Erika Cohn is a director who has received numerous accolades for her work, including a Director’s Guild of America award for her film, “When the Voices Fade,” a narrative profile of the Lebanese-Israeli war of 2006. In 2013, Cohn founded Idle Wild Films, Inc., which has released three feature documentaries and produced numerous branded content and commercial spots, including Gatorade’s Win from Within series, for which she received a 2016 Webby award nomination.
“The Judge” will premiere at the 2017 Toronto International Film Festival on September 11.
W&H: Describe the film for us in your own words.
EC: “The Judge” is an intimate portrait of the first woman judge to be appointed to the Middle East’s Shari’a courts. It is a film about resilience and courage, power and perseverance, injustice and justice.
W&H: What drew you to this story?
EC: I am fascinated with how law is interpreted — how power, economics, and/or status can influence implementation. I am captivated by the intersect and tension between religion, culture, and identity. I am drawn to narratives about strong women. I fell in love with this story for so many reasons, yet meeting Judge Kholoud truly inspired the film.
While I was on a shooting hiatus with my last film, “In Football We Trust,” I received a Rotary Ambassadorial Scholarship in Israel/Palestine to teach film and continue my post-graduate research in Islamic Feminism at Hebrew University. A dear friend and colleague invited me to attend a Shari’a law reform meeting in Ramallah, where Palestine’s legal challenges, domestic violence, raising the marriage age, and polygamy were discussed.
I was seated at a table in a large conference room surrounded by men in tarbooshes — which are hats that judges and sheikhs wear — when Judge Kholoud walked in. Everyone stood to greet her. I was immediately struck by her presence — her confidence and command of the room. I wanted to know more. Who was this woman? What was her story?
Judge Kholoud and I were introduced at the end of the discussion and upon learning I was a filmmaker, she immediately expressed enthusiasm in making a film about her journey. She hoped that sharing her story would inspire other women and girls throughout the Muslim world to pursue leadership roles in their communities, despite cultural or traditional norms.
In addition, I felt the film could challenge rapidly increasing Islamophobia, while highlighting positive advancements for women by women in the Middle East. I had no idea it would become even more timely.
W&H: What do you want people to think about when they are leaving the theater?
EC: Judge Kholoud’s resilience and determination greatly impacted me. I believe her story will encourage others to persevere through adversity — in asserting legal rights, achieving gender justice, and challenging cultural/traditional norms.
Finally, I hope “The Judge” leaves viewers with a more nuanced understanding of Shari’a law, strong imagery of powerful Muslim women. and perhaps a different portrait of Palestine.
W&H: What was the biggest challenge in making the film?
EC: Along the way, there were some major wake up calls and bumps in the road. One of them was the search for financing. Throughout the first five years I cannot count the number of times we heard “no,” nor the amount of grant rejections we received. Each time we examined the feedback, made adjustments but ultimately stayed true to the original vision. In the long run, our persistence paid off.
In addition, we were blessed with incredible access to the courts, but living 7500 miles away and re-requesting permission to film every time a new Chief Justice was appointed, was unbelievably challenging.
W&H: How did you get your film funded? Share some insights into how you got the film made.
EC: I self-funded the R&D phase until we had enough footage to create a fundraising trailer. The Hartley Film Foundation and a few generous individual donors then came in with seed funding to be able to continue shooting and create a longer worksample.
Donations and small grants came in piecemeal for the next three years and this past year ITVS provided finishing funds through their Open Call, enabling us to complete the film!
W&H: What does it mean for you to have your film play at the Toronto International Film Festival?
EC: When I started filming in 2012, it was an intangible dream that someday this budding project might play at TIFF. As “The Judge” neared completion this year our team had hoped the film might be awarded a global platform for Judge Kholoud’s story to be seen.
It truly means the world to us all to be able to premiere at TIFF. We could not have asked for a better launching pad.
W&H: What’s the best advice you’ve received?
EC: Best Advice: Don’t be afraid to ask for help and trust your gut.
W&H: What advice do you have for other female directors?
EC: Be well-prepared, never take no for an answer, and surround yourself with an incredible team who believes in you.
W&H: Name your favorite woman-directed film and why.
EC: I really admire Kim Longinotto as a filmmaker. Her films’ intimacy and cinéma vérité approach have inspired my work. I also love the rawness of the performances in Patty Jenkins’ “Monster.”
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.
EC: While there is an increased awareness about the very apparent disparities in our industry, I believe there needs to be more action. Early mentorship and role modeling were crucial for my career. Let’s facilitate more of these opportunities.
For those of us with hiring power, we have the ability to create change. For those of us without, let’s collectively put pressure on those that do.
