Orlando von Einsiedel[1] (born in August 1980)[2] is a British film director. He directs mostly documentary films that investigate global social issues, and 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 director Prince de Merode.
Von Einsiedel is the grandson of Wittgo von Einsiedel (a second cousin to Heinrich Graf von Einsiedel, who descends from Otto von Bismarck) and Walburga von Obersdorff.[1] His father, Andreas Jean-Paul von Einsiedel, was a photographer specialising in architecture and interiors.[3] Orlando grew up in Forest Hill, London, UK with his mother (Harriet), a British music therapist. He attended Alleyn's, an independent school in East Dulwich, London, UK.[4]
Von Einsiedel studied social anthropology at the University of Manchester[5] and an MSc in anthropology and development at the London School of Economics.[6]
Many of von Einsiedel's documentaries have been screened at some of the world's top film festivals. He directed Virunga (2014), which received an Academy Award 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.[7][8][9][10] His 2018 film, Evelyn, about his late brother, launched at the London Film Festival[11] and won the BIFA for Best Documentary.[12] In 2020, 'Learning to Skateboard in a Warzone (if you're a girl)', a film he was an executive producer on, won the Academy Award for Best Documentary (Short Subject).[13] In 2006, he co-founded Grain Media, a production company based in London.[14]
Von Einsiedel spent several years as a professional snowboarder,[15][4][16] travelling the world promoting the brand names of various sponsors through media engagements, photo/video shoots, and competitions. During this period he was given the nickname 'Jill Dando', due to the rhyme connection between his name and hers.[4]
| Year | Title | Director | Producer | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 | Skateistan: To Live and Skate Kabul | Yes | Yes | Documentary Short |
| 2012 | Aisha's Song | Yes | Yes | Documentary Short |
| 2012 | Radio Amina | Yes | Yes | Documentary Short |
| 2012 | Pirate Fishing | Yes | No | TV Series |
| 2013 | We Ride: The Story of Snowboarding | Yes | No | |
| 2013 | The Cure: Doctors on Everest - Investigating Intensive Care | Yes | No | TV Series |
| 2013 | Earthrise | TV Series | ||
| 2014 | Virunga | Yes | Yes | |
| 2014 | We Are Fire | Yes | No | Documentary Short |
| 2015 | King of the Mountain | Yes | No | Documentary Short |
| 2015 | Superbob | No | Yes | Executive Producer |
| 2016 | The White Helmets | Yes | No | Documentary Short |
| 2018 | Evelyn | Yes | No | |
| 2018 | Bruce Lee And The Outlaw | No | Yes | Executive Producer |
| 2019 | Learning to Skateboard in a Warzone (if you're a girl) | No | Yes | Executive Producer |
| 2019 | Lost and Found | Yes | No | Documentary Short |
| 2019 | Into The Fire | Yes | No | Documentary Short |
| 2019 | The Seahorse | No | Yes | Executive Producer |
| 2020 | Still Human | Yes | No | Documentary Short |
| 2020 | The Lost Forest | Yes | No | Documentary Short |
| 2021 | Convergence | Yes | Yes | |
| 2021 | Death In Bollywood | No | Yes | Executive Producer |
| 2021 | The Phantom | No | Yes | Executive Producer |
| 2021 | Into Dust | Yes | No | Short Film |
| 2022 | From Devil's Breath | Yes | No | Documentary Short |
| 2022 | Bastille: Hope For The Future | Yes | No | Music Video |
| 2023 | Heart of Invictus | Yes | No | Documentary Series |