Documentary director/producer specialising in biography, entertainment, arts and history

WRITER, DIRECTOR & PRODUCER


2011

PLANET WORD, 5 x 60', BBC2 Arts

Brought in as edit producer to polish a series on language presented by Stephen Fry. 


OBERLIN, College Green Publishing

Authored a book about Oberlin College in Ohio, first college to admit African-Americans, first to graduate women, first to go co-ed among other things.  The book is series of themed essays and assemblies of images from the Oberlin archives and new work by a well-known photographer.
 

2010

ANCIENT WORLDS, 6 x 50', BBC Factual For BBC Worldwide

Produced, directed & narrated the presenter-less version of the landmark BBC2 series tracing the roots of civilisation in the ancient and classical world. Cast and conducted 50 interviews on 3 continents. 2 helicopter shoots and self-shooting on EX-3 and Canon 5-D with tilt shift lenses. Series producer: Tim Kirby



2009

HERTA MULLER:  WRITING AGAINST TERROR, 1 x 30', October Films for Nobel Media, Stockholm

Produced, directed & narrated - and self-shot a large portion of the visuals - an exclusive access film about the life and work of Herta Muller, the 2009 Nobel literature laureate.  The film was shown by More4 before Christmas and has been sold worldwide by Nobel Media.  



JOHN BALDESSARI:  PURE BEAUTY, tate media

A 15' short film shot in California with the American artist John Baldessari.  Shown at tate modern during last year's retrospective, Pure Beauty, and on the tate website here



THE CULTURE SHOW, BBC Vision for  BBC2

Directed two items for the run of programmes from the Manchester International Festival:  one following the artist Jeremy Deller as he prepared his public Procession along Deansgate;  and another with the band Durutti Column and their musical tribute to Tony Wilson



2008

DAVID OGILVY: ORIGINAL MAD MAN, 1 x 60', World of Wonder for BBC4

Portrait of the maverick British advertising legend David Ogilvy, founder of Ogilvy & Mather. Made with unprecedented access to the Ogily company archives. Intimate interviews with family and closest friends and associates. Broadcast as part of a season accompanying the US drama Mad Men

Pick of the Day (with picture) in Sunday Times Culture, Observer, Guardian, Daily Mail, Independent, Telegraph, Time Out


"The quality of the documentaries supporting Mad Men on BBC4 has been very high. This is no exception"
The Mail
"Revelatory, fascinating, illuminating and inspirational" - Market Research Monthly
"A perfect companion to the brilliant US drama Mad Men" - Radio Times



2007

DIRTY DALI: A PRIVATE VIEW, 1x50', October Films for Channel 4

Brian Sewell's first film for C4, a mix of art citicism and personal recollections of four summers spent with Dali in Spain. Made in a similar, but more experimental, style to Paul Burrell In His Own Words (below).
Broadcast as a tie in with Tate Modern's June '07 Dali and Film exhibition
Own original idea

Click  here to see the first of 6 parts on youtube

SELECTED AS ONE OF THE DAILY TELEGRAPH'S TOP 5 TV HIGHLIGHTS OF 2007

"Brian Sewell's memoir of his friendship with surrealist Salvador Dali is, be warned, full of eye-wateringly filthy stories. But its also a beautiful,fascinating film, filled with wonderful images" - Radio Times Online
"The elegant, mellifluously voiced art critic Brian Sewell has always had the ability to startle. With his sensational Channel 4 TV documentary about Salvador Dali, he may have created his masterpiece... superbly candid" - Peter Bradshaw, news story, Guardian p 5
"... a fascinating and incisive study of the rise and fall of an artist - **** " - The Mail
"A fascinating insight into the life of a man who had, at the very least, the integrity to live his life as he portrayed it to a wider public... The first set piece was a comic masterpiece..." - Pete Clark, Evening Standard
"Unmissable" - The Observer
"A riveting account" - Sunday Times
"A unique insight... a fascinating portrait.. **** " Mail on Sunday



2004

PAUL BURRELL IN HIS OWN WORDS, 1x50' October Films for C4

An exploration of Burrell's life as the Queen's footman, Diana's Rock and the man who nearly brought down the monarchy. The film is entirely in Burrell's own recorded words over a collage of archive, specially shot, photomontage and after-FX
Own original idea

"Sure to provoke extensive tabloid and water-cooler comment.. a fascinating and somewhat sinister glimpse of a strange, sealed world" - Time Out
"Thrilling, fascinating stuff" - The Guardian
"Extraordinary viewing" - The Express
"So serious it's funny" - Heat


2004

PROFILES: POP AND POLITICS - 2x30' October Films for BBC4

Two films for a series presented by Paul Morley, repeated on BBC2 April 2005.
Chrissie Hynde, the punk princess with the Pretenders, explains how and why she became poster girl and militant activist for the extreme animal rights movement.
Chuck D, founder of rap group Public Enemy and father of politicized hip-hop on his continuing mission to fight the powers-that-be: racism in the USA, gangsta rap, and George W Bush

"Excellent" - The Guardian
"Provocative and typically wry" - The Daily Telegraph
"Intelligently put together and all-too-brief" - The Times



2003

BRITS GO TO HOLLYWOOD: CATHERINE ZETA-JONES, 1x50' October Films for C4

An unauthorised biography revealing how the actress known as "The Welsh Spitfire" conquered Hollywood and became the highest paid British actress in the world
Own original idea

"Lovely.. breaks out of the opinions-and-photos mould to examine the relationship between celebrities and the media" - Evening Standard


2003
BRITS GO TO HOLLYWOOD: DAVID NIVEN, 1x50' October Films for Channel 4

An intimate biography of the writer, actor, raconteur and archetypal Englishman

"Near perfect" - The Guardian


2002

KING OF CAPITALISM: THOMAS WATSON SR AND THE BUILDING OF IBM, 1x60' October Films for BBC4

A film for the BBC4 launch on the brilliant and controversial salesman who forged Big Blue into the world's most successful corporation, but also supported Hitler and traded technology to the Nazis during World War II. Secured access to IBM's visual archives and family footage

"An engrossing portrait.. an extraordinary, edifying tale" - The Observer


2001

THE REAL TOMMY COOPER, 1x50' Paladin-Invision Ltd for Channel 4

A profile of the comedy legend and the 'Curse of Cooper'
Own original idea

"This must-see documentary goes a long way to getting beneath the fez... a very special treat. Magic, even" - TV Times


2000

THE SECRET WORLD OF RICHARD NIXON, Invision for BBC/A & E

Controversial, Emmy-nominated, 2 x 50' Reputations special on Richard Nixon

"An astonishing piece of demythologising.. proves TV biographies can reach parts the written word cannot" - The Guardian
"It may be a slag-job, but it's a meticulously researched slag job" - Houston Chronicle



ASSISTANT PRODUCER


1999

SLEAZE: STATE OF THE NATION, Blakeway Ltd for Channel 4

2 x 50' history of 20th century British political scandals



1998

THE DAY THE GUNS FELL SILENT, BBC2

2 x 60' on how World War 1 transformed British society



1996

FALSE ECONOMY, October Films for Channel 4

3 x 50' with Will Hutton based on his bestseller The State We're In</div>

2005 - 06
LONDON CENTRE FOR PSYCHOTHERAPY (LCP)
One year, part-time, introductory training course in psychoanalytic theory and psychotherapy


1986 - 89
BALLIOL COLLEGE, OXFORD
2:1 in Philosophy, Politics and Economics (PPE)

(Awarded WC Coolidge travel and study scholarship to the USA. Subject: Jean Baudrillard's America)


1979-86
CARDIFF HIGH SCHOOL, CARDIFF