Elissa Miolene
At just past 10 on a Saturday morning, two dozen Afghan students began to write.
Some could understand the prompt, which was printed on the handouts before them in English. Others simply stared at it and tried to untangle the words. There were furrowed brows and jittery hands, but every face was set in focus.
Produced, edited and shot by Elissa Miolene
Mindy Fong shut the doors of Jade Chocolates Teahouse and Cafe at just past 5 p.m. on a weekday this spring. Fong had spent the day making chocolate, preparing pastries and serving tea. But now, she was leading her employees to a very different type of shift: their first all-staff kung fu class.
Produced, edited and shot by Elissa Miolene
In the United States, consumer inflation has hit its highest level in four decades. In San Francisco’s Chinatown, rising prices are just the latest in a series of hurdles small business owners have had to face. But Kevin Chan, owner of the city’s iconic Golden Gate Fortune Cookie Factory, is pushing to keep his family’s business alive.
Produced, edited and shot by Elissa Miolene
On Saturday, April 16, Ukrainians from across the Bay Area gathered to create pysanky, traditional Ukrainian Easter eggs, at St. Michael’s Ukrainian Orthodox Church. Pysanky predates Christianity – but this year, participants felt it was more meaningful
than ever.
Produced, edited and shot by Elissa Miolene
Environmental watchdog group Baykeeper filed a lawsuit in federal court against Amports, which owns the Port of Benicia, and Valero for allegedly mishandling petroleum coke, a refinery product that can damage the heart and lungs.
Produced, edited and shot by Elissa Miolene
What comes next:
the settling in after resettling
Despite an increasing number of refugees around the world, only 1% are actually resettled in the world’s 29 resettlement countries, according to the International Rescue Committee. This is the story of one family who resettled in San Jose.
Produced, edited and shot by Elissa Miolene
Afghan family begins to rebuild in Bay Area, after 3 months on hold
The Hofionis are among hundreds of Afghans who have arrived in the Bay Area since August. When they landed in California, they were greeted by resettlement agencies, non-profits and the government, all of whom tried to help them find the impossible: an affordable home in the country’s most expensive housing market.
Produced, edited and shot by Elissa Miolene
I was contracted to produce a series of videos for Save the Children's changemakers series, which highlights the work of individuals across the country — from fourth-graders to CEOs — that are making a difference for children. For three months, I was the lead video producer for this project, traveling to areas across the United States to bring the series together.
I also edited a select number of the videos, including Antonella and Joy's.
For the End Violence Partnership's fifth birthday, I created this video to highlight the organization's impact since July of 2016, when Ban Ki-moon, the former United Nations Secretary-General, launched the world’s first-ever partnership dedicated solely to ending violence against children.
Produced and edited by Elissa Miolene
As part of the Together to #ENDviolence campaign, the organization published six game-changing actions to end violence against children. This video was the centerpiece of that campaign.
Produced and edited by Elissa Miolene