Orlando von EinsiedelPeople of Today 2017 / Lucy Hume (born in August 19, 1980) is a British film director, producer and co-founder of film production company Grain Media. He directs mostly documentary films that investigate global social issues, combing journalism, character driven narratives and wider politics. He has filmed in various places around the world, including Africa, Asia, America and the Arctic. Von Einsiedel became known for his award winning film '' Virunga'', produced with the cooperation of

Virunga National Park Virunga National Park is a national park in the Albertine Rift Valley in the eastern part of the Democratic Republic of the Congo. It was created in 1925. In elevation, it ranges from in the Semliki River valley to in the Rwenzori Mountains. ...

director Prince de Merode. He has been nominated for two

Academy Awards The Academy Awards, commonly known as the Oscars, are awards for artistic and technical merit in film. They are presented annually by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS) in the United States in recognition of excellence in ...

, winning one, a

BAFTA The British Academy of Film and Television Arts (BAFTA, ) is an independent trade association and charity that supports, develops, and promotes the arts of film, television and video games in the United Kingdom. In addition to its annual awa ...

, several

Primetime Prime time, or peak time, is the block of broadcast programming taking place during the middle of the evening for television shows. It is mostly targeted towards adults (and sometimes families). It is used by the major television networks to b ...

and News and Documentary Emmys, and has won a Peabody, an Alfred I. duPont–Columbia University Award for journalistic excellence and a British Independent Film Award.

Early life

Von Einsiedel is the grandson of Wittgo von Einsiedel (a second cousin to Heinrich Graf von Einsiedel, who descends from

Otto von Bismarck Otto, Prince of Bismarck, Count of Bismarck-Schönhausen, Duke of Lauenburg (; born ''Otto Eduard Leopold von Bismarck''; 1 April 1815 – 30 July 1898) was a German statesman and diplomat who oversaw the unification of Germany and served as ...

) and Walburga von Obersdorff. His father, Andreas Jean-Paul von Einsiedel, was a photographer specialising in architecture and interiors. Von Einsiedel grew up in

Forest Hill, London Forest Hill is a district of the London Borough of Lewisham in south London, south east London, England, on the South Circular Road, London, South Circular Road, which is home to the Horniman Museum. History Like much of Greater London, Fo ...

, with his mother (Harriet), a British music therapist. He attended Alleyn's, an independent school in

East Dulwich East Dulwich is an area of South (London sub region), South East London, England in the London Borough of Southwark. It forms the eastern part of Dulwich, with Peckham to the east and Camberwell to the north. East Dulwich is home to the Dog Kenn ...

, London.

University

Von Einsiedel studied

social anthropology Social anthropology is the study of patterns of behaviour in human societies and cultures. It is the dominant constituent of anthropology throughout the United Kingdom and much of Europe, where it is distinguished from cultural anthropology. In t ...

at the

University of Manchester The University of Manchester is a public university, public research university in Manchester, England. The main campus is south of Manchester city centre, Manchester City Centre on Wilmslow Road, Oxford Road. The University of Manchester is c ...

and an MSc in anthropology and development at the London School of Economics.

Film career

Von Einsiedel directed '' Virunga'' (2014), which received an

Academy Award The Academy Awards, commonly known as the Oscars, are awards for artistic and technical merit in film. They are presented annually by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS) in the United States in recognition of excellence ...

nomination for Best Documentary Feature, and '' The White Helmets'' (2016), which won for Best Documentary (Short Subject). Both nominations were shared with producer Joanna Natasegara. His 2018 film, '' Evelyn'', about his late brother, launched at the

London Film Festival The BFI London Film Festival is an annual film festival held in London, England, in collaboration with the British Film Institute. Founded in 1957, the festival runs for two weeks every October. In 2016, the British Film Institute, BFI estim ...

and won th
BIFA
for Best Documentary. In 2020, '' Learning to Skateboard in a Warzone (if you're a girl)'', a film he executive produced and which was follow up to his 2010 film '' Skateistan:To Live and Skate Kabul'', won the Academy Award for Best Documentary (Short Subject). In 2024 he released '' Los Niños Perdidos / The Lost Children''. The film was nominated for a Premios Platino Award and was one of the most watched documentaries on Netflix in 2024. In 2006, he co-founded Grain Media, a production company based in London.

Snowboard career

Von Einsiedel spent several years as a professional snowboarder, travelling the world promoting the brand names of various sponsors through media engagements, photo/video shoots and competitions. Von Einsiedel competed for the British Snowboard Team in the Halfpipe at the FIS Snowboarding Junior World Championships. Through making snowboard videos, von Einsiedel moved into TV production. During this period, he was given the nickname '

Jill Dando Jill Wendy Dando (9 November 1961 – 26 April 1999) was an English journalist, television presenter and newsreader. She spent most of her career at the BBC and was the corporation's Personality of the Year in 1997. At the time of her death, he ...

', due to the rhyme connection between his name and hers.

Social Impact

Einsiedel’s films have been associated with social impact initiatives, and several have included accompanying outreach campaigns. ''Virunga'' was linked to international attention regarding oil exploration in protected areas, while ''Evelyn'' was associated with public discussions around suicide and mental health. In 2019, he founded Grace Labs, a development hub under Grain Media, with the objective of supporting the production of films focused on social issues.

Filmography

Awards and nominations

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:von Einsiedel, Orlando 1980 births Living people Alumni of the University of Manchester Counts in Germany Directors of Best Documentary Short Subject Academy Award winners English film directors English screenwriters English male screenwriters English people of German descent People from Forest Hill, London Writers from the London Borough of Lewisham