Kevin Macdonald Biography
Born: October 28, 1967
Date of Birth: October 28, 1967
Kevin Macdonald was born in Glasgow, Scotland, and attended boarding school at Glenalmond College. He is the grandson of Hungarian-born filmmaker Emeric Pressburger, and began his career by directing a screen adaptation of his grandfather's written biography. He adapted the book, called "The Life and Death of a Screenwriter," into a TV movie called The Making of an Englishman (1995).
He continued on the same path, filming many more biographical documentaries such as Chaplin's Goliath (1996), The Moving World of George Rickey (1997), One Day in September (1999), Donald Cammell: The Ultimate Performance (1998), A Brief History of Errol Morris (2000) and Touching the Void (2003). One Day in September, about a Palestinian terrorist group holding Israeli athletes hostage at the 1972 Munich Olympics, was a highlight of Macdonald's documentary film career. He scored an interview with Jamal Al-Gashey, the last known survivor of the Munich terrorists. Al-Gashey believed Israeli authorities were still searching for him, and agreed to the interview only if his face would be disguised and if it would be conducted by a person/in a place of his choice. The film won the 1999 Oscar for Best Documentary.
In 2006, Macdonald took on his first feature film, The Last King of Scotland, based on the real-life events of brutal Ugandan dictator Idi Amin's regime in the 1970s. Among a long list of coveted awards, the film also earned its lead actor, Forest Whitaker, the 2007 Oscar, Golden Globe and Screen Actors Guild Award for Best Actor.
Macdonald ended up going back to his documentary films, with My Enemy's Enemy (2007) and Life in a Day (2011). In 2012, he directed the documentary Marley about the life, music and legacy of reggae icon Bob Marley.
Although Macdonald has filmed thrilling outdoor events in many different places for his movies, he prefers to relax indoors, saying his "idea of outdoors is a game of football in the park on Sunday." He currently lives in London with his wife, set decorator Tatiana Lund. The pair have been married since 1999 and have three sons.
Filmography
Marley (2012)
Life in a Day (2011)
The Eagle of the Ninth (2010)
State of Play (2009)
My Enemy's Enemy (2007)
The Last King of Scotland (2006)
Touching the Void (2003)
A Brief History of Errol Morris (2000)
One Day in September (1999)
Donald Cammell: The Ultimate Performance (1998)
The Moving World of George Rickey (1997)
Chaplin's Goliath (1996)