Being a NON-NATIVE speaker is an ADVANTAGE | Interview with an OSCAR winning producer

Hey everyone, it's Hadar. Thank you so much for joining me today. I have a special guest for you. Her name is Rotem Alima and she is, get this, an Academy Award producer who has been featured in Forbes 30 under 30 in 2021. She is a fellow Israeli and has moved to the US A few years ago her beginning was really, really rough. It was hard for her to, to start working in Hollywood and moving into a new country where English was not her first language. And she was also an immigrant and a woman in a male dominated industry. And in this episode, especially for Women's Day, she is going to share a little bit about her experience and her journey. And let me tell you this, it is so incredibly inspiring. So, so let's welcome Rotem Alima. Hi Rotem.

Hi.

How are you doing?

I am great. Very excited to be here. Thank you for inviting me.

Thank you for being here. I'm super, super thrilled to have you today for Women's Day, International Women's Day because I love to feature incredible and powerful women and especially you that I'm going to. I introduced you before but I think your story is so inspiring and I would love for you to share it with our audience. So before we jump into our conversation, would you like to introduce yourself for the people who don't know you?

Yes. So my name is Rota Malema. I am Academy Award winning film producer and a Forbester, the underturning honoree. I moved to LA from Israel 3 1/2 years ago. I own my own production company. I do a lot of commercials for big brands or small startups or every type of business. And I also produce movies and you know.

Living the life. That's amazing. And so I'd love to see start at the beginning when you moved from Israel to the US because one of the things that people might be interested in is how you know you are doing so well and so successful and you have your own company and you're working in Hollywood, you know the dream. And I know that a lot of people feel that sometimes if you're not American or if you don't speak English as you know a first language, then sometimes you might come across some challenges or it's not possible for you. So I'm curious to hear, have you ever experienced that and what was it like when you first arrived to the US as an immigrant?

So it was very challenging. I moved from Israel, which I already was very established. I had my own company there. I produced movies and TV shows, I worked, I won the Israeli Academy Award. I worked with the Israeli president, so I was very, very established and successful and people know me and wanted to work with me and I didn't need to chase for projects. They come to me and I would.

You didn't have to prove yourself to anyone.

Exactly. And then I moved here and I started not from zero, I started from minus. Because I'm an immigrant, I'm a woman, I'm brown. Right. I didn't go to school here, I have an accent. My English is not perfect. It was a huge culture difference, so it was a struggle. And luckily for me, my resume is so impressive that everyone that I wanted to meet was willing to meet with me. So every door was open. But the problem is they didn't let me in. Why?

Because English is not your first language and you don't know the culture. So that means that all your skills are going to be different now.

Now I kind of get it. Just because when you're a producer, it's a lot of time who you know and not what you know, especially in la. And when you're new here and you don't know people and you need to learn everything and it's different rules, different logistics, different way of doing things. And so they said, we will have to teach her. We don't have the time to do that. Right. And they would say, well, she doesn't know enough people. Luckily. Now I'm in a point that a lot of people know me and I'm hosting a lot of events just for socializing. Not now, because of COVID Before Pre. Covid. Before COVID I used to do all those events so people would come and I got, you know, to get to know people and get connections. But at the beginning, no one cared. And like for a year and a half, I didn't have friends here, you know, how long? A year and a half. I'm super social person.

Why? Why is that?

It's all. It's a lot of reasons. One, it's harder to create connections in LA because it's so big. Everyone lives far and also like people, you know, in our age, people already have their friends, so they're not really looking to connect with new people. So. So it's harder. And I was trying, I was inviting people for dinners. First of all, they thought I'm weird. And the ones that didn't think I'm weird then came to dinner, they would cook and I would put candles and music and then they would come, eat.

And leave, which is very not typical for, you know, for what we are Used to where you come in and you stay until like, you know, 4:00am.

Exactly, and you talk and you get to know each other. But luckily today I have a lot of friends. I have a really big community.

So it seems like from what you described at the beginning to where you are today, there was such an incredible journey and such a big change in your life. And I'd love to hear a bit more about the stages that helped you to get to where you are today.

Since I was a kid, I wanted to be a producer in la. I always says I'm going to be a producer in Hollywood and I'm going to live in Malibu. I didn't know that Malibu and Hollywood are in the same place called la, but that's what. I knew it in my heart. I don't know why. Amazing. I always knew it. And I wanted to move to LA way before I did it. So for a few years I was preparing myself for this move. I moved here because I want to do movies that affect people that I want to have. I want to put people on the screen that are not necessarily there. I want to put women like me, brown immigrant women on the screen in a power. In a power characters. My goal in life is to inspire people to be better. When someone tell me, you inspired me to do that, that's the thing that makes me the happiest. So I want the content I'm creating to be exactly that. And that's why I'm here. And that's what kept me going with all the things I've been through and I' been through so much. That's what kept me going. And there was one, there was. I'm not going to lie. There is a lot of times that I'm thinking, okay, I want to go home. What am I doing here? I'm far away from my family. I miss my mom, miss my dad. But I can tell you that there was one time that I was ready to go home. I had a ticket, my suitcase was packed, all of my things was packed in a suitcase. And I was about to leave. But then there is an amazing, amazing Israeli family here, Chemi and Lili, Tsuka and their kids. And they kind of adopted me. And I told them, I want to say goodbye before I'm leaving, because I'm done. I can't deal with this anymore. And they said, okay, but we want you to come over. We want to say goodbye in person. You should come for dinner. And they came and they told me, we know you have a ticket, we know you can't get a refund on your ticket, and money is an issue. So we want to make a deal with you. And the deal is that we believe in you, we believe you need to be here, and we want to support you. So if you will be willing to give it another try, give it like two or three months, then you will decide that you're really done and you did everything you could, and then you want to go home, we will support you, and we will buy you a ticket. And I told him, I need to think about it. And actually, I said, yes, but I need to think about it. And I did. Two hours before I needed to leave to the airport, that's when I decided, I'm staying. Two hours before I decided, okay, I'm not going on that plane. I'm staying, staying here. And that's all I needed. I needed someone to tell me, you're good, you can do it. We are here for you. And they did. Obviously, thankfully, the deal is over, because I stayed because a month after I got a project and things start to happen.

It's amazing, like, how one moment can change your life forever, right? Or one person, or, like, if we recognize that there is an opportunity here that we need to take advantage of, I mean, and we seize that opportunity, I think that, like, you know, life can take you in a crazy, incredible direction. I mean, it always does, no matter what you choose. Because ultimately, every choice is the right choice. But it's beautiful to hear that story in hindsight. So that was, like, the first step where you felt like you belong, probably, and you had that confidence and people believed in you. I think it is so important because I always talk about the fact that confidence is a skill, right? Like, it's something that you can. Especially when I talk about communicating in English, that sometimes it's enough that you start believing in yourself, even if, you know, you have all those limiting beliefs and negative thoughts and fears and limitations, and also surrounding yourself with people who see the best in you, right? Like, who don't put you down, who don't make fun, in our case, of your English, and in your case, like, they. They don't tell you, oh, it's so hard in here. It's never going to work. Putting in all those, like, they project their own fears of what it's like to be a producer in. In Hollywood, right? So they believed in you. And I think that is so important. What was it like for you to move from, you know, Israel where you spoke only Hebrew and you worked only in Hebrew and, you know, you seem to me to be a very expressive person that you always say what you think and, and you know how to say it and you know how to speak to people. And then you moved, when was that? Back in 2017?

Yes. Correct.

So you moved into a new country where, I mean, I guess you spoke English before, but it's not the same, not living in an English speaking country. And then when you do, what was it like for you to find out who you are in a language that is not your native language?

So at the beginning, I was very cautious and every email or every text I would send, I will ask if it's professionally, I will ask an American person to go over it and check my spelling and my grammar and make sure it's perfect. And I would, every time I would send an email, I would be so scared that I have mistakes if I'm talking and, and I have a mistake or they don't understand my, my accent or I would get really, really insecure. And then I found out that actually it works in my advantage and people remember me because of my accent. When my English is not perfect, the other person feel more comfortable about themselves and they take their guards off and it's easier to go through it, you know, so it makes them feel more comfortable with me and the nicer and they want to help me more. So I see it as a huge, huge advantage. And sometimes I even make mistakes on purpose when I feel like the other person is too stiff with me.

So I love that so much like, you know, from, from being afraid of making mistakes because you don't know how you're going to be perceived to actually looking at it with this new, you know, perspective that, hey, that's actually something that you can use to your advantage. And what you said about people being actually kinder and more, they slow down maybe. You know, a lot of times people feel like it's, it's a burden to them and they don't want to waste their time and they don't want them, you know, to change how they behave because it would mean that they're not doing something right. But actually, you know, it's good for communication. Which is what you're saying.

Yeah, exactly. And also remember that most people, all people in the world feel insecure in one way or another. So when you're sitting with them, and I don't know, for me, it happens a lot that people feel like they need to be strong and hard, but then when they see me feeling comfortable in my own skin and being okay with making Mistakes or even making fun of it sometimes it makes them open up and feel more comfortable with themselves and then they can be more themselves more. And honestly, when people are not acting like that and it's not like business, like if it's a friendship or dating or something and they're not like that, I know those not. That's not my kind of people.

That's so good. Because, you know, sometimes people feel judgment and then they feel bad about it. And what you're saying is like, I don't want to be friends with you because I don't like how impatient you are or critical you are or your vibe. That doesn't make me feel myself. Which is basically how you become yourself in a second language. You just recognize when someone else is not making you feel good about yourself. And to say no to that.

And it's important because it's very easy to get lost and it's very easy not to answer back or not to express yourself when it's not your first language. Right.

Let's talk about this a bit more. Like, how do you feel, you know, moving into this industry that is mainly male dominated? Unfortunately. And I know it's changing very slowly, probably not quickly enough. So, you know, you said at the beginning that when you arrived at la, you felt like you are not starting from zero, you're starting from, you know, minus. Because you are a woman, a person of color and you are an immigrant. Right? Like non American, Middle Eastern. So how does that feel? Like, how do you manage to get by in this? You know, just the story that you told us just showcases how challenging it is for women to do what they love because they're expected to do all these other things. So I'd love for you to talk about that for a little bit.

Yes, it's very hard to be a young immigrant person of color woman in a very white, rich, older men dominate industry. But I feel like the way to overcome it and make things more equal is for women to just support each other. So for me, it's very important. The ratio between men and women on a project. It's very important for me to be generous with the woman I'm working with. It's important for me to support the woman I'm working with because I feel like if we stick with each other, that's our way to make it happen. That's the only way we need to unite, we need to stick with each other, we need to support each other and have each other's back and that's the way things are Going to change. Otherwise, it won't. There is no reason to. You know, it's been like that for so long. It's working very well. If we want to break this ceiling, we need to do it together. I know when I'll be in more of a power position, I will remember that. That's something that I am keep reminding to myself to never forget, to always support other women, to always have their back and try to help them, because that's the only way we can make it happen.

That's so beautiful. We are in the same Facebook group of this really incredible Israeli women. And you shared a story about that in the group, which was actually where I contacted you, and I was like, you gotta come and speak on my channel. So would you like to share that story of how you put that into practice?

So I had a week of very intense bad experiences with the men in the industry. Some of them are people that I really appreciate and love, and some of them were people that I'm just working with and don't really care about. But with each and every one of them, I had bad experience one after the other. And for a full week, I felt like I need. It was such a struggle. I needed to fight for my place. I need to fight to raise my voice, you know, be able to speak and get my opinion, you know, be heard. Yes, exactly. Be heard. And then I end the production. And it's something that we're doing every few months, and usually it's very equal between the men and women, the ratio between men and women on the set. But this specific time, because of COVID and other circumstances, it was mostly men and me and my. And the makeup artist. And honestly, I had some issues with her because I felt like she's really overcharging me. And. And I was. I didn't like it. And she was kind of forced on me by the talents. So I had. I had to take her and I had to pay her. What's the money she wanted? So first time we did shoot, me and her didn't really communicate. We said, good morning, and I said thank you at the end of the day. And she left, and we didn't really talk. And this time I was sitting there, she was keeping to herself, and I was like, we're both the only woman here. I should go talk to her. And I asked her, how are you doing? How is your day going? And she appreciated the fact that I cared. And we started talking, and she shared her pain, I shared mine. All of a sudden, we got to a really deep conversation. And she shared with me that she's a single mom and that the father is not in the picture. And I was like, it really affected me. And then someone called me, I need to go. And I left and I did my stuff. And then I realized, like, we were about to finish the day, we still had things to shoot. But I was like, well, she can do a touch up and leave because we have, like one hour of shoot and we're done. And if she leaves now, she can beat traffic and actually go see her son before he's going to bed. So I came to her. I was like, you know what? Go do a touch up and then you're free to go. And she was like, are you sure? Like, the day is not over yet. I was like, yeah, yeah, I'm sure, 100%. We are going to be fine without you. You can go and go to your son. She was like, oh, my God, thank you so much. She was very appreciative. And then she took her. She went. She was ready to leave, and I was dealing with other stuff. And then when she left, I was like. It was the first day of shoot, and I was like, something felt wrong to me. So I was like, chasing her to the parking lot and I called her name and I was like, listen, I want to talk to you. And she was like, yeah, what's going on? I told her, I know we agreed on a certain price. First thought was, oh, my God, she's going to ask me for a discount. Because both of us know she's charging me, overcharging me. And she just, you know, told me how easy the job is, and that's the easiest she ever had. So she was sure, I'm coming to ask for a discount. And I told her, I know that's what we agreed on, but you can charge me $50 more a day. She was super confused, but very thankful. And then she was like, I love you. I was like, I'm so happy right now. It's your bonus. Enjoy it. All good. You don't need to mention it to anybody. Just do it. Yeah. And obviously since then, for the rest of the shoot, we became really close and friends.

You know, it just hit me that what you did for her kind of like reminded me of what your friends did for you, where they recognize someone that needed their vote of confidence. And you did that for her. It's not about the money. It's about showing someone that they're worthy, right? That you see them, which is what we need more. And Appreciated. Yeah. Oh, it's so beautiful.

Yes. So I am very happy. Obviously, I would want to take her to every time that I can and help her. Yes. It's important to support each other. And believe me, I know how it feels to struggle. I struggled here for a long time. So if now I have the chance to help, even if it's small, I want to do it.

You know, what advice do you have for women who want to either move to a new country or whether it's like, work in the film industry or just simply become more confident at communicating in English, you know, and speaking up, what would you say to them?

So, first of all, believe in yourself. That's the most important thing. No matter how many people tell you you're wrong, no matter how many people say you're delusional and you can't make it and it's too big, and there is. There is 1 million excuses to why not. But you need to be focused on the wrong reason for why. Yes. And remember that people just project their own fears on you. It's not about you. So just. Just, you know, erase it from your mind. Just believe in yourself and take care of yourself and love yourself. Because at the end of the day, self love is the thing that help us grow and help us be happy. And when you're happy, you can do everything. So if you believe, everything can happen. So just keep believing and keep doing what you're doing. And you know what? All of us has those times that we fall and we don't believe in ourselves. And it happened to me. For a long time, I didn't believe in myself. And that's why I couldn't find a job, because that's what I projected to the world. Because I didn't believe I'm good enough. And you know, the first time someone gave me a shot was I was sitting there in a meeting with a producer. I looked him in the eyes, I had tears in my eyes. And I begged him for a chance. I begged him to let me be an assistant. I begged and he gave me a shot. But he told me, you still need to meet with the executive producer because it's not my call. I'll vouch for you, but you need to impress him. I said, okay. And then before I went to the meeting, he told me that. He's like, listen, when I went through your resume, I see your work. You're very impressive, you're very talented, but you can't come with the same state of mind. You came to meet me. You're Weak. You were begging, you were sad if when I sold you as this big time producer, so you need to come as a big time producer to the meeting. And that's what I did. I wear high heels, I put makeup on, I put lipstick on. I went to the meeting super confident and I talked about my career, talked about my goals in life. And this executive producer were like, listen, I'm not sure you're insistent. I was like, I'm not, I'm not. But if that's what will open the door for me, I'll do it. And he's like, you know what, I think we need another producer on this thing more than I need an assistant. So would you like to be an associate producer? I was like, yes, please. And when I started as an associate producer, they were like, you know what, you're doing job than us. So would you like to be a producer on this thing? And honestly, that's all I needed. I needed a reminder of how good I am. And the minute that happened, I was like, I don't know if it's okay to curse or not, but I will just say, fuck this. Opened my own company and jumped into the cold water. And I said, I learned how to swim. And that's what happened. And thankfully, I started my company. It's going very well. Gets a lot of like, you know, a lot of clients from big companies to small startup.

Amazing.

Yeah. Things. Thankfully. Thankfully, thank God, working very well.

That's so beautiful. And also I really appreciate the fact that you are willing to be vulnerable and to ask for help, which is where a lot of people get stuck because they're not like, no, I'm not going to do that. And they're like, no, hell no, I'm going to do it. And I'm going to get what I want because I'm willing to be vulnerable and to show them that I need help. And like the way it ended up, like what? One thing led to another. It's so amazing. It's so meant to be. And I love this story. And it's just such a good reminder to both ask for help, be vulnerable, but also trust the process and trust yourself. You know.

Remind yourself you're good, you're worthy.

Yeah. Even if you don't feel that you're worthy or good because sometimes we feel like crap.

Just remind yourself. Talk to yourself.

Exactly.

Yeah. I used to when I was here in my lowest point, I would look at the mirror and tell myself, rotten you are. Loved you. I would do that because I was so depressed. I was so sad and lonely, and I needed that. And if someone else couldn't do that for me, I do it for myself. So, yeah, just do it.

Amazing. And, you know, it's just the beginning, so I can't wait to talk to you in, like, five years. I don't know. You won't have time. I'll have to book it, like, months in advance. Thank you so, so much for sharing with us your story and your insights, and it's so generous and so kind. So thank you very much. How can people find you?

They can find me on Instagram, Rotem Alima, or they can go to my website.

And we're gonna put all the links in the description below that you can go follow her. Okay. Rotem, thank you so, so much and enjoyed it. Me too.