Tom Ivy
Writer and Director

Tom Ivy has more than 500 film, television, and live event production credits as writer, director, and often production designer. His work has taken him to every corner of the globe and several times all the way around it. Before “AGAINST ALL ODDS”, Tom had directed a number of documentary films for television across Israel, but this project would prove to be a far grander experience.

As the writer, Tom’s task was to take the story concept created by Bill McKay for this project and first person interviews with individuals who had experienced what they considered to be a miracle, and craft those stories into narrative / dramatic film experiences. Fourteen of the stories were also to be dramatically re-created, requiring scripting that would incorporate dialogue in the original language of the participants in the story – Hebrew, Arabic, French, and in only case, English. Telling the larger story of the miracle of Israel’s rebirth and survival through the twentieth century, required intense study in the history of the region and identifying supporting archive resources from around the world. As the director, the challenge was create believable, true-life stories that accurately reflected the events as described by those who actually experienced them, and to do it on a limited budget and production schedule. Eventually more than a thousand people were involved, between the production staff and crew, and the principal cast and extras.

Principal photography began in October 2004, capturing the first group of what would eventually be more than sixty first-person on-camera interviews. After a brief return to the United States for Christmas, Tom returned on January 4, 2005, where he remained until December 22, when the last of thirteen episodes and a feature film version of these stories was completed. By the time he returned to California, the first programs were already being broadcast and receiving critical acclaim.

Living in Israel for an entire year, living out of his Tel Aviv apartment, riding his bicycle everywhere (Tom didn't drive a car for an entire year!) and forging friendships with a cross-section of Israelis, gave Tom a connection to Israel and its people that filmmakers seldom experience in short term production schedules. Tom would say as he returned to the U.S., “I feel like I'm leaving home to go home.”