The Israeli film "Advocate" won the award for best documentary during Wednesday’s 42nd Annual News and Documentary Emmy Awards.
The film, which was directed by Rachel Leah Jones and Philippe Bellaïche and originally produced for Israel's Hot 8, focuses on the personality of Lea Tsemel, a human rights lawyer who represents Palestinian terrorists in Israeli courts.
"It’s a great honor for us, as international filmmakers, to receive such recognition from our colleagues in the United States, following the broadcast of the American version of the film as part of the Public Broadcasting Corporation’s series of leading documentaries," Jones and Bellaïche said upon the announcement of the movie's nomination last July.
"Thanks to them, the film, and especially its subject matter, reached about 200 million screens across North America."
Before it was aired on American television, the film won a clutch of other prizes at the Sundance Festival, Best Film award at Tel Aviv’s DocAviv festival an Oscar documentary nominee in 2019.
The film's success caused a political uproar and following political pressure, Mifal Hapayis - the state-owned lottery company and main sponsor of DocAviv - pulled its funding for future grants given to best picture winners at the festival and refused the award the producers the prize money.
Ultimately, Mifal Hapayis reneged on its decision to withdraw its support from the festival.