Katja Esson

Katja Esson is a German-born writer and director known for Ferry Tales (Academy Award Nomination 2004), Skydancer (2010) and Poetry of Resilience (2011) Born and raised in Germany, Esson brings a quirky European sensibility to the distinctively American subjects she chooses. Her documentary short Ferry Tales which turns the unlikely setting of the Staten Island Ferry Powder Room into a celebration of sisterhood received an Academy Award®-nomination in 2004 and premiered on HBO. In 2006, Esson completed Hole in the Sky - The Scars of 9/11, which premiered on ARD and received the Gold Award at the World Media Festival in Germany. Der Spiegel wrote "There are many shades of memory in this insightful, intelligent film, but weepiness it not one of them." A Season of Madness (2006) is a narrative short film based on the the essay by best-selling Author Hanan al-Shaykh. Her recent documentary, "Skydancer," is about the Mohawk ironworkers who are responsible for constructing America's cityscape; the film is a provocative examination of Native American life in the 21st century. Other credits include "Vertical Traveler," which explores the pioneering spirit of New York City through the metaphoric story of the city's unique relationship with elevators; "Hole in the Sky," a portrait of New York five years after 9/11; "Latching On," about the politics of breastfeeding in America; and "Hooker, Harlot, Whore," about the history of prostitution in Europe. "Poetry of Resilience" is about six international poets who have survived - and written about - some of the world's most unspeakable crimes against humanity. Esson's films have screened at film festivals around the world and been broadcast on HBO, PBS and ARTE among others. Esson is the recipient of the 2007 Simon's Fellowship of the Humanities from Kansas University and was nominated for the Rockefeller Media Grant. Esson lives in Brooklyn, New York and divides her time between Germany and the United States.