Experiencing Interruptions?

MACDELLA

A 40 year old single mother returns to her homeland of Liberia to run for President. In a country torn by war, disease, and corruption, she perseveres against her 19 male opponents, including the father of her youngest child.

  • Aliya Naumoff
    Director
  • Aliya Naumoff
    Writer
  • Aliya Naumoff
    Producer
    Syrian Women find Refuge
  • Shruti Ganguly
    Producer
    The Color of Time
  • MacDella Cooper
    Key Cast
  • Project Type:
    Documentary, Short
  • Runtime:
    9 minutes 18 seconds
  • Completion Date:
    July 1, 2018
  • Country of Origin:
    United States
  • Country of Filming:
    Liberia
  • Language:
    English
  • Film Color:
    Color
  • First-time Filmmaker:
    No
  • Student Project:
    No
  • Digital Cinema Package:
    Unavailable
Director Biography - Aliya Naumoff

Aliya has created photographic portraits for The New York Times, Vogue, Vice, and Rolling Stone, while shooting global campaigns for Converse and Levi’s. After working on a series of documentaries in Haiti following the earthquake of 2010, Aliya began creating her own films to help tell people’s stories.
Her documentary shorts have been published by The New York Times, Huffington Post, Refinery29, and Washington Post, focusing on a range of topics including women’s rights and displaced refugees. Her work has led her to consult for the Obama Administration and the U.N., while working with politicians and world leaders to help influence change.

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Director Statement

My career has been driven by a commitment to amplify the voices of women whose stories have the power to create change. My mother was a child refugee who migrated through the Middle East and lived in camps across Europe before settling in the United States. I grew up as a first-generation American in Pennsylvania, where our home served as a refuge for newly arrived immigrant families. I saw firsthand the struggles of building a life in a new culture, and those early experiences shaped my desire to share stories of resilience and leadership.

Over the past two years, I’ve developed a personal connection with MacDella Cooper. I’ve spent time with her in both Liberia and New York, getting to know her family and her team while documenting her presidential campaign from beginning to end. Cooper, a single mother returning to a country scarred by war, is working to rebuild it into a safer, more just society. Despite the obstacles she faces, she continues to push forward with determination and vision. Her story has the potential to inspire women around the world to run for office, speak their truth, and lead with purpose.