Christopher Menaul

Director

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Film, TV & Theatre

Christopher Menaul is an award-winning director with 40 years experience. He started in documentaries in British television and, after moving over to drama, the first film he directed to be shown in the United States was PRECIOUS BANE, starring Clive Owen. He then made the original PRIME SUSPECT. Starring Helen Mirren it was intended as a one-off policier, but ended up spinning off seven subsequent productions. She won a BAFTA for her portrayal of DI Jane Tennison, as did Menaul for the film. Ralph Fiennes made his first appearance in front of a camera in one scene; six months later he was playing the lead, as T.E. Lawrence, in Menaul’s A DANGEROUS MAN, LAWRENCE AFTER ARABIA, for Producer David Puttnam. The film won an international Emmy.

After directing two episodes in the first series of HOMICIDE, LIFE ON THE STREETS, for producers Tom Fontana and Barry Levinson in Baltimore, Menaul went to Prague to create Berlin under the Nazis for FATHERLAND, an HBO film godfathered into existence by Mike Nicholls. Starring Rutger Hauer and Miranda Richardson, it secured a Golden Globe for the latter. A feature, FEAST OF JULY, produced by the legendary Ismael Merchant, followed. Then another film with Helen Mirren for Showtime, THE PASSION OF AYN RAND. It premiered at Sundance and won Helen an Emmy for her performance in the title role. A second film for Showtime, produced by Joel Rice, ONE KILL, starred Sam Shepherd and Ann Heche. Back in England Menaul directed the first three 90 minute episodes of THE FORSYTE SAGA, starring Damian Lewis. Two more films for Granada followed: WALL OF SILENCE (Shortlisted for the Prix Italia 2004) and PLANESPOTTING (nominated for the Grierson award, best dramatised documentary 2005). He also directed BELONGING for ITV, with Brenda Blethyn and Rosemary Harris, shown in competition at the Biarritz International Festival in January 2005, where it won three Golden FIPAS including best actress for Brenda Blethyn. Brenda was also nominated for a BAFTA.

Menaul secured his second BAFTA with SEE NO EVIL, also for Granada, then directed two more features, FIRST NIGHT and SUMMER IN FEBRUARY, the latter starring Emily Browning, Dominic Cooper and Dan Stevens. It was released in 2013. His most recent film, KILLING JESUS, aired in March 2015 and won National Geographic the biggest viewing figures they have ever had for any production ever. It was nominated last year for both a Critics Circle and Emmy Award as Best Movie made for Television .

Film

ProductionCompanyNotes

ANOTHER MOTHER'S SON

2017

Bill Kenwright Films

Written by Jenny Lecoat

SUMMER IN FEBRUARY

2013

CrossDay Films

Starring Dominic Cooper and Hattie Morahan

FIRST NIGHT

2011

Britannia Film & TV

Starring Mia Maestro and Richard E. Grant

Television

ProductionCompanyNotes

KILLING JESUS

2015

Scott Free US/NGC

Adaptation by Walon Green from book by Bill O' Reilly & Martin Duggard. Starring Kelsey Grammer and Stephen Moyer. Nominated for Best Television Movie at the 2015 Emmy Awards

CHASING SHADOWS

2014

ITVS

Written by Rob Williams

RIPPER STREET (Series 2)

2013

Tiger Aspect/Element Pictures

Episodes 203 & 204

THE SUSPICIONS OF MR WHICHER: THE MURDER IN ANGEL LANE

2013

Hat Trick/ITV

Starring Paddy Considine and Olivia Colman

ZEN

2011

Left Bank Pictures

Episode 102

COMBAT HOSPITAL

2011

Artists Studio/ABC Studios

Episodes 103, 104, 107 & 108

ABOVE SUSPICION

2009

La Plante Productions/ITV

Starring Kelly Reilly

SADDAM'S TRIBE

2007

World Productions/ C4

Written by Ryan Craig

SEE NO EVIL: THE MOORS MURDERS

2006

Granada

Written by Neil McKay. Winner of Best Drama Serial, Broadcast Awards 2007; Best Drama, South Bank Awards, 2007; Best Drama and Best Actress for Maxine Peake at Royal Television Society North Awards, 2007; Nominated for Best Single Drama at Broadcasting Press Guild Awards, 2007; Winner of Best Drama Serial at BAFTA TV Awards, 2007; Winner of Best Drama Serial at BANFF TV Festival Awards, Canada, 2007; Nominated for Best Original Drama, Writer's Guild of Great Britain, 2007

PLANESPOTTING

2004

Granada

Written by Neil McKay

BELONGING

2004

The Producers

Written by Alan Plater. Brenda Blethyn nominated for Best Actress, BAFTA Television Awards, 2005. Accepted into Reims TV Festival 2006

WALL OF SILENCE

2004

Granada

Starring James Nesbitt, Phil Davis and Stephanie Leonidas

STATE OF MIND

2003

Monogram

Written by Paula Milne

THE FORSYTE SAGA

2002

Granada

Starring Damian Lewis, Ioan Gruffud, Rupert Graves

ONE KILL

2000

Showtime/CBS

Starring Anne Heche, Sam Shepard and Eric Stoltz

RIVER OF DARKNESS

1999

Yorkshire Television

Adapted from the novel by Rennie Airth

THE PASSION OF AYN RAND

1999

Showtime

Starring Helen Mirren, Eric Stoltz, Julie Delpy and Peter Fonda. Selected for Premiere Section, Sundance Film Festival, January 1999; Seattle Film Festival 1999. Helen Mirren won an Emmy as best actress in mini-series/movie 1999; Peter Fonda was nominated as best supporting actor in mini-series/movie 1999; Helen Mirren was nominated for Golden Globe as best actress in mini-series/movie 1999. Nominated for Producers' Guild of America Golden Laurel for best longform television 1999. Helen Mirren nominated for SAG Award as best actress in mini-series/movie 1999. Peter Fonda nominated for SAG Award as Best Supporting Actor in mini-series/movie 1999

BRIGHT HAIR

1997

Monogram/BBC

Starring Emilia Fox, James Purefoy

VOLCANO

1996

Twentieth Century Fox

THE BRIDESMAID

1996

Renaissance Films

Wrote commissioned feature screenplay

FEAST OF JULY

1995

Merchant Ivory/Buena Vista

Starring Embeth Davidtz and Ben Chaplin. Opening film at Montreal Film Festival September 1995

FATHERLAND

1994

HBO

Starring Roger Hauer and Miranda Richardson. Nominated for GOLDEN GLOBE Best Television Film 1994. Miranda Richardson won GOLDEN GLOBE for Best Actress

HOMICIDE

1993

Baltimore Pictures

A DANGEROUS MAN - T E LAWRENCE AFTER ARABIA

1991

Enigma

Starring Ralph Fiennes and Dennis Quilley. Received International Emmy for Best Drama 1992; Grand Award and Gold Medal at the 35th New York Film and Television Festival 1993

PRIME SUSPECT 1

1990

Granada Television

Starring Helen Mirren. Winner of four 1991 Awards from British Academy of British Television including Best Drama Serial and Best Actress (Helen Mirren); Winner of two Broadcasting Press Guild Awards 1991: Best Drama and Best Actress; Winner of three Royal Television Society Awards 1991 Drama Serial
Best Actress and Writer's Award (Lynda La Plante). Nominated for Best Drama Serial 1991 by Writers' Guild of Great Britain. Winner of Best Film and Best Mini Series Awards at Banff Festival 1992. Winner of Golden Plaque at Chicago International Film Festival.

NICE WORK

1989

BBC

Starring Warren Clarke and Haydn Gwynne. Winner of Royal Television Society Award 1989 for Best Drama Serial.
Nominated for British Film Institute TV Award 1990.

PRECIOUS BANE

1988

Starring Janet McTeer and John McEnery. Winner of two Awards at Rencontres Européennes de Tèlévision de Reims 1990: Public Jury Prize, Best Fiction Film and Professional Jury Prize, Best Actress (Janet McTeer). Nominated for Royal Television Society Award 1989: Best Single Drama