Five

A documentary film short series about the perseverance and passion of female entrepreneurs. Follow the inspirational journey of five women from five countries across the globe who have each set out to start a purpose-driven business to improve and uplift their communities.

The five films are: “HARFA”, “JUSTICE OF THE PIES”, “ONGANIC FOODS”, “SARAH’S BAG”, and “TALENTO INCLUIR”.

Commissioned by Mastercard. Distributed by ShortsTV

“HARFA”
Directed by: Ella Mische
Entrepreneur: Irena Orlovic
Region: Croatia
Learning is a lifelong pursuit, often brimming with a wealth of books and experts on every topic imaginable. But when Irena Orlovic went searching for ways to help teach her young daughter with a developmental disability, she discovered only empty bookshelves in her native language. What began as an educational journey of her own, led her to start of Harfa, a publishing house founded with an entrepreneurial spirit and a desire to help teach an entire country.

“JUSTICE OF THE PIES”
Directed by: Michelle Marrion
Entrepreneur: Maya-Camille Broussard
Region: United States
Synopsis:
Basil key lime, blue cheese praline pear, lavender lemon—mouth-watering pies by artisan baker MayaCamille Broussard delight all five senses. Created to honour her father’s legacy as a Chicago criminal defense attorney who could never say no to a good pastry, Justice of the Pies serves not only the most inventive pies in town but also the city’s future talent, by teaching skills like nutrition and budgeting to kids from underserved communities while they bake their first delicious pie.

“ONGANIC FOODS”
Directed by: Lisa Madison
Entrepreneur: Ekta Jaju
Region: India
Synopsis:
After starting her own garden, journalist Ekta Jaju uncovered that modern farming practices were causing profound health effects on small farmers in her district. Curious and community-minded, Ekta began educating hundreds of farmers about the dangers of pesticides and showing them a better way through organic farming. Her mission quickly blossomed into a thriving business based on sustainable agriculture. Onganic Foods is living proof that one small seed of change can transform a countryside.

“SARAH’S BAG”
Directed by: Nadia Naffa
Entrepreneur: Sarah Beydoun
Region: Lebanon
Synopsis:
Sarah’s Bag, follows the story of solicitous entrepreneur Sarah Beydoun. While working on her thesis in Sociology, Sarah’s eyes were opened to the struggles of women who had been left behind- enduring imprisonment, abuse, and prostitution. Feeling compelled to help, Sarah found local resources and damaged materials to make handbags— using employment to give the women back their dignity and a means to support their families. Sarah’s Bag takes you inside the lives of those given a second chance.

“TALENTO INCLUIR”
Directed by: Renata Sette
Entrepreneur: Carolina Ignarra
Region: Brazil
Synopsis:
In a split second, life changed for Carolina Ignarra. Following a harrowing accident, she would need to traverse the crowded, narrow streets of São Paulo, Brazil, in a wheelchair forever. But she quickly discovered her biggest challenge wouldn’t be her disability, but workplace discrimination. Driven to educate managers on the value of inclusiveness, Talento Incluir was started by Carolina to help promote new pathways for employers to value, hire and redefine what it means to be top talent.