Mark Cousins

Mark Cousins is an Irish-Scottish director and writer. His films – including THE FIRST MOVIE, THE STORY OF FILM: AN ODYSSEY, WHAT IS THIS FILM CALLED LOVE?, LIFE MAY BE, A STORY OF CHILDREN AND FILM, ATOMIC, STOCKHOLM MY LOVE and THE EYES OF ORSON WELLES – have premiered in Cannes, Berlin, Sundance, and Venice film festivals and have won the Prix Italia, a Peabody, the Stanley Kubrick Award and other prizes. He has filmed in Iraq, Sarajevo during the siege, Iran, across Asia and in America in Europe. He has honorary doctorates from the Universities of Edinburgh and Stirling.


Mark’s books, including IMAGINING REALITY: THE FABER BOOK OF DOCUMENTARY, THE STORY OF FILM and THE STORY OF LOOKING, have been published around the world.


He is the chair of the Belfast Film Festival, a patron of the Edinburgh International Film Festival and a board member of Michael Moore’s Traverse City Film Festival. His new project, the 14-hour documentary WOMEN MAKE FILM aims to rethink cinema. It is narrated by Jane Fonda, Tilda Swinton, Sharmila Tagore, Kerry Fox, Debra Winger, Adjoa Andoh, and Thandie Newton.

May 3, 1965