The Cola Conquest

IRENE LILIENHEIM ANGELICO
director, producer, writer

Irene Angelico is the winner of numerous international awards for directing and producing, as well as a Gemini for best writing in a documentary. Her work was included in The 250 Greatest Documentaries from Around the World at the International Salute to the Documentary and selected for retrospectives in London and France.

In 1980, Angelico and her partner Abbey Neidik produced and directed Dark Lullabies about the effects of the Holocaust on the next generation of Germans and Jews. This highly regarded film has garnered many prestigious international prizes, and continues to be shown in special screenings including the inaugural film at the Stratford Festival Forum, the Berlin Arsenal 70th anniversary of the Holocaust, the Inconvenient Films: International Human Rights Festival and Liberation 75 in Toronto in 2021.

Angelico went on to direct and write award-winning series including Black Coffee, about the history and social impact of coffee, Inside the Great Magazines, about the first international media; and The Cola Conquest, about Coca-Cola as a metaphor for America and winner, among others, of the Best Documentary Series by an Independent at Hot Docs, the Gold Apple and the Silver Hugo in Chicago.

Angelico produced and wrote many other highly successful films including The Love Prophet and the Children of God; She Got Game (Guirlande d'Honneur - Milan, Best Documentary - Temecula Valley, Chris Statuette Columbus); Song for Tibet (Gemini); Vendetta Song (Best Documentary, CIDA Prize, Best Documentary – Quebec Film Critics Association, Best Documentary - Calgary, Best Documentary - Female Eye; Unbreakable Minds, a poignant film that aims to humanize mental illness; Shekinah: the Intimate Lives of Hasidic Women, # 1 in the box office for six weeks and Beyond Earth: the Beginning of NewSpace, named by Realscreen as a MipCom Pic for 2017.

Angelico has also been involved in the publication of several articles and two books. With Abbey Neidik and Mark Pendergrast, she edited The Aftermath: A Survivor's Odyssey Through War-Torn Europe, written by her father, Henry Lilienheim, and endorsed by Nobel Peace Prize Laureates Elie Wiesel and the Dalai Lama. She and Yehudi Lindeman co-edited The Third Seder: A Haggadah for Yom HaShoah, which includes new rituals they created uniquely for the commemoration of Yom HaShoah.

Angelico is currently in distribution with First to Stand, a documentary featuring the work of Irwin Cotler and the Raoul Wallenberg Centre for Human Rights; Reaching for Zion, a musical journey about prejudice told through music and featuring Bob Marley’s granddaughter Donisha Prendergast.

FILMMOGRAPHY
HONOURS
Founding Chair, DLI Productions (from 1981)
Canadian Women Behind the Camera (2019, 2020. 2021)
Women in the Director’s Chair (2001)
A Salute to the Documentary (1989)
Founding Chair of CIFC Montreal (now DOC) (1992-3)
Hot Docs Alumnae

Reaching for Zion In production
Every people deserves a home where they can leave in harmony.
Producer, Director, Writer
Broadcasts: Zoomer media, CMF POV

First to Stand (2022)
Irwin Cotler and his team at the Raoul Wallenberg Centre for Human Rights pursue justice at home and abroad.
Producer/Director
Broadcasts: TVO
Award Winner, Gold Star Movie Awards (2023)
Honorable Mention, Mannheim Arts and Film Festival (2022)
Selected FEEDBACK Female Film Festival (2022)

Shekinah Rising (2018)
Women will lead the way into the new era.
Producer
Broadcasts: The Documentary Channel, Radio Canada, CMF POV

Big Wind (2015)
A story of unethical political systems, corporate greed and ordinary citizens standing up to big government and big business.
Broadcasts: TVO
Producer/Writer
Broadcasts:TVO

Beyond Earth: the Story of NewSpace (2016)
A feature documentary about the privatization of Space and the next great turning point in human history.
Producer, Writer
Development Funders: CTV, CFCF, CMF POV
A 52-minute documentary about the unprecedented rush to industrial wind turbine development that is transforming the landscape of Canada and the world.
Awards:
Award Winner - Hollywood Independent Documentary Awards (2017)
Jury’s Special Mention - Beyond Earth Film Festival (2019)

Broadcasts: Super Channel, Canal D

Shekinah: The Intimate Life of Hasidic Women (2013)
A feature-length documentary that takes us into the rarefied world of young Hasidic women living an 18th-century way of life in 21st century Quebec.
Producer/Writer
Awards:
Best Documentay - Crown Heights Film Festival, New York (2013)
# 1 in the Montreal box office for six weeks (2013)
Broadcasts: Radio-Canada, The Doc Channel

Canadaville, USA (2008)
A 52 minute documentary about Katrina survivors of trying to rebuild their lives in a remote corner of Louisiana called Canadaville
Producer/Writer
Awards:
Merit Prize for Social Political Documentary - Hugo Television Awards Chicago Film Festival (2008)
Broadcasts: CBC (Canada 2008), Telequebec (Canada 2009), TV5 Europe (2009)

Inside The Great Magazines (2007)
A three-part series and feature documentary about the great magazines and how they have shaped race, gender roles, class and national identity.
Producer/Director/Writer
Broadcasts: Global (Canada 2007), Telequebec (Canada 2007), TFO (Canada 2007), Argentina (2007), Brazil (2007), ABC Australia (2008), Hungary (2008), South Korea (2008), New Zealand (2008), Poland (2008), Israel (2008), Norway (2008), Sweden (2008), Italy (2008), Canal Plus (France 2009)

Black Coffee (2007)
A trilogy about the social, political and economic influence of coffee from its discovery in Ethiopia the present day.
Director, Writer
Best Original Music Score for a Documentary Program or Series Nominee, Part III: Gold In Your Cup - Gemini Awards (2006)

Vendetta Song (2005)
A 52-minute documentary about a young Canadian going back to a Kurdish village in Turkey to investigate the death of her aunt in an honour killing.
Producer, Writer
Awards:
Best Canadian Documentary on International Development – Hot Docs (2005)
Top Ten Audience Favourites - Hot Docs (2005)
Best Canadian Documentary - Calgary International Festival (2005)
Best Medium Length Documentary, Québécois, Quebec Film Critics Association - Rendez-vous du Cinéma Québécois (2005)
People’s Choice Award - Rendez-vous du Cinéma Québécois (2005)
Best Documentary Award - Female Eye Film Festival (2005)
Bronze Plaque, Humanities – Columbus International Film and Video Festival (2006)
3rd prize - International Women’s Film Festival, Torino (2006)
Broadcasts: Vision TV (Canada 2005), Telequebec (Canada 2006), Knowledge Network (Canada 2006), ACCESS (Canada 2006), Turkish Television (2006), Documentary Channel (Canada 2007),

Unbreakable Minds (2005)
A 52-minue documentary about three people suffering from severe mental illness.
Producer/Writer
Peabody Awards Nominee (2005)
Broadcasts: Vision TV (Canada 2005), IFC (Canada 2006), Knowledge Network (Canada 2006), SCN (Canada 2006), Showtime (USA 2006), Documentary Channel (Canada 2007)
Theatrical:
Highland Park Theatre, Illinois
Northwestern

She Got Game (2003)
A 90-minute documentary that looks behind the scenes at the Professional Women’s Tennis Tour
Poducer/
Awards:
Aurora Awards - Gold Awards (2004)
Guirlande d'Honneur - Sports Movies & TV Int. Festival, Milan (2003)
Best Documentary - Temecula Valley Int. Film and Music Festival (2003)
Chris Statuette – Columbus International Film Festival (2003)
Broadcasts: Life (Canada 2003), Radio Canada (Canada 2003), TFO (Canada 2003), STARZ (2004 USA), Spain (2004), Portugal (2004), Andorra (2004), Japan (2004), Czech Republic (2004), Netherlands (2004)

The Journey Home: A Romanian Adoption (2000).
A one-hour documentary following a adoptive Canadian family going back to Romania.
Producer
Broadcasts: CBC (Canada 1998)VRT(Belgium1992), DEC (Canada 1988), YLE 2 (Finland 1990), SVT (Sweden1990)

The Cola Conquest; A Trilogy (1998).
A three-part documentary special about Coca-Cola as a metaphor for America and the Americanization of global culture.
Producer, Director, Co-editor, Co-writer
Awards:
Best Documentary Series by an Independent - Hot Docs )1999)
Gold Apple - National Education Media Network (1999)
Silver Hugo - Chicago international Television Competition (1999)
Best Writing in a Documentary or Series - Gemini Awards (1999)
Best Documentary Series Nominee - Gemini Awards (1999)
Encounter Internacionais de Cinema Documentale, Vila Franca de Xira (1998)
Peabody Awards Nominee (Part 1-The Big Sell) (1998)
Peabody Awards Nominee (Part II: Cola War and Peace) (1998)
Peabody Awards Nominee (Part III: Cocacolonization) (1998)
Broadcasts: Canal Plus France (Africa1998), ABC (Australia1995), Ronin Films (Australia1999), Telepool (Austria1996), VRT (Belgium1996), Canal Plus France (Belgium1998), TV Max/HBO (Czech Republic1999), Denmark Radio (Denmark1998), Channel 4 (England1996), YLE 2( Finland1996), Canal Plus France (France1998), Telepool (Gero-colinization)many1996), Spektrum TV (Hungary1999), Noga Communications LTD (Israel1998), American Movie Classics (Latin America1998), Canal 22 Television Metropolitain (Mexico1997), Ronin Films (New Zealand 1999), NRK (Norway1998), Canal Plus Poland (Poland1997) Sogecable (Spain1996), SVT (Sweden1998), Telepool (DRS) (Switzerland1996), Canal Plus France (Switzerland1998), Chinese Network Television (Taiwan1997), American Movie Classics (USA1998), NPS (Netherlands), Sogecable (Spain).

The Love Prophet and the Children of God (1998).
A one-hour documentary about one of today's most controversial religious cults
Producer/Writer
Awards:
Gold Plaque, Best Biography of the Year - Chicago International Television Competition, (1998)
Golden Sheaf Award - Yorktown Short Film and Video Festival (1999)
Best Biography Nominee - Hot Docs (1999)
Broadcasts:
SBS (Australia 1999), MTV3 (Finland 1998) France 2(France1999) Noga Communications (Israel1999), Globosat (Brazil 1998)

A Song For Tibet (1993)
An hour documentary on Tibetan refugees and the Dalai Lama’s visit to Canada.
Co-producer
Awards:
Best Short Documentary - Genie Awaeds (1992)
Best Documentary of the Year - Yorkton Film Festival(1992)
Best Documentary of the Year – Hawaii Film Festival (1992)
Blue Ribbon - American Film Festival (1992)

Entre Solitudes / Between Solitudes (1992).
An hour documentary about the Anglos of Québec .
Producer
Awards:
Best Documentary Nomination - Les Prix Gémeaux (1993)
Best Editing Nomination - Les Prix Gémeaux (1993)
Diplôme de participation – FIPA at Cannes, Les Grands Reportages Faits de Societé (1994)
Certificate of Appeciation - Earth Peace International Festival (1983)

Kafka (1987)
A dramatic script about the life of Franz Kafka.
Producer
Canada Council Writing Grant (1986)
FUND Writing Grant (1986)

Dark Lullabies / Berceuse pour des Ombres (1985).
A documentary feature about the effects of the Holocaust on the next generation of young Jews and Germans.
Producer/Director/Writer/Editor
Awards:
First Prize - International Film Festival of Mannheim (1985)
Special Prize, Most Socially-Politically Engaging Film, International Film Festival of Mannheim (1985)
Ecumenical Jury award - International film Festival of Mannheim (1985)
Second Prize – Educational Jury, International film Festival of Mannheim (1985)
Most Memorable Film - World Television Festival, Tokyo (1986)
Red Ribbon - American Film Festival (1986)
Best Feature Film Nominee - Torino International Festival of Young Cinema, Prize of the City of Torino (1986)
Prix du Public at the NFB's "Salute to the Documentary"(Dark Lullabies selected as one of 50 best documentaries of all time) (1989)
Broadcasts: CBC (Canada 1986) Telequebec (Canada 1986) ZDF (Germany 1986) PBS (United States 1987) NHK (Japan, 1987), ABC (Australia 1987), MTV3 (Finland 1987); numerous other stations throughout the world.
Theatrical Distribution: USA (1986)

Meditation in Motion (1979)
A poetic film about the ancient discipline of Tai-Chi.
Director, Writer, Editor
Award - Dance Film Association Awards (1980)
Selection - American Film Festival (1979)