Lucy Walker (director) facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Lucy Walker
Lucy Walker in February 2012
Alma mater	Oxford University New York University Tisch School of the Arts
Occupation	Film director, writer, producer
Years active	1998–present

Lucy Walker is a talented film director from England. She is known for making amazing documentary films that tell real-life stories. Some of her well-known feature documentaries include Devil's Playground (2002), Blindsight (2006), and Waste Land (2010). She also directed The Crash Reel (2013) and Mountain Queen: The Summits of Lhakpa Sherpa (2023).

Lucy Walker has also made shorter films like The Tsunami and the Cherry Blossom (2011). Her film Waste Land was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Documentary Feature. The Tsunami and the Cherry Blossom was also nominated for an Academy Award for Best Documentary (Short Subject). This shows how highly her work is regarded.

Lucy Walker's Film Career

Early Films and Awards

Lucy Walker's first full-length documentary was Devil's Playground. This film looked at the challenges faced by Amish teenagers during a time called rumspringa, when they explore the world outside their community. It was first shown at the Sundance Film Festival in 2002.

Her film Blindsight premiered at the Toronto Film Festival. It tells the story of six blind teenagers from Tibet who climb Mount Everest. They are joined by a blind American climber, Erik Weihenmayer, and their teacher, Sabriye Tenberken. Sabriye founded the only school for blind people in Tibet. Blindsight won an award at the Berlin Film Festival.

Waste Land and Countdown to Zero

Waste Land is another famous film by Lucy Walker. It is about a Brazilian artist named Vik Muniz and a group of people called catadores. These people collect recyclable materials from the world's largest dump in Rio de Janeiro. They turn these materials into incredible art that is sold at famous auctions in London. Waste Land won an award at the 2010 Sundance Film Festival. It was also nominated for an Academy Award.

In 2010, Lucy Walker also released Countdown to Zero. This film explored the danger of nuclear weapons in the world today. It was shown at the Sundance Film Festival and the Cannes Film Festival.

Stories of Survival and Challenges

Walker's 2011 film, The Tsunami and the Cherry Blossom, was nominated for an Oscar. It focuses on the survivors of the 2011 Tōhoku earthquake and tsunami in Japan and their efforts to rebuild their lives. The film won an award at Sundance in 2012.

In 2013, Lucy Walker made The Crash Reel. This documentary tells the story of snowboarder Kevin Pearce (snowboarder) and his rivalry with Shaun White. It shows Kevin's life-changing accident and his journey to recovery. The film won an audience award at South by Southwest and an Emmy Award.

Her 2014 film, The Lion's Mouth Opens, explores a very personal story. It follows filmmaker Marianna Palka as she tries to find out if she has Huntington's disease. This is a serious illness that affected Marianna's father. The film won an award for short filmmaking.

Recent Works and Television

Bring Your Own Brigade (2021) looks at the aftermath of the devastating Camp Fire (2018) in California. It premiered at the Sundance Film Festival. Lucy Walker also worked as a producer on the film Why Did You Kill Me? (2021), which was released on Netflix.

In 2022, she co-directed a four-episode series for Netflix called How to Change Your Mind. This series explores different psychoactive substances, based on a book by Michael Pollan.

Her latest film, Mountain Queen: The Summits of Lhakpa Sherpa (2023), is about Lhakpa Sherpa. She is a pioneering mountaineer from Nepal. The film premiered at the 2023 Toronto International Film Festival and is now available on Netflix.

Before her documentary career, Lucy Walker directed many episodes of Nickelodeon's Blue's Clues. She was nominated for two Emmy Awards for her directing on the show. She has also been recognized by magazines like Filmmaker and Variety for her unique filmmaking style.

Filmography

• Devil's Playground (2002)
• Blindsight (2006)
• Countdown to Zero (2010)
• Waste Land (2010)
• The Tsunami and the Cherry Blossom (2011)
• The Crash Reel (2013)
• The Lion's Mouth Opens (2014)
• Buena Vista Social Club: Adios (2017)
• Ram Dass, Going Home (2017) (executive producer)
• Defying Gravity (2020)
• Bring Your Own Brigade (2021)
• Why Did You Kill Me? (2021) (producer)
• How to Change Your Mind (2022)
• Mountain Queen: The Summits of Lhakpa Sherpa (2023)
• Of Night and Light: The Story of Ibogaine

Select Accolades

See also

In Spanish: Lucy Walker (directora de cine) para niños