Joe Balass

Joe Balass, born in 1966, is an Iraqi Canadian filmmaker whose work resonates deeply with themes of identity and heritage. Escaping Iraq at the tender age of four, he and his family eventually found refuge in Canada, where Balass would cultivate his passion for storytelling through film. As a gay man of Jewish descent, his unique perspective informs his creative endeavors, making his films both personal and universally relatable.

Balass is perhaps best known for his autobiographical video, 'Nana, George and Me,' which offers an unconventional glimpse into the lives of three Iraqi Jews: himself, his ninety-two-year-old grandmother, and his seventy-three-year-old friend, George. This poignant work was screened at the Castro Theatre and earned him a Télé-Québec Award at the Rendez-vous du cinéma québécois in Montreal.

His filmography includes a variety of short films and documentaries, such as 'Tattoo Needle Pricks,' 'On a Very Violet Night in the Apartments Daphne,' and 'The Devil in the Holy Water.' In 2008, he directed 'Baghdad Twist,' a National Film Board of Canada documentary that explores the disappearance of Iraq's Jewish community through the lens of his family's history, featuring personal home movies and rare archival footage.

In 2012, Balass expanded his repertoire with 'JOY! Portrait of a Nun,' which highlights Sister Missionary Position Delight, a founder of the Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence. The following year, he directed 'La longueur de l'alphabet avec Naïm Kattan,' focusing on the Canadian writer of Iraqi Jewish origin. His contributions to cinema were recognized in 2014 with a retrospective at the Cinémathèque québécoise, celebrating his impactful storytelling.