MY HERO'S EVA HALLER DOCUMENTARY TO SCREEN AT ILLUMINATE FILM FEST IN SANTA BARBARA

Screenshot from Eva Haller: A Work in ProgressMY HERO 

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Wendy Milette
The MY HERO Project
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MY HERO'S EVA HALLER DOCUMENTARY TO SCREEN AT ILLUMINATE FILM FEST IN SANTA BARBARA

APRIL 1, 2024 – LAGUNA BEACH, CA - Eva Haller: A Work in Progress, a feature-length documentary directed by The MY HERO Project co-founder Jeanne Meyers, will screen at the ILLUMINATE Film Festival, in Santa Barbara. The festival takes place April 5^th – 7th, with global online screenings from April 8^th– 14th. 

The film chronicles the life of Eva Haller, a 93-year-old Holocaust survivor, who escaped arrest in her native Hungary as a child by telling a Nazi officer she was, “Much too young and beautiful to die.” She lost her older brother in the war and dedicated her life to making a positive difference in the world through mentoring and supporting nonprofit organizations. 

“She truly is my hero,” said Meyers. “Eva Haller’s ability to adapt, survive and thrive through life’s challenges is truly inspiring. The film explores relationships that have shaped her magnificent life.”

Meyers began filming Haller in 2015. “We would talk and swim at the Coral Casino early in the morning and she would share her wisdom and reflections on life,” she said. “She is a devoted mother, grandmother, wife, friend and mentor to leaders of nonprofit organizations around the world. Her story does not end - she continues to be a work in progress.”

The film has won awards at the Cannes World Film Festival, the Stockholm City Film Festival and the Impact DOCS Awards. It has also been chosen as an official selection by the Toronto International Women Film Festival and the Documentaries Without Borders International Film Festival.

The Illuminate Festival launched in Sedona, in 2014, as a hub for visionary filmmakers. The festival’s mission is to harness the power of cinema to inspire personal change and social transformation. The festival recently made the move to Santa Barbara. Deepak Chopra, the bestselling author and prominent figure in the world of alternative medicine, will deliver this year’s keynote address. Immediately following the April 6^th screening Haller will be presented with the Local Luminary Award. 

“Those of us fortunate enough to know her, or those who screen the film and want to meet her, have a great opportunity to tune in weekly to her Virtual Salon Series to learn from one another,” said Meyers. “I am grateful to the Illuminate Festival for shining a light on Eva Haller and this film.”