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Ruth brings her vast international experience to produce and direct social and political documentaries. She has been interested in foreign cultures her entire life. Studying anthropology and sociology in college, she decided to specialize in the field of non-verbal communication. Only then, she felt, could she truly access the essence of a culture and a people, beyond moral conventions and social codes. She lived in France and Japan before settling in New York where she produces stories in cooperation with organizations promoting Equal Rights and Justice. Her work in news reporting has been broadcasted by major international platforms such as Time Magazine, The Economist, Russia Today, Japan’s Nikkei Business and Israel’s Channel 10. Her contribution to United Nation’s video reports has won her the recognition of institutions such as The Hague Appeal For Peace, The Alliance of Civilizations and the UN Art For Peace Commission.  Ruth collaborated with award-winning directors (Emmy Winners John Alpert and Matthew O’Neil; Sundance winner Yoni Brook) on productions broadcasted on HBO and PBS. She has most recently participated on the short documentary Redemption (HBO Documentaries) which was nominated for an Academy Award in 2012.

Before reading about the deportation order in the news, Ruth Berdah-Canet had only visited Israel once as an adult for a short vacation.  Within the week, she and her camera were on a flight to Tel Aviv, leaving her husband and her comfortable world behind. She spent the next six months in Israel in total immersion.

South Sudanese families opened up their homes to her completely, inviting Ruth to eat, sleep and live their ordeal with them. She gained the confidence of Israeli advocates, social workers, youth groups, schools, and church congregations to capture the heart of Israelis torn apart by the ordeal. And she was on the front lines of mass demonstrations, police round-ups, and confrontations with public officials, with hidden cameras in some cases, to tell the story she feels needs to be told.