Orlando von Einsiedel is the director of the Academy Award-winning short documentary, THE WHITE HELMETS, which follows the lives of a group of heroic Syrian civilian rescue workers in 2016. The film was released as a Netflix Original and was also nominated for two EMMYs, including for Exceptional Merit in Documentary Filmmaking.
His debut feature documentary VIRUNGA charted the story of a group of courageous park rangers risking their lives to build a better future in the Democratic Republic of Congo. BAFTA and Academy Award nominated, the documentary won over 50 international awards including an EMMY, a Grierson and a duPont-Columbia Award for outstanding journalism. The film was also recognised for its role in protecting the Virunga National Park winning a Peabody, a Television Academy Honor and the prestigious 2015 Doc Impact Award.
His subsequent feature EVELYN, a deeply personal story and road trip odyssey about the loss of his brother to suicide, won a number of awards including the 2018 British Independent Film Award (BIFA) for Best Documentary. The Evening Standard newspaper called it “Phenomenal” and “Life-changing”.
More recent projects include EMMY nominated LOST AND FOUND for National Geographic Documentary Films and BAFTA and Academy Award winning short documentary LEARNING TO SKATEBOARD IN A WARZONE (IF YOU’RE A GIRL) which Orlando executively produced and which grew out of his award winning 2010 short film SKATESITAN: TO LIVE AND SKATE KABUL.
Orlando is drawn to telling inspiring stories of humble heroism from around the world, often combining intimate personal narratives with macro level politics, powerful visual aesthetics and on-the-ground journalistic muck-racking. He has worked in impenetrable and difficult environments, from pirate boats to countries experiencing conflict, and has won over 100 international film and advertising awards.
Formerly a professional snowboarder, Orlando has a degree in Social Anthropology from the University of Manchester. He lives in South-East London with his partner and young son.
