Beth Murphy

Beth Murphy is a documentary producer, director, author, and university professor. As the head of GroundTruth Films, she tells under-documented stories by producing award-winning films, digital media, and targeted public education campaigns. She is the founder of Principle Pictures, an independent film company committed to giving voice to the voiceless, raising awareness about important social issues, and inspiring education and action through entertainment. Beth is director and producer of Beyond Belief, the acclaimed feature documentary that premiered at the Tribeca Film Festival.

Beyond Belief reveals a courageous journey as two ordinary “soccer moms,” Patti Quigley and Susan Retik, move through the grief of losing their husbands on September 11 and dedicate themselves to empowering Afghan widows whose lives have been ravaged by decades of war, poverty, and oppression. From the ruins of the World Trade Center to those of Kabul and back, theirs is a journey of personal strength and international reconciliation, and a testament to the vision that peace can be forged — one woman at a time.

Beth’s programs are broadcast on numerous national and international networks including the Sundance Channel, the History Channel, Discovery, Lifetime, and PBS. She won the Gracie Allen Award from American Women in Radio and Television and the One Shared World International Outreach Award. She authored Fighting for Our Future (McGraw Hill, 2003), a companion book to one of her films, and is a contributing author to Open My Eyes, Open My Soul (McGraw Hill, 2004).

With unprecedented access, Beth’s film What Tomorrow Brings goes inside the Zabuli Education Center, the very first girls’ school in one small Afghan village. From the school’s beginnings in 2009 to its first graduation in 2015, the film traces the interconnected stories of students, teachers, village elders, parents, and school founder Razia Jan. Beth embeds herself in this school and community for a most intimate look at what it really means to be a girl growing up in Afghanistan today.

As an adjunct professor, Beth has taught international media and media ethics courses at Suffolk University and the American University of Paris. She serves on the board of the International Institute of Boston, an organization that helps immigrants and refugees.