Sapphire & Song
This film captures a deeply personal chapter of my journey, but it is also deeply connected to my sister’s story — a story of crisis, faith, resilience, and the kind of strength that can only come through love, purpose, and God. More than anything, the film reflects what it means to keep going when life asks more of you than you thought you could carry, and to search for meaning even in pain.
“Not The Time To Fall” carries that same heartbeat. It is a song about resilience, self-worth, and speaking to the part of yourself that feels close to giving up — reminding it to keep going. Together, the film and the song tell a story about vulnerability, endurance, faith, and choosing strength in the middle of uncertainty
As a director, I have always been drawn to stories where private courage intersects with public crisis—where a single human voice can cut through noise, conflict, and confusion to reveal something true. Sapphire & Song emerged from exactly that moment.
In the days following the October 7 attacks and before all the remaining living hostages were returned, I met Sapphire, an Israeli singer whose sister was at the Nova festival. When I first heard Sapphire sing the song she had written for her sister, I was struck by the rawness in her voice—an intimate expression of fear, love, and the fierce determination to hold a family together across continents. I had no crew, no plan, and no time to orchestrate a traditional production. What I had was the instinct to move—quickly—before the immediacy of her emotion faded. Much of my work over the years has been documenting real lives unfolding in real time, often in moments of deep vulnerability. My commitment as a filmmaker and storyteller—is to create space for truth through art - where the power of a story can have an impact on the viewers thought and experience.
I approached this film respectfully, and with a deep sense of responsibility to safeguard the authenticity of Sapphire’s voice.
Sapphire & Song is not intended to explain a geopolitical event, nor to speak on behalf of an entire people. It is intentionally small in scale, focusing on one sister, one family, and one piece of music written in the wake of trauma. In a time when narratives around October 7 are polarized and often dehumanized, this film offers a glimpse into the private, trembling space where shock gives way to resilience. My hope is that this short documentary becomes a platform—for Sapphire to share her story, for audiences to reflect, and for dialogue to begin in a human, grounded way. Trauma is shattering, but within it, individuals still reach for connection, healing, and meaning. This film is my attempt to honor that reach.
THE TEAM
Nate Ashton Post-Sound
"I just love the process of using sound to amplify the stories you make."
Sapphire Singer - Songwriter
ARTIST STATEMENTS
Nikki Hevesy Director - Producer
Gustav Hoyer Composer
Christopher RIdder DIT/ Co-Editor / Camera "I have learned that an editor can be like a co-architect of a house, and with the director/producer, we design and redesign until the final product is achieved."
Michelle Morey On Set Co- Cordinator
Peter Swartz Colorist
Sapphire is an international singer-songwriter and performing artist based in Los Angeles. Originally from Israel, she has built her path through original music, live performance, and multidisciplinary creative work across both Israel and the U.S. Her music is rooted in emotionally honest songwriting, expressive vocals, and a deep connection between story and song.
Currently performing in a variety of venues in Los Angeles and throughout California, Sapphire is developing her international original music while as her audience for her music continues to grow. . Her work has received recognition through TV, radio, live performances, and documentary screenings, with past exposure across major Israeli broadcast platforms and U.S. festival spaces.
Nikki is an award-winning director-producer; a creative, purpose-driven storyteller whose work fuses artistry with advocacy. She believes stories can heal, challenge, and change the way we see the world. As a director, Nikki has helmed several shorts, docs, multi-camera presentations, promos, TV specials as well as worked in production on feature films. Over the years she has shadowed top TV/Film directors where her mentors included Joel Zwick (My Big fat Greek Wedding, Fat Albert), Leonard Garner (Girlfriends, The Neighborhood), Andy Ackerman (Seinfeld), and James Burrows. (Raised by Wolves, Cheers). Founding artistic director of City Light Performing Arts company in San Francisco, Nikki began her career in theater and has directed over 50 stage plays, including large scale musicals and writing & directing a small musical for the National Theatre of Uganda, Africa
In the non-fiction genre, Nikki’s projects as a director / producer have garnered multiple CINE Golden Eagle, Telly and Aurora Awards ,including best directing. Her company, Through the Glass Productions, has had distribution, co-production deals and/or offers from many well-known LA based and international companies .
Nikki holds a degree in Theology as well as an MFA in Directing from the University of Southern California. She has taught directing, acting and sit-com production both privately and as adjunct faculty at several colleges and universities including Pepperdine, Azusa Pacific LA Valley College and others. She is an alum of the Lincoln Center Director’s Lab (W), a Harvey Fellow (a philanthropic scholarly and arts academic fellowship tapping into culture shapers and influencers across the world), and a 14 year Ovation voter for Los Angeles Stage Alliance.
Her scripted series based on her Gang Intervention documentary was one of four TV projects selected for the highly competitive Producer’s Guild of America’s (PGA) diversity development program which she will be taking out in 2026.
Nikki has several projects in development under her company Through the Glass Productions and is intermittently filming her long term true crime docu-series INSIDE JUSTICE: Getting Out, looking at a current wrongful conviction and dealing with issues of Race and Justice inside the criminal justice system.
During Covid, Nikki wrote (and is attached to direct the feature script 'Life Like That', for producer Anne Marie Gillen (Colors, Fried Green Tomatoes, ran Morgan Freemans co for 5 years). Her short doc, ‘Sapphire and Song’ which was the grand prize winner at the Reimagine iphone film festival has been repurposed and will be out this winter. Nikki is passionate about projects that raise awareness of the human condition, enlighten and provide hope. She recently completed a festival run of her multi award-winning short film, A Year to Life, dealing with at-risk youth and inspired by a true story.
SAPPHIRE - BIO
NIKKI HEVESY - BIO
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Ben Herrera
Title Song Producer
"I just like to see everyone to work together and have fun