Kim Longinotto facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Kim Longinotto
Born	Sally Anne Longinotto-Landseer (1948-02-08) 8 February 1948 (age 77) London, England
Other names	Kimona Landseer
Occupation	Director producer cinematographer
Years active	1976–present

Kim Longinotto (born Sally Anne Longinotto-Landseer on 8 February 1948, in London) is a British filmmaker. She is famous for making documentaries that show the lives of women and girls who face tough challenges or unfair treatment. Kim Longinotto has directed more than 20 films. Her movies often feature inspiring women and girls at their heart. For example, she made films about women dealing with difficult situations in Kenya (The Day I Will Never Forget). She also showed women speaking up for themselves in India (Pink Saris). Another film, Salma, tells the story of an Indian woman who shared her poetry with the world after being kept from the outside by her family for many years.

Early Life and Education

Kim Longinotto was born Sally Anne Longinotto-Landseer on February 8, 1948. Her father was from Italy, and her mother was from Wales. When Kim was 10, she went to an all-girls boarding school. She found it hard to make friends there at first.

Later, she found out that part of her last name, "Landseer," was made up. So, she decided to drop it and just use Longinotto. She also chose a new first name, Kim. After a time when she didn't have a permanent home, she went to Essex University. There, she studied English literature and writing. She then followed her friend, Nick Broomfield, to the National Film and Television School. While studying, she made a documentary called Pride of Place. This film was about her boarding school and was shown at the London Film Festival.

Kim Longinotto's Filmmaking Style

Kim Longinotto is known for making "observational documentaries." This style of filmmaking means the director watches and records events as they happen. They usually don't plan scenes, write scripts, or use actors. They also avoid adding narration or special lighting. This way, the audience sees the real story unfold naturally.

She also runs her own film company called Vixen Films. She started it in 1988 with Claire Hunt.

Notable Films by Kim Longinotto

Kim Longinotto has created many powerful documentaries. Here are some of her well-known works:

• Pride of Place (1976)
• Theatre Girls (1978)
• Eat the Kimono (1989)
• Hidden Faces (1990)
• The Good Wife of Tokyo (1992)
• Dream Girls (1994)
• Shinjuku Boys (1995)
• Divorce Iranian Style (1998)
• Gaea Girls (2000)
• Runaway (2001)
• The Day I Will Never Forget (2002)
• Sisters in Law (2005)
• Hold Me Tight, Let Me Go (2007)
• Rough Aunties (2008)
• Pink Saris (2010)
• Salma (2013)
• Love Is All (2014)
• Dreamcatcher (2015)
• Shooting the Mafia (2019)
• Dalton's Dream (2023)

Awards and Recognition

Kim Longinotto's films have won many awards around the world. These awards show how important and impactful her work is.

• Shinjuku Boys (1995) was named Outstanding Documentary at the San Francisco Gay and Lesbian Film Festival.
• Divorce Iranian Style (1998) won the top prize for Best Documentary at the San Francisco International Film Festival. It also received the Silver Hugo Award at the Chicago International Film Festival.
• Runaway (2001) earned the Children Rights Award at the Unabhängiges Filmfest Osnabrück.
• The Day I Will Never Forget (2002) received the Amnesty International DOEN Award at IDFA. It also won Best Doc UK Spotlight at Hot Docs.
• Sisters in Law (2005) won two awards at the Cannes Film Festival in 2005.
• Rough Aunties (2008) won the World Cinema Grand Jury Prize at the Sundance Film Festival. It was also chosen for the official selection at Sheffield Doc/Fest 2009.
• Pink Saris (2010) won the Special Jury Award at Sheffield Doc/Fest 2010. At the same festival, Longinotto also received the Inspiration Award. This award honors someone in the documentary world who has strongly supported this type of filmmaking.
• Dreamcatcher (2015) received the Voice of a Woman (VOW) Award for Documentary.

See also

In Spanish: Kim Longinotto para niños