Donna Deitch facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Donna Deitch
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| Born | June 8, 1945 |
| Occupation | Director, producer, writer |
| Years active | 1975-present |
| Known for | Desert Hearts |
Donna Deitch (born June 8, 1945, in San Francisco, California) is an American director, producer, screenwriter, and actor. She is best known for her 1985 film Desert Hearts. This movie was important because it showed a positive and respectful story about a romantic relationship between two women. It was one of the first films to do this.
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Donna Deitch's Career in Film and TV
Donna Deitch started her career making documentaries. These are films that show real-life events. She then moved into making feature films. Her movie Desert Hearts was a big success at film festivals in 1985 and 1986. These festivals included Telluride, Toronto International, and Sundance Film Festival. A company called The Samuel Goldwyn Company bought the rights to distribute the film around the world.
After seeing Desert Hearts, Oprah Winfrey hired Deitch. Donna directed a four-hour TV miniseries called The Women of Brewster Place. This miniseries was nominated for an Emmy Award.
Directing Popular TV Shows
After the success of Brewster Place, Donna Deitch directed several TV show pilots. A pilot is the first episode of a new series. Three of these pilots became full TV series. One of them was Second Noah.
She has directed many episodes of popular one-hour TV dramas. Some of these shows include NYPD Blue, ER, Law and Order: SVU, Heroes, and Private Practice. She also directed the first episode of the TV show South of Nowhere.
Directing TV Movies
Donna Deitch has also directed several TV movies. She directed Prison Stories: Women on the Inside for HBO. For Showtime, she directed The Devil's Arithmetic. This movie starred Kirsten Dunst and Brittany Murphy. She also directed Common Ground for Showtime.
Documentary Work
Deitch directed, filmed, and edited a documentary called Angel On My Shoulder. This film was about her best friend, actress Gwen Welles, who was dealing with cancer. The movie won a top award, the Gold Hugo, at the 1998 Chicago International Film Festival. It was named Best Documentary.
In 2008, Donna Deitch mentioned some future projects. She was working on getting money for a film called Blonde Ghost. This movie would be based on a book about Stella Goldschlag during World War II. She also said she was writing a sequel to Desert Hearts. This new story would take place in New York City in the late 1960s.
Donna Deitch's Films
| Year | Title | Director | Producer | Screenwriter | Cinematographer | Editor | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1975 | Woman to Woman | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Documentary film | |
| 1977 | The Great Wall of Los Angeles | Yes | Short documentary | ||||
| 1985 | Desert Hearts | Yes | Yes | Also appeared as a Hungarian Gambler Won: Special Jury Prize – Dramatic, Sundance Film Festival, 1986 |
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| 1994 | Criminal Passion | Yes | |||||
| 1998 | Angel on My Shoulder | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Documentary film |
Acting Roles
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1969 | Several Friends | Short film | |
| 1985 | Desert Hearts | Hungarian Gambler | Cameo appearance |
Television Work
| Year | Title | Director | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1989 | The Women of Brewster Place | Miniseries | |
| 1990 | WIOU | 1 episode | |
| 1991 | Prison Stories: Women on the Inside | TV film. Segment "1" | |
| 1991 | Veronica Clare | 1 episode | |
| 1992 | ... | TV film | |
| 1994 | A Change of Place | TV film | |
| 1994 | Robin's Hoods | 2 episodes | |
| 1995 | ER | 2 episodes | |
| 1995-1997 | Murder One | 5 episodes | |
| 1995-2003 | NYPD Blue | 13 episodes | |
| 1996 | Second Noah | 1 episode | |
| 1996 | Moloney | 1 episode | |
| 1997 | Murder One: Diary of a ... | Miniseries (final 6 episodes of Murder One) | |
| 1997 | EZ Streets | 1 episode | |
| 1997 | Total Security | 1 episode | |
| 1997 | The Visitor | 1 episode | |
| 1997 | Dellaventura | 1 episode | |
| 1998 | Nothing Sacred | 1 episode | |
| 1998 | C-16: FBI | 1 episode | |
| 1999 | The Devil's Arithmetic | TV film | |
| 2000 | Common Ground | TV film | |
| 2000-2001 | The $treet | 2 episodes | |
| 2001-2007 | Crossing Jordan | 9 episodes | |
| 2002-2011 | Law & Order: Special Victims Unit | 3 episodes | |
| 2003 | Judging Amy | 1 episode | |
| 2003 | L.A. Dragnet | 1 episode | |
| 2004 | Wild Card | 1 episode | |
| 2005 | South of Nowhere | 2 episodes | |
| 2006 | Bones | 1 episode | |
| 2006 | Heroes | 1 episode | |
| 2007 | Eureka | 1 episode | |
| 2009-2010 | Private Practice | 4 episodes | |
| 2010 | Grey's Anatomy | 1 episode | |
| 2010 | Army Wives | 1 episode | |
| 2011 | Off the Map | 1 episode | |
| 2011 | A Gifted Man | 1 episode | |
| 2013 | The Glades | 1 episode | |
| 2016 | Greenleaf | 1 episode |
Awards and Recognition
| Year | Work | Award | Result | Ref |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1986 | Desert Hearts | Special Jury Prize – Dramatic • Sundance Film Festival | Won | |
| 1986 | Desert Hearts | Grand Jury Prize – Dramatic • Sundance Film Festival | Nominated | |
| 1996 | NYPD Blue, episode "These Old Bones" | Outstanding Directorial Achievement in Dramatic Series • Directors Guild of America | Nominated | |
| 1998 | Angel on My Shoulder | Gold Hugo – Best Documentary • Chicago International Film Festival | Won | |
| 2000 | The Devil's Arithmetic | Emmy Award – Outstanding Directing in a Children's Special • National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences | Won | |
| 2008 | Heroes | Hugo Award – Best Dramatic Presentation - Long Form • World Science Fiction Society | Nominated | |
| 2008 | Outfest Achievement Award • Outfest | Won |
See also
In Spanish: Donna Deitch para niños
- List of female film and television directors
- List of LGBT-related films directed by women
