a distance between “us” and “them” and exempt people from identifying or empathizing to some extent. There were so many moments along the journey, with its ups and downs, that made me think how similar we all are. There are cultural differences and circumstances, but we are so much alike.

I want people who watch “Sky & Ground” to remember that the only difference between being a refugee and not is luck. We live in such a crazy world. Today refugees are people fleeing wars in Syria or Afghanistan; tomorrow it could be people fleeing because of climate change, and it could be you.

W&H: What was the biggest challenge in making the film?

TT: I learned so much from spending time with this family. I love them. But the closer we got, the harder some decisions became. What do I do when they worry about food, or where to sleep, or when their tent gets stolen, or when someone has a medical emergency? I’m a problem solver by nature and I really wanted this journey to be less painful for them.

But there were times when I had to step back and remind myself to draw the line and keep myself a filmmaker documenting this journey, not an activist. And then, of course, I had to deal with having to come back the next day and keep filming. But ultimately, I thought the biggest help I could be to them was by making this film and sharing their story with the world.

W&H: How did you get your film funded? Share some insights into how you got the film made.

TT: The film was funded as part of a multi-film project and social engagement campaign titled “Humanity On The Move.” We’re planning to broadcast the film in 2018 and incorporate community screenings and discussion groups that will focus on refugees and refugee resettlement. We’ve been generously supported by The IKEA Foundation, Emerson Collective, Neda Nobari Foundation, Stavros Niarchos Foundation, the Barrie Landry Foundation, and Wellspring Advisors Fledgling Fund.

W&H: What’s the best and worst advice you’ve received?

TT: Someone I really love always reminds me to choose my battles. As a director and woman in this industry, there are plenty of battles along the way and the wise people are those who choose which ones are worth fighting. This is still a work in progress for me.

The worst advice I received was from a very established director when I moved into making my own films. He said I was an excellent producer and I shouldn’t “risk” becoming a director. I’m so glad I didn’t listen to him.

W&H: What advice do you have for other female directors?

TT: Opportunities are rare. I wouldn’t just wait for those to come — take the initiative and make it yours. It’s one thing that keeps coming up when I speak with other women directors about our experiences. So many of us are kicking ourselves for the years we were waiting to be noticed or given the chance to fully own a project when we should have just stood up for ourselves.

W&H: Name your favorite woman-directed film and why.

TT: When I watch a film I usually don’t try to guess whether a man or a woman directed it. But if I had to choose one I loved and was aware of the fact that it was directed by a woman, partly because it’s such a personal film and about a woman, it would be Sarah Polley’s “Stories We Tell.”

I loved the fact that she wasn’t just interested in a straight-forward portrait of her mother and her family, and loved how intimate that film felt.

W&H: There have been significant conversations over the last couple of years about increasing the amount of opportunities for women directors yet the numbers have not increased. Are you optimistic about the possibilities for change? Share any thoughts you might have on this topic.

TT: It’s hard to believe that we are still having these discussions but sadly we are. I am encouraged by the conversation and by the fact that it’s an issue that has been noticed but I’m not sure how much it’s being addressed in an effective way.

These days discrimination is more opaque. When it comes to the actual work, it’s common that for a woman director, knowing what she wants and insisting on getting that gets easily perceived as being “difficult.” We are still expected to be agreeable.

These kind of hurdles which women have to overcome to get there are much higher than they are for men. But there are so many super-talented women in this industry who know what they are doing and know what they want and will still persist, and that leaves me optimistic.