Serene Meshel-Dillman is an award-winning documentary filmmaker whose work explores resilience, human connection, and the choices that define our lives.
A New York native and former dancer with a passion for the visual arts, Serene conceived and directed the feature documentary Getting to the Nutcracker, a behind-the-scenes look at what it takes to produce the classic ballet from auditions through final performances. The film received seven major film festival awards, including a Grand Jury Prize, Audience Award, Best Direction, and Best Feature Documentary.
Her documentary, The 5th Dementia, follows a Los Angeles-based band whose members live with Alzheimer's, dementia, and Parkinson's demonstrating the extraordinary power of music to transcend neurodegenerative illness.
The inspiration for her current docu-series, Take Me Out Feet First came from a deeply personal place. Serene's mother and father both chose Medical Aid in Dying (MAID) at the end of their lives. Their journeys led her to explore broader questions surrounding dignity, autonomy, compassion, and the choices people hope to have at the end of life.
What began as a single documentary about her parents evolved into an ongoing series featuring patients, families, caregivers, physicians, and advocates from across the United States. Through these stories, Serene seeks to humanize a complex and often misunderstood issue by focusing on the people whose lives are directly impacted. Season One is currently streaming on the Confiscated Film YouTube channel: www.YouTube.com/@Confiscatedfilm. Season Two is slated to stream in 2027.
While her films often explore challenging subjects, Serene believes that humor, love, and human connection are just as important as the issues themselves. Her approach to storytelling is rooted in the belief that even life's most difficult moments can be filled with laughter, grace, and unexpected joy. Through honest, intimate filmmaking, she strives to tell stories that celebrate not only how people face adversity, but how they continue to live fully, love deeply, and find meaning along the way.
