Kirk Simon

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Kirk Simon (born July 25, 1954 in Philadelphia , † April 14, 2018 in New York City ) was an American film director , producer and writer , who was awarded an Oscar in 2011 together with Karen Goodman .

Life

Simon studied film at Hampshire College in Amherst , Massachusetts , received his BA there and graduated with a Masters in 1976 .

His first well-known film work was the 1984 episode of the television series American Playhouse: The Cafeteria, produced by Simon . In 1987 he was responsible for the episode Isaac in America: A Journey with Isaac Bashevis Singer as a producer on the American Masters television series . The film deals with the life and work of the Nobel Prize winner Isaac Bashevis Singer . For this work he was nominated for an Oscar in 1987 together with Amram Nowak in the category “Best Documentary” (long form) . However, the award went to Brigitte Berman for the documentary Artie Shaw: Time Is All You've Got and Joseph Feury and Milton Justice for Down and Out in America . In 1991 there was another Oscar nomination, this time for the "documentary short " Chimps: So Like Us , which he produced with Karen Goodman. Filmed in New York , Arizona and Tanzania, the film introduces the work of Jane Goodall , who is known for her observations on the behavior of chimpanzees . The Oscar went to Steven Okazaki for Days of Waiting . However, the film won an Emmy .

Again together with Karen Goodman, with whom he also founded the Simon & Goodman Picture Company, Simon produced the documentary The Incredible Human Body in 2002 as part of the "National Geographic Specials" series. In 2003, Simon created another film in this series entitled Lewis and Clark: Great Journey West , where he worked as a writer and director. In 2007, Simon and Goodman were nominated for an Oscar for their short documentary Rehearsing a Dream . The film shows budding artists who are allowed to study with their idols for a week. However, the award went to Thomas Lennon and Ruby Yang for their short film The Blood of Yingzhou District .

The nine-part Home Box Office television production Masterclass (2010) about Plácido Domingo , Liv Ullmann , Edward Albee , Jacques d'Amboise , Olafur Eliasson , Frank Gehry , Bill T. Jones, Michael Tilson Thomas and Julian Schnabel was also produced by Simon & Goodman Picture Company produces. The series was nominated for both a Primetime Emmy and the IDA Award. The series also received a nomination for the “Grand Jury Prize” at the Sundance Film Festival .

In 2011 , Simon was nominated again for an Oscar together with Karen Goodman and was then also awarded in the category “Best Documentary Short Film” for the documentary Strangers No More about three students at a school in Tel Aviv , Israel with children from 48 different countries getting together.

In 2012, the Masterclass series was followed by a documentary entitled A YoungArts MasterClass about the soprano Renée Fleming , who was introduced as a mentor for four young aspiring opera singers. The film received an Emmy nomination in 2013 .

Filmography (selection)

  • 1984: American Playhouse (TV series, episode The Cafeteria )
  • 1987: American Masters (TV series, episode Isaac in America: A Journey with Isaac Bashevis Singer )
  • 1990: Chimps: So Like Us
  • 1996: American Masters (TV series, episode Buckminster Fuller: Thinking Out Loud )
  • 1997: The American Experience (TV series, episode The Telephone )
  • 2001: Kindergarten (TV miniseries)
  • 2002: National Geographic Specials: The Incredible Human Body
  • 2003: National Geographic Specials: Lewis and Clark: Great Journey West
  • 2004: Smashed: Toxic Tales of Teens and Alcohol
  • 2006: Coming Out Stories (TV series, 2 episodes)
  • 2006: Rehearsing a Dream
  • 2007: Heart of a Child (TV movie)
  • 2008: Locks of Love: The Kindest Cut
  • 2009: The Sealed Orders of Liv Ullmann
  • 2010: Masterclass (9-part series)
  • 2011: Strangers No More
  • 2012: A YoungArtsMasterClass: Renée Fleming

Awards

Web links

swell

  1. ↑ Mike Barnes: Kirk Simon, Oscar-Winning Documentarian, Dies at 63. In: The Hollywood Reporter. April 15, 2018, accessed April 16, 2018 .
  2. ^ Obituary , accessed April 16, 2018
  3. ↑ Kirk Simon at documentary.org (English). Retrieved February 19, 2014.
personal data
SURNAME Simon, Kirk
BRIEF DESCRIPTION American film director, producer, and writer
DATE OF BIRTH July 25, 1954
PLACE OF BIRTH Philadelphia
DATE OF DEATH April 14, 2018
Place of death New York City