Documentary filmmaker Nadine Natour worked directly with Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg to make the 2018 documentary “RBG”.
“Her being a millennial hero is a huge part of why we wanted to do the film,” Natour tells News & Advance. As an associate producer of the documentary, Natour caught moments of the Justice’s life never before seen – including her now-iconic workout videos.
This role in RBG earned Natour an invite to the 2018 Oscars. With this success under her belt, it also opened doors to other projects, including Gloves Off and Natour Grocery.
Nadine Natour worked every angle for “RBG”
“… [It’s] rare that older women are put on the kind of pedestal that [Ruth Bader Ginsberg’s] on,” Natour remarks. “I think that’s special and a good indicator there’s something unique and important about her work, and her life and her continuing to fight for the rights of not only women, but minorities.”
This film earned a nomination for the 91st Oscars in 2018. It also ranked top among the highest-grossing independent films of that year, according to IndieWire.
From the beginning, Natour took on an involved role as associate producer. During this time, she wore many hats, including “research, writing, [preparation].” Betsy West, filmmaker, direct of RBG and Natour’s former professor at Columbia, remarked that they “relied on [Natour] for a lot.”
West and her co-director Julie Cohen had both worked with Natour in the past. Cohen had Natour on as an editor in her 2014 documentary “The Sturgeon Queens.” This documentary told the story of a famous smoked fish shop in New York City. Additionally, they worked together on a five-year long project following Nick Mendes, an Army Sergeant paralyzed by an IED in Afghanistan in the film “American Veteran.”
Natour’s Grocery: a personal documentary from Nadine Natour
Natour studied Government and Middle Eastern Studies at the University of Virginia as an undergraduate. Next, she pursued journalism, also at UVA. When she discovered her passion for filmmaking, she attended Columbia to specialize.
“I’m passionate about writing,” she says. “And I would love to build on my existing skill set by working on narrative scripts.”
Her work thus far demonstrates a true love for storytelling. She received the Islamic Scholarship Fund’s Film Grant in 2019. This scholarship encourages Muslim filmmakers “to change the narrative and tell their own stories.” Certainly, Natour has taken this goal to heart.
Among her other projects, Natour also has a more personal project going. She has shot much of a short film that focuses on her family’s grocery store. Her parents, Gehad and Sabah Natour, are Palestinian Muslim immigrants. They run a convenience store in the town where the Civil War ended. After 34 years in business, Natour’s parents recently announced that the Appomattox, VA, store has changed ownership. Now, they can retire.
“Gloves Off”, a timely documentary
Natour’s other recent project has her in the dual roles of co-director and producer. The project: a new documentary titled Gloves Off. The Queen Collective, a program launched by Queen Latifa, Procter & Gamble, and Tribeca Studios, will fund this collaboration between Natour and co-director Ugonna Okpalaoka.
The film stars and explores the life of Washington, DC., police officer Tiara Brown, a Black woman “who serves to protect her community within the confines of a system that often brutalizes first and asks questions later,” writes BET.
“We’ve been following her story to show how she is succeeding in spaces that weren’t set up for her to succeed,” Natour explains. Brown has also made her name in professional boxing.
“Part of making a film is you don’t necessarily know where it’s going to go once you begin,” Natour remarks. “I hope I bring a sense of curiosity and open-endedness, like it doesn’t have to go a certain way.”
Watch RBG on Amazon.
