Melba came to Palo Alto from Washington, DC where she worked
as an associate producer in health and educational programming. Before Stanford, she co-produced the short film Whispers, an official Sundance Selection and IFP Gordon Parks Award recipient, and began producing Waterwoman, a personal documentary on learning to swim. Melba received her BA from Howard University's Department of Communication and is originally from Nashville, TN.

Mend
digital video
22:00 min.

Obstetric fistula is a little known condition that yields a woman incontinent after a prolonged and difficult labor, leaving her alienated from her marriage, family and community. Mend captures the hopeful journey of two young women traveling across Eritrea, for the surgery that will repair their bodies, and restore their lives.

A Thousand Words
16mm, color film
8:23 min.

Explores the effects of war and silence on a family. Through the use of old home movies, photos and interviews with her father and brother, the film recounts the filmmaker’s personal journey of uncovering family history.

FESTIVALS AND SCREENINGS:

• Angelus Student Awards, Honorable Mention, 2003
• Sundance Film Festival, 2003
• Columbia College Student Documentary Competition, 2003

Gold In Our Souls
Co-directed by Melba Williams and Richard Harris, III
digital video
8:24 min.

Gold teeth, gold cars, gold chains... What in the world is the fascination with gold? Through the voices of engaging and quirky characters, Gold In Our Souls looks at the history, movement and use of gold throughout the African-American community.

For more information - http://www.stanford.edu/~melbaw/WWW/Index1.html

Danielle
16mm, black and white film
4:35 min.

Melba's fall film, Danielle, covers the emotional response of pregnancy through the eyes of a teenager.