Scottish director Kevin Macdonald may not have a famous name in Hollywood, but he has garnered impressive credits over the years. Born in Glasgow, Scotland, Macdonald comes from a line of distinguished filmmakers and screenwriters. He’s the grandchild of English actress/screenwriter Wendy Orme and Hungarian-born British Jewish filmmaker Emeric Pressburger, both his maternal grandparents.
Unsurprisingly, he took after his grandfather, who has a reputation for his The Archers productions – a successful collaboration between Pressburger and English filmmaker Michael Powell. Macdonald wasn’t the only one influenced by his grandfather’s filmmaking talents, as his brother Andrew Macdonald also became a film producer. Honoring his immeasurable talents, these are Kevin Macdonald’s top-directed films.
One Day in September (1999)
Kevin Macdonald has earned a reputation for making biographical documentaries. Although influenced by his maternal grandfather, Macdonald never really knew or had a close relationship with Emeric Pressburger. Interestingly, Macdonald’s directorial debut was the 1995 documentary The Making of an Englishman, which was about his grandfather Emeric Pressburger. For the next few years, he continued directing biographical documentaries. Macdonald ended the 90s with his best, award-winning documentary, One Day in September (1999).
One Day in September was a documentary about the murder of 11 Israeli athletes at the 1972 Summer Olympics held in Munich, Germany. Macdonald has successfully tracked down the last known terrorist survivor, Jamal Al-Gashey. Although several other security agents and experts are interviewed throughout the run of the film, Al-Gashey gives an unedited account of their attack and killings from his terror group perspective. Unsurprisingly, Macdonald’s detailed research and investigative approach earned him his first Oscar at age 32. One Day in September was nominated and won Best Documentary Feature at the 72nd Academy Awards in 2000.
The Last King of Scotland (2006)
Winning an Oscar, especially for a young director, almost immediately puts him in the spotlight for collaborations with studios and colleagues. Kevin Macdonald was hired to direct the 2006 historical drama The Last King of Scotland. The film was based on the life of Ugandan military officer and politician Idi Amin. Its screenplay was done by Jeremy Brock and Peter Morgan, who based their script on Giles Foden‘s 1998 novel. With Macdonald’s direction, the Forest Whitaker-led cast of The Last King of Scotland was a critical and commercial success. Although not nominated for an Oscar, Kevin Macdonald received a nomination and won Best Director at the British Independent Film Awards. He also received a nomination for European Director at the European Film Awards.
State of Play (2009)
State of Play (2009) was primarily based on the 2003 British television miniseries. Although it is a political thriller and not his usual biographical documentary, Kevin Macdonald was drawn to the project. Macdonald had been a fan of the miniseries and had long admitted it would be hard to follow the exact storyline of the original miniseries. With his direction and an incredibly talented cast, State of Play was critically well-received. Produced on a $60 million budget, it grossed $88.8 million at the worldwide Box Office. State of Play‘s notable cast included Russell Crowe, Ben Affleck, Rachel McAdams, Helen Mirren, Robin Wright, Jason Bateman, and Viola Davis.
The Eagle (2011)
Proven he’s much more than a documentary director, Kevin Macdonald worked again with Jeremy Brock on his screenplay. Brock had adapted the screenplay from Rosemary Sutcliff‘s 1954 historical adventure novel for children, The Eagle of the Ninth. Although The Eagle received average ratings from critics, notable film critic Roger Ebert gave it a 3 of 4-star rating. The Eagle starred prominent Hollywood actors like Channing Tatum, Jamie Bell, Donald Sutherland, Mark Strong, and Tahar Rahim.
Marley (2012)
Marley (2012) is a must-watch for fans and audiences of reggae icon Bob Marley. There had been talks of making a documentary-biographical film about the life and career of Bob Marley in 2008. At some point, renowned filmmaker Martin Scorsese was linked to the project. However, creative differences and commitment to other projects will see Scorsese and filmmaker Jonathan Demme walk away from the project. With Kevin Macdonald agreeing to direct the project, the project was greenlit for production. Like his previous biographical documentaries, Macdonald’s Marley included interviews with Bob Marley’s family, close friends, and associates. Marley was nominated for Best Documentary Film at the BAFTA Awards and for Best Documentary at the Black Reel Awards.
Black Sea (2014)
Kevin Macdonald was hired to direct British writer Dennis Kelly‘s screenplay in early 2012. It was Macdonald’s first submarine disaster thriller, but he took on the project with his dedication and years of experience in directing. Black Sea (2014) starred Jude Law and Scoot McNairy. For his direction, Kevin Macdonald won his nomination for Black Lion for Best Feature at the 24th Courmayeur Noir Film Festival.
Whitney (2018)
When talks of a documentary film about Grammy Award-winning singer and actress Whitney Houston came up, Kevin Macdonald was the only name stuck to direct the project. Filming began in 2016, with Macdonald interviewing about 70 people, including Houston’s family, friends, and business associates. To add to the authenticity of the documentary, Macdonald included over 1500 archival footage. Whitney received positive reviews, several nominations, and wins from award associations, including Grammy Awards (Best Music Film) and Critics’ Circle Film Awards (Documentary of the Year). It also received two nominations (Golden Eye and Queer Palm) at the 2018 Cannes Film Festival.
The Mauritanian (2021)
Although The Mauritanian (2021) received mixed critical reviews, with several criticisms for its screenplay, Kevin Macdonald’s direction received special praise. The Mauritanian is a biographical legal drama based on Mohamedou Ould Slahi‘s 2015 memoir Guantanamo Diary. The film’s plot follows Mohamedou Ould Slahi’s 14-year detention, without a charge, at Guantanamo Bay detention camp and the legal battle between his lawyers and the United States government to set him free. The Mauritanian cast included Jodie Foster, Tahar Rahim, Shailene Woodley, Benedict Cumberbatch, and Zachary Levi. For his direction, Kevin Macdonald was nominated for Director of the Year at the London Film Critics’ Circle Awards and Best Director (Fiction) at the BAFTA Scotland Award.
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