Julia Elihu
Winter of ‘79 (2021) At the onset of the 1979 Iranian Revolution, an Iranian-Jewish mother is forced to question her faith in her country.
Julia Elihu is an Iranian-American writer and director who strives to tell untold stories through her own passionate lens.
So often, it is the culmination of intimate moments and subtle shifts in personhood that shape us into who we are. Julia aims to document the intricacies and vibrancy of everyday life in each piece she touches.
Julia’s love for her Persian culture inspires her to create, and pushes her to tell stories from a unique perspective. In 2018, she brought these themes to her short film YASAMIN, which is based on her mother’s story of immigration and was a grand jury prize nominee at the 2018 AFI Film Festival. More recently, she's produced a short documentary titled TEAM MERYLAND which was acquired by The New Yorker and PBS’ POV Shorts.
This year, she is excited to share her latest short film, WINTER OF ‘79. This film is very close to her heart and was created in memory of her great uncle, Habib Elghanian, who was unfortunately the first Jew executed during the 1979 Iranian Revolution. The story is an amalgamation of her family’s stories during this time period, from Habib’s story, to that of her grandparents, uncles, aunts, parents, cousins, and dear friends. Ultimately, with WINTER OF ‘79 she aims to not only shed light on the Iranian-Jewish experience, but that of every Iranian who lived during and after the revolution.