Edet Belzberg
Encyclopedia
Biography
Belzberg received a B.A. in 1991 from the University of Colorado, Boulder and an M.A. in 1997 from the School of International and Public Affairs, Columbia University. She received the Columbia University School of Journalism's John M. Patterson Enterprise Award in 1997 for her documentary short "A Master Violinist", about a Chinese political refugee.With assistance from the Soros Documentary Fund (now the Sundance Documentary Fund), Belzberg made her first feature film Children Underground
Children Underground
Children Underground is a 2001 documentary film directed by Edet Belzberg.Homeless children are the casualties of Romania's recent history. In an effort to increase the nation's work force, former communist leader Nicolae Ceauşescu outlawed contraception and abortion in 1966. Thousands of unwanted...
, a documentary about five homeless street children
Street children
A street child is a child who lives on the streets of a city, deprived of family care and protection. Most children on the streets are between the ages of about 5 and 17 years old.Street children live in junk boxes, parks or on the street itself...
who live in the subway system of Bucharest, Romania. The film won the Special Jury Prize at the Sundance Film Festival
Sundance Film Festival
The Sundance Film Festival is a film festival that takes place annually in Utah, in the United States. It is the largest independent cinema festival in the United States. Held in January in Park City, Salt Lake City, and Ogden, as well as at the Sundance Resort, the festival is a showcase for new...
(2001), and received the Best Documentary Film Award from the International Documentary Association
International Documentary Association
International Documentary Association , founded in 1982, is a non-profit organization promoting documentary film, video and new media, to support the efforts of documentary filmmaking and video production makers around the world and to increase public appreciation and demand for the art of the...
(2001). Children Underground was also nominated for a 2001 Academy Award and was one of the first recipients of the IFP Anthony Radziwill Documentary Prize.
Her 2005 documentary Gymnast studied three American female gymnasts preparing for the Olympic Games.
In 2005, she received the MacArthur "Genius" award. She lives in New York City, where she has been a frequent guest lecturer on urban reporting and documentary filmmaking at the Columbia School of Journalism, and has also taught at NYU.
Belzberg's most recent documentary, The Recruiter
The Recruiter (2008 film)
The Recruiter is a 2008 award-winning documentary film directed by Edet Belzberg.One of every four high school graduates cannot pass the basic military entrance exam. Couple that with high obesity and rise of criminal records means there is a much lower chance of getting military recruits. Despite...
(originally titled An American Soldier), premiered at the 2008 Sundance Film Festival
2008 Sundance Film Festival
The 2008 Sundance Film Festival ran from January 17, 2008 to January 27 in Park City, Utah. It was the 24th iteration of the Sundance Film Festival. The opening night film was In Bruges and the closing night film was CSNY Déjà Vu.-Films:...
. It portrays a top U.S. army recruiter and his relationship with four of his recruits as they complete high school and go through basic training.
Director filmography
- A Master Violinist (1997, short)
- Children UndergroundChildren UndergroundChildren Underground is a 2001 documentary film directed by Edet Belzberg.Homeless children are the casualties of Romania's recent history. In an effort to increase the nation's work force, former communist leader Nicolae Ceauşescu outlawed contraception and abortion in 1966. Thousands of unwanted...
(2001) - Gymnast (2005)
- Time Piece (2006) (Bobby's Tale segment)
- The RecruiterThe Recruiter (2008 film)The Recruiter is a 2008 award-winning documentary film directed by Edet Belzberg.One of every four high school graduates cannot pass the basic military entrance exam. Couple that with high obesity and rise of criminal records means there is a much lower chance of getting military recruits. Despite...
(2007)
Producer filmography
- Anthem (1997) (associate producer)
- Children UndergroundChildren UndergroundChildren Underground is a 2001 documentary film directed by Edet Belzberg.Homeless children are the casualties of Romania's recent history. In an effort to increase the nation's work force, former communist leader Nicolae Ceauşescu outlawed contraception and abortion in 1966. Thousands of unwanted...
(2001) - Gymnast (2005)
- The Recruiter (2007)