Documentary ‘Eva Haller: A Work in Progress’ Leaves the Audience in Awe at the Santa Barbara Debut of the Illuminate Film Festival

As a teenager who survived the Holocaust, Eva Haller moved out of Hungary with virtually nothing and eventually made it to New York City, where she not only found wild success, but also discovered her innate need to help others. Now she splits her time between Manhattan and Santa Barbara, where she continues to spend her life as a philanthropist, touching people’s hearts around the globe.

After Haller received the Local Luminary Award following the showing of her documentary Eva Haller: A Work in Progress, I patiently stood outside the theater — tear stains still lining my cheeks — hoping I would get to meet her. Having nothing prepared to ask, I didn’t actually know what I would say to her. But when 94-year-old Haller finally emerged in the foyer, “Can I give you a hug?” was what came out of my mouth.

“Give me a hug,” she responded.

From watching the film alone, it was evident why Illuminate Film Festival decided to kick off the weekend with the film Eva Haller: A Work in Progress, but after we embraced and Eva graciously spent a few minutes speaking to me, I truly understood what Illuminate’s mission meant. The 51-minute documentary Eva Haller is the perfect embodiment of Illuminate’s goal “to elevate humanity’s sense of self, purpose, and possibility and to leverage the power of cinema to inspire lasting social transformation.”

The documentary does a remarkable job at capturing Haller’s lightness through life and sense of humor, even as she endures hardship. As she reminisces on tragedies such as her run-in with Nazis and her husband’s death, Haller manages to keep an incredibly funny and positive air about her.

“I decided to have a face lift. Immediately,” she said after contemplating whether life was worth living without her beloved husband Murray in it. “And I think that’s the first time I decided, ‘What’s the point of having a face lift if you’re not going to live, right?’” The audience was crying both tears of sadness and of laughter.

On top of her sense of humor, another one of Haller’s secrets to success and happiness in life is her emphasis on building and maintaining her relationships. In addition to her rich romantic relationship, Haller also has a countless number of “adopted” children and grandchildren, best friends, and mentees. Haller has even accomplished the unthinkable of mediating the merging of a Muslim and a Hindu family. “Every new human being who comes through the door gives us some new experience and new knowledge,” Haller said.

As it was Haller’s first time seeing the documentary in full, she was also able to reflect on how important these relationships were in her life. In thanking the organization for Illuminate’s Local Luminary Award, “If I come away with anything about the film, it is how privileged we are as humans that we can connect to each other,” Haller said.

Placing much value on her rich network of friends and family, Haller struggled at the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic and took a liking to Zoom. “It was so very pleasant and so important to have a sense of being together that we planned to get together the following Saturday again,” Haller said about her first Zoom meeting with friends in March 2020. “I asked everybody to invite somebody.”

Contrary to a lot of the discourse surrounding Zoom meetings, Haller loves her virtual life and has grown her weekly Zoom sessions into enriching discussions led by renowned thinkers like Dr. James Bregman, Charlie Pearmund, and Frances Moore Lappé. Now, hundreds of people e-meet every Saturday at 2 p.m. for Haller’s “Salon Series.” To request an invitation, email myhero@myheroproject.org.

Not only does Haller spark change and inspiration through her story and personal relationships, but she also fulfills Illuminate’s goal of sharing solution-oriented content and spans the multiple pillars that the festival focuses on. Through Haller’s many ventures she has hit on social action and democracy, arts and culture, and philanthropy and public service.

After getting her degree in public service, Haller and her late husband Murry Roman co-founded the Campaign Communications Institute of America, revolutionizing the way politicians marketed their campaigns. Haller didn’t see the money they made in this business as a means to making a more comfortable life for herself; she saw it as a resource that allowed her to dedicate her life to helping others. “When we closed shop in November of 1968 with our $1 million that we made, we figured we’ll never have to work again and offered ourselves as volunteers to UNICEF,” Haller said.

Throughout the years, she’s done environmental work, including sitting on the board of the Jane Goodall Institute and as a prominent advocate for ending the climate crisis. As an avid art collector and supporter, Haller holds a position on the UCSB Arts & Lectures board and donated a beautiful sculpture that sits next to the art building, where she hopes to start a sculpture garden. “I think this is my 40th year as a board member,” Haller said. “I think I’m the longest survivor.”

If you’ve ever seen a painted piano on the sidewalk — like on State Street — that is part of the work that Haller has done for the Sing for Hope foundation, which brings the gift of music to those in hospitals, refugee camps, transit hubs, and other community spaces. Those are just a few, but the list of Haller’s accomplishments goes on.

Pushing all of these quantifiable achievements aside, the part of the film that struck me the most was Haller’s youthfulness. “There is no such thing as being too old for anything, except wearing mini skirts or having a love affair with a younger man,” she joked. For her 60th birthday, she started taking swim lessons and still swims regularly at the Coral Casino in Montecito.

Even with all her wisdom and accolades, Haller remains humble. “I’m so grateful to show you a life that is so glamorous. I don’t think it’s mine, but if it is, I adopt it,” she said to the audience, admiring her award.

After Haller and I shared that hug, I asked her, “How do you stay so positive?”

“You have to think about the future,” she said. “We owe to the future to help the environment and not destroy it. We owe it to our children and our grandchildren’s lives. So stay positive because you have something to look forward to.”

The Eva Haller: A Work in Progress documentary and discussion set the tone for the Illuminate Film Festival’s debut in Santa Barbara and the rest of the weekend to follow. We are truly lucky to share Santa Barbara with Eva Haller, let alone live in a world where she exists.