Jonathan Lewis

Jonathan Lewis is a filmmaker, author and teacher. He directed his first one-hour documentary at the age of 23 and has made over 100 films – factual and fiction – shown around the world in cinemas, on television and at festivals. Many have won awards including the International Emmy for Best Documentary, the Japan Prize and the Peabody. His first feature documentary Before Hindsight opened the 1977 London Film Festival. He won the Silver Hugo and was BAFTA-nominated for his fiction film Towers of Babel (Columbia-EMI-Warner).

He has specialised in films examining people under intense pressure, including Stalin (ITV and PBS), Master Race – Peoples' Century (BBC and PBS), Hell in the Pacific (C4 and TLC), The First World War (C4 and BBC) and China (BBC and PBS). His fiction work includes The Treaty (ITV/RTE) and – as writer/director – The Plant (BBC Screen One). He has had five books published: two non-fiction and three fiction. His latest is the novel Hurrying Angel.

He has given master classes in film at Brunel University, the National University of Ireland, Channel 4, the Imperial War Museum and the NFTS. He teaches film directing at AUB.