Rula Jebreal
- Writer
- Producer
Rula Jebreal is an Italo-Palestinian journalist, novelist and
screenwriter with both Israeli and Italian citizenship. Her mother died
when she was five, and her father put her and her sister in the Dar
El-Tifel orphanage, where she was educated. She won a scholarship from
the Italian government to study medicine at the University of Bologna and graduated with a degree in physiotherapy. While working as a
physiotherapist, Jebreal went back to school at the University of
Bologna, earning her masters in Journalism and Political Science.
She became the first foreign anchorwoman in the history of Italian
television, winning a Media Watch award for her coverage of the Iraq
war, and by age 33 earned the highest European journalism award, the
International Ischia Award, for Best Journalist of the Year. Jebreal
worked as a journalist in Italy for 12 years, earning a reputation
for being one of the toughest interviewers because of her interviews with such
prominent figures as Prime Minister Massimo D'Alema, Silvio Berlusconi,
Bill Gates, President Mahmoud Abbas, Bernard Kushner, Al Berdei and Ingrid Betancourt. In 2006 she became the co-presenter of AnnoZero (2006), the most
important and controversial show in Italy, together with Michele Santoro. In 2008 Jebreal created her own television show in Cairo at
Al-Qahira Wal-Nas, Egypt's main television station, where she filmed 30
episodes covering politics, economy and the collapse of society in
Egypt under Hosni Mubarak's regime.
Jebreal's first novel, "Miral", published in 2003, was translated into
15 languages, sold millions of copies worldwide and was eventually
made into a film--Miral (2010)--that was directed by Julian Schnabel, from Jebreal's
screenplay. The film premiered at the Venice Film Festival on September
2, 2010, to a 15-minute standing ovation, and won the UNICEF Protection of Children award. "Miral" had its U.S. premiere at the
United Nations General Assembly Hall, the first film ever to premiere
there.
Jebreal's second novel, "The Bride of Aswan", was published in 2007 and
was translated into five languages, winning the International Fince
Europa Award. Her third book, "Rejected", is a non-fiction study about
the history of immigration in Europe. It was published in Italy and
France, and is used in universities in Italy.
Jebreal wrote and produced the documentary "Permesso di Sogiorno", about the death penalty in China, the United States and Iran during
the UN debate over the death penalty moratorium in 2008. The
critically acclaimed documentary aired on Italian television in 2008.
screenwriter with both Israeli and Italian citizenship. Her mother died
when she was five, and her father put her and her sister in the Dar
El-Tifel orphanage, where she was educated. She won a scholarship from
the Italian government to study medicine at the University of Bologna and graduated with a degree in physiotherapy. While working as a
physiotherapist, Jebreal went back to school at the University of
Bologna, earning her masters in Journalism and Political Science.
She became the first foreign anchorwoman in the history of Italian
television, winning a Media Watch award for her coverage of the Iraq
war, and by age 33 earned the highest European journalism award, the
International Ischia Award, for Best Journalist of the Year. Jebreal
worked as a journalist in Italy for 12 years, earning a reputation
for being one of the toughest interviewers because of her interviews with such
prominent figures as Prime Minister Massimo D'Alema, Silvio Berlusconi,
Bill Gates, President Mahmoud Abbas, Bernard Kushner, Al Berdei and Ingrid Betancourt. In 2006 she became the co-presenter of AnnoZero (2006), the most
important and controversial show in Italy, together with Michele Santoro. In 2008 Jebreal created her own television show in Cairo at
Al-Qahira Wal-Nas, Egypt's main television station, where she filmed 30
episodes covering politics, economy and the collapse of society in
Egypt under Hosni Mubarak's regime.
Jebreal's first novel, "Miral", published in 2003, was translated into
15 languages, sold millions of copies worldwide and was eventually
made into a film--Miral (2010)--that was directed by Julian Schnabel, from Jebreal's
screenplay. The film premiered at the Venice Film Festival on September
2, 2010, to a 15-minute standing ovation, and won the UNICEF Protection of Children award. "Miral" had its U.S. premiere at the
United Nations General Assembly Hall, the first film ever to premiere
there.
Jebreal's second novel, "The Bride of Aswan", was published in 2007 and
was translated into five languages, winning the International Fince
Europa Award. Her third book, "Rejected", is a non-fiction study about
the history of immigration in Europe. It was published in Italy and
France, and is used in universities in Italy.
Jebreal wrote and produced the documentary "Permesso di Sogiorno", about the death penalty in China, the United States and Iran during
the UN debate over the death penalty moratorium in 2008. The
critically acclaimed documentary aired on Italian television in 2008.