Ivy Meeropol

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Ivy Meeropol (1968 - ) is the director and producer of the 2004 documentary Heir to an Execution. The daughter of Michael Meeropol and Ann Karus Meeropol and granddaughter of Julius and Ethel Rosenberg, and adoptive granddaughter of Abel Meeropol (pen name: Lewis Allan), who wrote "Strange Fruit" and "The House I Live In", Ivy Meeropol graduated from Sarah Lawrence College and served as a legislative aide to Congressman Harry Johnston (D-FL). She has written for numerous magazines and newspapers and three screenplays.

Meeropol produced her film, Heir to an Execution, to explore her family's conflicted views of the Rosenbergs' trial and subsequent execution. In one notable scene, Meeropol considers confronting the key witness against the Rosenbergs, Ethel's brother David Greenglass, who admitted in 1996 to having lied under oath about Ethel's involvement. Though Meeropol leads a camera crew outside Greenglass's house, she decides this is sufficient to satisfy her curiosity and avoids confronting him. Heir to an Execution was featured at the Sundance Film Festival, but was defeated by Dig! for the Documentary Grand Jury Prize, and by Born into Brothels for the Documentary Audience Award.

Ivy Meeropol has just finished a six-part documentary series for the Sundance Channel entitled The Hill. It features the intense work of four young staff members at the office of Congressman Robert Wexler (D-FL) as they respond to the crushing electoral defeat in the 2004 presidential election (where George Bush's win in Florida was a significant as was his win in Ohio) by picking themselves up and doing battle. The second episode shows them beginning that fight as Congress reconvenes in January of 2005 -- developing a strategy in strong opposition to President Bush's efforts to privatize Social Security. From then on through November of 2005, the documentary follows the office staff and Congressman Wexler as they deal with numerous political, policy and personal issues -- culminating in a decision in November of 2005 on a crucial House Resolution related to the Iraq War.

The documentary aired on the Sundance Channel in August and September of 2006. It will soon be availible in a box set, and was critically aclaimed, including an iTunes "Must Buy".