Elisa Gambino, USA

Elisa Gambino began her career as a producer in the CNN Rome bureau.  After 15 years of covering conflict and upheavals  for CNN, she together with her partner and husband founded their own production company, One Production Place Films, where they devote their time, energy and talents to sharing stories about how we live in community with each other.  One of Elisa’s recent projects was the catalyst for the largest environmental justice grant in the state of New York when the governor provided 150 million dollars for the city of Mount Vernon to repair their sewage systems.

In this episode, Elisa discusses her early work as a journalist and how it still shapes her filmmaking… her work in the CNN Rome bureau… being sent with the team covering the fall of the Berlin Wall and facing the challenges and opportunities of handling new responsibilities as history unfolded… continuing to win new assignments in various regions of the world… “growing” into being a producer at CNN… meeting her husband, who was a cameraman at CNN… her experiences seeing communities destroyed because of conflicts that were oftentimes out of their control… the important role that the legendary Ingrid Formanek has played in her career, giving her increasing responsibilities and encouragement when they worked together, and encouragement that continues today… leaving CNN and deciding to pursue something totally new by opening a successful fresh pasta shop that eventually closed as a result of the economic crisis of 2008… with her partner and husband, founding a production company that focuses on community and how we live together… approaching documentary filmmaking from the vantage point of being observers rather than being part of the story they are sharing… being in a constant state of learning as she covers a wide range of issues in her filmmaking… still needed to remind herself to be her own best friend… the importance of asking ourselves how we can do better, and then working in community to change what needs to be changed… recognizing that we have the power to drive change… empowering others by letting them know that their voices matter and that people are listening.  (USA)