More About the Filmmakers

Auteur Productions, Ltd. is a television production company in Washington, D.C. The two principals of the organization, Gerald Krell and Meyer Odze, have garnered many international awards for a wide range of documentaries, public affairs, and educational programs that have taken them to every continent to cover a variety of subject matter for the private and public sector. Prior to forming their own company they were senior documentary producers with the United States Information Agency. Their extensive Washington experience has given them the opportunity to interview high level officials and world-renowned personalities. Some of those dignitaries are: Henry Kissinger, George Schultz, James Baker, Warren Christopher, Madeleine Albright, and the late Dean Rusk, Nancy Reagan, Arthur Schlessinger, Jr., Walter Cronkite, Queen Sylvia of Sweden, Neil Armstrong, Aaron Copland, Billy Wilder, Gordon Parks and Gian Carlo Menotti.

Auteur’s latest documentary “Three Faiths, One God: Judaism, Christianity, Islam” thoughtfully compares similarities and differences in religious beliefs and practices that Islam has with Christianity and Judaism. The program illustrates how people in the Abrahamic faith communities are dealing with historical conflicts, yet remain dedicated to facilitating understanding and respect.

Auteur Productions produced “Jews and Christians: A Journey of Faith,” a 2 hour documentary television special which is airing nationwide on over 200 public television stations. The documentary was produced and directed by Gerald Krell and photographed and edited by Meyer Odze. Based on the book "Our Father Abraham: Jewish Roots of the Christian Faith," by Prof. Marvin Wilson it was Co-produced with Connecticut Public Television. The documentary project, funded in part by a major grant from the Pew Charitable Trusts, explores common beliefs, traditions and rituals shared by Judaism and Christianity, and examines how contemporary Jews and Christians perceive each other, confront prejudice and stereotypes and how they can understand and respect one another. The goal of the program is to make Christians and Jews better informed about their respective faiths and to make available quality, historical, educational programming for the general public so as to enhance its understanding of two great religions of the modern world. It was the Winner of the Silver Angel Award for spiritual and moral values and the Videographer Award for excellence in Media. The educational outreach for the program and study guide has been distributed to hundreds of Universities, colleges, high schools, libraries, churches and synagogues throughout the world. The documentary also aired nationally on the Hallmark Channel and in-depth interviews from the program are video streamed on Hallmark’s Faith and Values Website.

Auteur is currently producing a documentary which chronicles the 100 year history of the National Press Club, and shows the importance of the Club in the development of American journalism in general and the Washington Press Corp in particular.

Among the documentaries Mr. Krell and Mr. Odze have collaborated on is CRIMES AGAINST HUMANITY, produced for USIA which exposes the systematic brutality against individuals during the war in the former Yugoslavia, and the preparation for the UN War Crimes Tribunal. Locations included Croatia, Geneva, London, Paris and Warsaw. Among other awards it received a CINE Golden Eagle; the Magnolia Award at the Shanghai Film Festival; and winner, public affairs documentary International Gold Screen Competition. The documentary was also awarded the United States Information Agency’ Director’s Award for exceptional writing. It received Presidential and Congressional approval for distribution in the United States.

Mr. Odze’s USIA documentary THE FRAGILE RING OF LIFE, documents the threat to coral reefs around the globe from man’s destructive practices. It was shown worldwide on Discovery International and had its U.S. premiere at the Smithsonian Institution to launch the International Year of the Reef. The program had its U.S. television premiere on Discovery's Animal Planet Channel. It won the CINE Golden Eagle; the Earthwatch Award; best documentary in category, International Gold Screen Competition; bronze medal New York Festivals. It received Presidential and Congressional approval for distribution in the United States. It was photographed on location in Jamaica, Palau, Sri Lanka, Egypt, Israel, and Jordan.

THE VOICE, a one-hour program produced and directed by Mr. Krell, documents the Voice of America’s own history against its coverage of the historical events over a fifty-year history from World War II through the fall of communism. Locations included Moscow, Prague and London. Winner CINE Golden Eagle. It received Presidential and Congressional approval for distribution in the United States.

Mr. Krell also directed the feature film FDR; That Man In the White House. Written by Dore Schary and starring Robert Vaughn, it was broadcast nationally on HBO and the Arts & Entertainment Network. Mr. Odze was editor and associate producer.

Auteur has produced programs for "Economics USA” and “Inside the Global Economy” nationally televised series on PBS about Globalization, NAFTA, the Euro, Microsoft, the Banking System and The Federal Reserve. Among the outstanding economists and personalities who appeared in these programs are: Paul Volcker, former chairman of the Federal Reserve; Lawrence Summers, President of Harvard University; David Boise, lead prosecutor in Microsoft case; Herb Kelleher, President of Southwest Airlines.

Auteur produced Homage to Verdi starring Sherrill Milnes of the Metropolitan Opera. It was filmed on location in Verdi's birthplace as well as many historically relevant locations in Italy. The television special was seen on many PBS stations including WGBH, Boston and KQED, San Francisco.
Auteur is developing a two-part special on the history, status and role of opera in America. It is based on the National Book Critics Circle Award winner "Opera in America: A Cultural History" by John Dizikes and published by Yale University Press. Serving on the board of advisors for this series is a distinguished group of artists and academicians. Sarah Caldwell, National Medal of the Arts honoree; conductor Julius Rudel; Metropolitan Opera baritone Sherrill Milnes; opera star and educator Martina Arroyo; Martin Feinstein, General Director, retired of The Washington Opera; Marc Scorca, president of Opera America and cultural historians Professor Lawrence Levine, author of "Highbrow; Lowbrow," University of California, Berkeley and University of Chicago Professor Neil Harris, author of "Humbug" a biography of P.T. Barnum.

Auteur has been commissioned to produce a documentary special on the life and work of Catherine Filene Shouse, creator of Wolf Trap, America’s only National Park for the Performing Arts. The United States awarded Catherine Filene Shouse its highest civilian honor, the Presidential Medal of Freedom. The power of her personality attracted some of the greatest artists in the world to perform at Wolf Trap. The people Mrs. Shouse knew would fill a veritable Who’s Who of politics, diplomacy and the arts. The program will be presented by Connecticut Public Television for broadcasting on Public Television stations nationwide.

They have been associated with the Smithsonian Institution's Resident Associate Program Campus on the Mall, producing several television series. One series of six programs, was produced in conjunction with the Wall Street Journal, and was entitled, "American Business & the World Economy in the 1990's and beyond". This series featured such prominent people as Peter Kahn, publisher of the Wall Street Journal, Paul Gigot, Albert Hunt, Brooks Jackson, and Karen Elliott House to name a few.

Another series was produced in conjunction with the Kenan Institute of Private Enterprise of the University of North Carolina. It was entitled, "The American Entrepreneur Today,” and featured such luminaries as J. Willard Marriott, Jr., Amar Bose, Roger Horchow, David Jackson, and Arthur Lipper. All these programs were broadcast over the PBS Adult Learning Satellite Service to over 2,000 Universities nationwide.

Mr. Krell and Mr. Odze received their Master of Arts degree in Cinema from UCLA. Mr. Krell is a member of the National Press Club.