TOP DOCUMENTARY DIRECTORS
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Patricio Guzmán was born on 11 August 1941 in Santiago, Chile. He is a director and writer, known for Nostalgia for the Light (2010), The Battle of Chile: Part I (1975) and The Southern Cross (1991).Favourite Films: Nostalgia for the light (9,6), The Pearl Button (9,5), La Cordillera de los Sueños (9,4)- Director
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Agnès Varda was born on 30 May 1928 in Ixelles, Belgium. She was a director and writer, known for Cléo from 5 to 7 (1962), Vagabond (1985) and Faces Places (2017). She was married to Jacques Demy. She died on 29 March 2019 in Paris, France.Favourite Films: Faces Places (9,5), The Beaches of Agnes (9,4), Oncle Yanko (8,5), Varda by Agnes (8,1)- Director
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Born in Israel 1956. Studied Philosophy at Tel Aviv University 1979-1982 and Art at Ramat Hasharon Art School. Worked as FirstAssistant Director in local and foreign feature films and commercialsbefore directing, How I Learned to Overcome My Fear and Love ArikSharon, (1997).Favourite Films: Z32 (9,5), Happy Birthday Mr Mograbi (7,4)- Director
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His documentaries helped spur a rebirth of non-fiction film in the 80s & garnered wide critical success. But until 2003's "The Fog of War," Morris was shunned by the Academy Awards.
Morris' first two films won much acclaim (Gates of Heaven (1978) and Vernon, Florida (1981)). In the second movie, Morris intended to explore "Nub City," the town known for residents trading limbs for insurance settlements, but death threats (and some other equally fascinating locals) morphed Morris' focus into profiling other citizens instead.
After his first two films, Morris found financing for new projects scarce, so he turned to a unusual source of income - working as a New York private detective. Finally, after 6 years, he moved into feature-length, (and more serious projects) with The Thin Blue Line (1988).
Errol Morris cites his detective experience as providing new skills for his investigative filmmaking, most notably in "The Thin Blue Line", which resulted in a wrongfully convicted man being freed from a lifetime sentence in Texas after serving 13 years for a policeman's murder. Morris persuaded the real murderer to help free the innocent man. The real killer was subsequently executed for a unrelated murder.
Morris uses techniques not traditionally seen in documentaries, to make his films more dramatic and diverse, such as the Thin Blue Line's incredibly eerie Philip Glass score, and the haunting reenactments of the policeman's murder. Thin Blue Line's multiple points of view have drawn favorable comparisons to Kurosawa's ground-breaking cinema classic, Rashomon (1950). His own striking, innovative film style is very influential. Like Alfred Hitchcock, Morris knows how to create careful doses of emotional reality, which can have much more impact on a viewer than a literal reality can be on film.
Technical problems forced Morris to insert his voice as an interviewer for the first time, at the end of The Thin Blue Line, and he's experimented with using himself in his documentaries since. Morris incorporated his reaction to his parents' recent deaths in Fast, Cheap & Out of Control (1997).
Morris feels his interviewing of subjects, has been greatly enhanced in his later work, by devising the Interrotron (terror and interview). It's two cameras, one on Morris and one on the interviewee. Each sees the other's images staring directly into the lens, to give the audience the appearance the subject is talking directly to them.
While his work explores a wide range of subjects, Morris has stated his films break down into "Completely Whacked Out" and "Politically Concerned." Many focus on people with strong, unusual obsessions. His cable documentary series First Person, was especially effective presenting with great sympathy, power and humor, compelling individuals such as Temple Grandin, an animal scientist who has autism. Grandin designs animal slaughterhouses to be humane.
Fred Leuchter, the subject of Morris' film, Mr. Death: The Rise and Fall of Fred A. Leuchter, Jr. (1999) was slated to be one of the people profiled in Morris' "Fast, Cheap & Out of Control", but Morris decided putting Leuchter in the same film would overpower the other portraits. Leuchter'd been dubbed "The Florence Nightingale of Death Row" for his career of making prisoner execution methods more humane, was invited by a Holocaust denier who was on trial, to examine the site of the Auschwitz death camp. Way out of his league, Leuchter's faulty, amateurish research led him to claim that Auschwitz could not have been used for executions. "Accidental Nazi" was considered as a title for the film. Morris prefers characters who are puzzling.
The film brought Morris (who's Jewish) much criticism and attention. One of Morris' recurring themes is the powerful contrasts between how his subjects view themselves, and how audiences view them. The witty Morris revels in his own off kilter humor, iconoclasm, and extreme skepticism when he's being interviewed.
Morris had problems when he ventured into directing a Hollywood fiction film as did his contemporaries Michael Moore, Joe Berlinger, and Bruce Sinofsky. The Dark Wind (1991) was held up by the studio for 2 years, then released on video. It was an adaptation of a Tony Hillerman mystery novel, executive produced by Robert Redford. Morris has continued entirely with non-fiction, though many of his subjects are much stranger than fiction anyway.
He has taken on difficult subjects, such as A Brief History of Time (1991), about the paraplegic physicist Stephen Hawking, illustrating Hawking's revolutionary theories, and comparing the paralyzed scientist's own rich interior world periled by ALS, with the complex, dying universe Hawking limns.
Morris' film The Fog of War (2003), examines the architect of the U.S. war in Vietnam, former Secretary of Defense Robert McNamara. Morris' academic training in philosophy and history shows in his documentaries' vast depth. While getting a history degree at University of Wisconsin, Morris explored doing a film on notorious local murderer Ed Gein (Gein was the basis for Psycho (1960)). Morris also studied at Princeton and University of California - Berkeley.
Morris' directing career started while he programmed shows at the California's Pacific Film Archive. A newspaper headline spurred his first film "Gates of Heaven," revealing with bizarre developments in 2 widely contrasting pet cemeteries. The uncut film confounded editors, such as Academy Award nominee David Webb Peoples (Unforgiven (1992)). German film director Werner Herzog bet Morris that the film would never get made. At Berkeley, Herzog settled the bet on stage in an incredible display, as documented by director Les Blank (whose son 'Harrod Blank'_ is also an acclaimed documentary filmmaker) in Werner Herzog Eats His Shoe.
Morris, who received a MacArthur Foundation genius grant, says none of his films have made him money, so he directs commercials, and won an Emmy in 2001. A series of campaign ads he did for John Kerry was little shown. Morris' much-criticized approach was to Interrotron actual Republicans and conservatives who had switched to support Kerry, versus George W. Bush. Morris has an occasional feature in the New York Times ruminating on the power and meaning of photos.
Opening April 2008 is his new feature, Standard Operating Procedure (2008), which explores abuse in the Abu Ghraib prison in Iraq. The film is accompanied by a book of on-set photos of Morris' productions.Favourite Films:- Producer
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Asif Kapadia is an Academy Award, Grammy and four time BAFTA winning Producer / Director / Writer who works across both film and television. Kapadia is known for his emotional engaging, visually striking, genre breaking films exploring 'outsiders' characters living in extreme circumstances, fighting against a corrupt or broken system and the price of fame. He has worked in drama and documentaries, Kapadia is best known for his trilogy of narratively driven, archive constructed documentaries SENNA, AMY & DIEGO MARADONA.
His debut feature 'THE WARRIOR' was nominated for three Bafta awards, winning Best British Film and Best Debut Film. His fourth feature 'SENNA', the story of the Brazilian motor racing legend Ayrton Senna, was nominated for three Bafta awards, winning Best Documentary and Best Editing. It went on to break UK box office records to become the highest grossing British Documentary of all time. 'AMY', about singer-songwriter Amy Winehouse has now overtaken 'SENNA' to become the most successful British Documentary of all time, winning numerous awards including the Academy Award, BAFTA, European Film Award and a Grammy for Best Documentary.
Born in Hackney, London in 1972, Kapadia studied filmmaking at the Royal College of Art where he first gained recognition with his short film THE SHEEP THIEF (1997) shot in Rajasthan, India, the film won many international awards including one in the Cinefondation section of the 1998 Cannes International Film Festival and the Grand Prix at the European Film Festival in Brest.
Kapadia's distinct visual style developed with his debut feature THE WARRIOR (Film4, 2001), shot in the deserts of Rajasthan and the snow capped Himalaya. The Warrior was championed in the British Press as 'epic' and 'stunning' (Peter Bradshaw, The Guardian) and in 2003 was nominated for three BAFTA awards, winning two for Outstanding British Film of the Year and The Carl Foreman Award for Special Achievement by a Director in their First Feature, as well as being nominated for Best Film Not in the English Language. The Warrior won the prestigious Sutherland Award at the London Film Festival, the Evening Standard British Film Award for the Most Promising Newcomer and the Douglas Hickox Award at the BIFAs for Best Debut Film.
FAR NORTH (2007), Starring Michael Yeoh and Sean Bean premiered at the Venice Film Festival. Based on a short story by writer Sara Maitland. Kapadia used the epic and brutal Arctic landscape to show what desperation and loneliness can drive people to do.
Kapadia's feature documentary SENNA (Universal Pictures / Working Title, 2011), the thrilling story and emotional story of the Brazilian motor-racing legend Ayrton Senna, constructed entirely from archive, was a groundbreaking feature documentary, the film was a break out hit at the international box office, grossing over $15m worldwide. SENNA was Nominated for three BAFTA awards, winning Best Documentary and Best Editing, as well as being nominated for Best British Film. SENNA broke records at the cinema and on DVD & Bluray in the UK. The film has won awards around the world including the World Cinema Documentary Audience Award at the Sundance Film Festival, Best Documentary at the London Critics Circle, the BIFA award for Best Documentary, the Audience Award for Best International Feature at the Los Angeles Film Festival and was nominated by the Producers Guild of America for the Documentary Theatrical Motion Picture Award 2012.
AMY (Universal Music, 2015), world premiered in Official Selection at the Cannes Film Festival and tells the story of Amy Winehouse in her own words. The film was an international box office hit grossing over $20m, it is the highest grossing UK documentary of all time. AMY won the Academy Award for Feature Documentary, the BAFTA for Best Documentary, was nominated for Outstanding British Film. Kapadia was nominated for Outstanding Directorial Achievement in Documentary for AMY by the Directors Guild of America (DGA) (Documentaries & TV).
Kapadia's third feature documentary Diego Maradona, about the controversial genius, Argentinian footballer Diego Armando Maradona world premiered at the Cannes Film Festival, the film was Nominated for a BAFTA for Best Documentary and completed his epic trilogy on the price of fame,
Kapadia directed two episodes of Mindhunter (Netflix) for David Fincher.
in 2021 Kapadia Executive Produced and Series Directed the music series 1971: 'The year that music changed everything' and he Directed & Executive Produced the series THE ME YOU CAN'T SEE with Oprah Winfrey and Prince Harry focusing on mental health and well being, both for AppleTV+.
Kapadia was an Executive Producer of the landmark BBC ONE series Stephen: The Murder That Changed A Nation.
THE ODYSSEY (2012, Film4, BBC, LOCOG) Kapadia was commissioned to direct an official film for the London Cultural Olympiad, his film traces the journey from 2005 when London won the right to host the Olympic Games to the eve of the games in 2012. The film uses the voices of Londoners, archive, classic Olympic footage and stunning aerial photography of London to show how sport is essential, how it can inspire, provide unforgettable moments of beauty, purity and the sublime.
STANDARD OPERATING PROCEDURE (2013, Reprieve, Guardian films) More than 100 hunger-strikers in Guantánamo Bay protest as they continue to be held without charge, some for over a decade. A leaked document sets out the military instructions, or standard operating procedure, for force-feeding detainees. In this graphic four-minute film made by Human Rights organisation Reprieve and director Asif Kapadia, US actor and rapper Yasiin Bey (formerly known as Mos Def), experiences the procedure. SOP was released on The Guardian newspaper's website, the film went viral and was picked up by every major news source around the globe, picking up more than 10million views in a matter of days.
Kapadia directed the award winning Burberry commercial, "A Tale of Thomas Burberry", featuring an all-star cast of Domhnall Gleeson, Sienna Miller, Dominic West and Lily James and written by Academy Award nominee Matt Charman. Comprising of a three-minute cinematic trailer, the film is inspired by Thomas Burberry's life and achievements, reimagining key events that have shaped the company's history and values.Favourite Films: Senna (9,1), Maradona (9,1), Amy (8,5)- Director
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Documentary film director. Born on July 19, 1961 in Leningrad. Since 1978 he worked at the Leningrad studio of Documentaries as assistant cameraman, assistant director and editor. In 1988 he finished the Higher Courses of Film Writers and Directors in Moscow. Laureate of the "Triumph" Prize, Laureate of the RF State Award and the "Nika" prize. Award-winner of numerous national and international film forums. He started his own production company, Kossakovsky Film Production, based in San Petersburg, to create a cinema with a strong focus in poetics and reality.Favourite Films: Aquarela (9,1), Gunda (8,9), Sreda (7,3)- Director
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Gianfranco Rosi was born on 30 November 1963 in Asmara, Eritrea. He is a director and cinematographer, known for Fire at Sea (2016), Notturno (2020) and Sacro GRA (2013).Favourite Films: Notturno (8,9), Fire at Sea (8,8)- Director
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Petra Costa was born on 8 July 1983 in Belo Horizonte, Brazil. She is a director and producer, known for The Edge of Democracy (2019), Olmo & the Seagull (2015) and Undertow Eyes (2009).Favourite Films:Edge of Democracy (8,8), Elena (8,5)- Director
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Academy Awards® Nominee Director and Producer, she is the first Chilean women to be nominated to the Oscars. She has developed a particular style that is characterized by the intimate portrait of small worlds, her renowned label has led her to be one of the most important voices of Latin American documentary.
In 2011 she released his first feature film "The Lifeguard". Through Micromundo Producciones, her production company, she directed her second film "La Once", which has won more than 12 international awards, and was nominated for the 2016 Goya for Best Ibero-American Film. In 2016 she released the short film "I am not from here" nominated for the European Films Award and also premiered her third feature film "The Grown-Ups" that got 10 international awards. In Sundance 2020, she premiered her last film "The Mole Agent", the first Chilean documentary to be nominated to the Academy Awards®.
Maite is co-author of the book "Documentary film theories in Chile 1957-1973". She has produced the feature films: "Sexual life of plants", "Los Reyes" and "God". She works as a teacher in different universities, and teaches documentary workshops and project development in Chile and abroad. In 2013, she was selected as Global Shaper, young leaders by the World Economic Forum (WEF), and in 2018 she was invited to be a member of the Academy of Motion Pictures Arts and Science.Favourite Films: The Mole Agent (9,5)- Director
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Adina Pintilie was born on 12 January 1980 in Bucharest, Romania. She is a director and writer, known for Touch Me Not (2018), Nu te supara, dar... (2007) and An American Haunting (2005).Favourite Films: Touch me Not (9,5)- Director
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Gabrielle Brady is known for Island of the Hungry Ghosts (2018), The Wolves Always Come at Night and Los pantalones rotos (2013).Favourite Films:The Island of the Hungry Ghosts (9,3)- Director
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Mila Turajlic was born on 4 July 1979 in Belgrade, Serbia. She is a director and producer, known for Non-Aligned: Scenes from the Labudovic Reels (2022), The Other Side of Everything (2017) and Cinema Komunisto (2010).Favourite Films:The Other Side of Everything (8,7)- Director
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Waad Al-Kateab was born on 24 January 1991 in Syria. She is a director and producer, known for For Sama (2019), We Dare to Dream (2023) and The White Helmets.Favourite Films:For Sama (8,6)- Producer
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Morgan Neville was born on 10 October 1967 in Los Angeles, California, USA. He is a producer and director, known for Best of Enemies: Buckley vs. Vidal (2015), Won't You Be My Neighbor? (2018) and The Music of Strangers: Yo-Yo Ma and the Silk Road Ensemble (2015).Favourite Films: Won't You Be My Neighbour (9,4), They'll Love Me When I am Dead (8,5)- Director
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Alan Berliner was born on 11 October 1956 in Brooklyn, New York City, New York, USA. He is a director and editor, known for Intimate Stranger (1991), First Cousin Once Removed (2012) and Nobody's Business (1996).Favourite Films: Nobody's Business, Intimate Stranger (7,2)- Director
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Helena Trestíková was born on 22 June 1949 in Prague, Czechoslovakia [now Czech Republic]. She is a director and writer, known for Forman vs. Forman (2019), Marcela (2007) and Anny (2020).Favourite Films: Forman vs Forman (7,3), Strnadovi (7,2)- Actress
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Naziha Arebi was born in 1984 in the UK. She is an actress and producer, known for Freedom Fields (2018), Half Moon (2010) and Love People (2009).Favourite Films:Freedom Fields (8,3)- Producer
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Since its beginnings, the documentary work of the duo Bettina Perut and Iván Osnovikoff has stood out for the risk and creativity of its themes, treatments and points of view. With eight feature films to their credit, their poetic journey is full of turning points and mutations that have accompanied the technological and cultural transformations of their time, challenging the most stable and conservative premises of what is understood as documentary cinema. Their work has gone from a very physical and gestural first register linked to the lightening of the cameras and the voyeuristic impulse, present in films such as "CHI-CHICHI LE-LE-LE MARTÍN VARGAS DE CHILE" (2000) or "UN HOMBRE APARTE", which in turn emphasized the performative dimension of their protagonists (the boxer Martín Vargas in the former, and a fantasy manager in the latter); towards a visual stylization that began with the exercise of inverted ethnography "WELCOME TO NEW YORK" (2006), found a hinge in the ethical exploration of the field (and its limit) in "NOTICIAS" (2009), and reaches a climax in "SURIRE" (2015), a documentary about a salt flat in the altiplano where landscape, nature, animals and humans, are observed from a gaze that combines the sensory with materiality. Rather than conclusions, Perut + Osnovikoff's documentaries raise questions, interrogate the limits and common senses. This is the case, for example, of their two entries on social memory, on the one hand "EL ASTUTO MONO PINOCHET CONTRA LA MONEDA DE LOS CERDOS" (2004), where groups of schoolchildren represent the military coup through improvised acting, combining play and parody, telling us about a conflictive present that inhabits the bodies, an issue that they emphasized even more in "LA MUERTE DE PINOCHET" (2011), a "social fresco" around the day of Pinochet's death. Although their work has been discussed and even marginalized from some circuits, his proposal has done nothing but grow and open to new avenues, understanding documentary film as both a plastic and social exploration.Favourite Films:Los Reyes (9,1)- Director
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Julia Bacha was born in 1980 in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. She is a director and editor, known for Naila and the Uprising (2017), My Neighbourhood (2012) and Budrus (2009).Favourite Films: Naila and the Uprising (8,3)- Director
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Sung-a Yoon is known for Overseas (2019), And I'll Keep in My Heart (2007) and Full of Missing Links (2012).Favourite Films:Overseas (8,7)- Producer
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Irene Lusztig is a filmmaker, visual artist, archival researcher, and amateur seamstress. Her film and video work mines old images and technologies for new meanings in order to reframe, recuperate, and reanimate forgotten and neglected histories. Often beginning with rigorous research in archives, her work brings historical materials into conversation with the present day, inviting viewers to explore historical spaces as a way to contemplate larger questions of politics, ideology, and the production of personal, collective, and national memories. Much of her current work is centered on public feminism, language, and histories of women and women's bodies, including the feature length archival film essay The Motherhood Archives (2013). Her work has been screened around the world, including at MoMA, Museum of Fine Arts Boston, Anthology Film Archives, Pacific Film Archive, Flaherty NYC, IDFA Amsterdam, RIDM Montréal, Ambulante, and on television in the US, Europe, and Taiwan.Favourite Films:Yours in Sisterhood (8,7)