The film Lives, Not Grades, directed by Daniel Druhora, a Romanian who lives in Los Angeles, has received an Emmy Award along with KCET for the best independent program at the 74th Annual Los Angeles Area Emmy Awards.

The documentary tells the story of a team of USC (University of Southern California) students who travel to Moria Camp in Greece to design and build innovations that can improve the lives of the refugees fleeing wars and natural disasters.

The students from the “Innovation in Engineering and Design for Global Crises” program focused on issues related to sewage, shelter, electricity and education for the more than 20,000 refugees at Moria Camp.

The documentary shows how real-world issues can be solved in accordance with the Grand Challenges Scholars program, an educational model that aims to prepare young engineers and entrepreneurs to make a social impact.

The aim of the documentary was to bring to public attention the tragedies of the refugees in Greece, Druhora, who also wrote the script and produced the documentary, explained. “I didn’t want this to be just another issue-driven film that people forget about quickly.”

Daniel Druhora has worked on the development and post-production of feature films The Land, Gangster Squad, and The Lego Movie. An émigré to the U.S. in the aftermath of Romania’s 1989 Revolution, he has been involved in humanitarian development work in several countries, which influenced his work. He is currently producing 1000 Saras about Olympic swimmer, humanitarian and accused “criminal mastermind” Sarah Mardini for broadcasters ARD and ARTE. His short film Elie’s Overcoat won an MPSE Golden Reel Award. 

The team of the film includes executive producer Yannis C. Yortsos, USC Viterbi School dean, executive producer Sony Astani, co-producers Adam Smith, Burcin Becerik-Gerber, Brad Cracchiola, and David Gerber, director of photography Teodora Totoiu, a Romanian-American cinematographer based in Seattle, editor Rommel Villa, sound designer Eric Han, and composer Alejandro Briceño.

Lives, Not Grades is scheduled to premiere in Romania on September 17, in Cluj-Napoca, with the director attending.

(Photo: PR & More)

simona@romania-insider.com