For J.J. Hanley the power of film is found in the poignancy of life. She believes that films touch people most deeply when they share personal stories. J.J.’s own story reflects a borderless appreciation for diversity. A cum laude graduate of Dartmouth College, she worked as a Wall Street securities trader and a portfolio manager for a global money center before marriage and family brought her to the Midwest. There, she tapped her creative reservoir working as the book editor for a weekly suburban newspaper and writing special features for various journalistic media. Having spent several formative years of her childhood in Turkey and revolutionary Iran, J.J. acquired an early understanding of the cultural challenges facing a globalized world. Fluent in Spanish and a vocal advocate for multi-lingualism, J.J. brings an appreciation for cross-cultural connection to every endeavor she pursues, imputing projects with a sensitivity to how personal histories can transcend the cultural divides that define our global landscape.
Courtesy of PBS.