Briar March is a New Zealand born filmmaker who has gained international acclaim for her work in documentary films. She is best known for her films about the environment, women’s rights, and indigenous issues.
March was born in New Zealand in 1969 and studied film at the University of Auckland. After graduating, she worked as a freelance editor and videographer in Auckland, and in 1994 she directed her first feature-length documentary, ‘The Last Ocean’. The film told the story of the commercial fishing industry in the Ross Sea, and was well received by audiences and critics alike.
In 2005, March directed and produced the award-winning documentary ‘The Last Ocean’, which explored the effects of climate change on the Ross Sea. The film was praised for its sensitivity and complexity, and earned March numerous awards, including the Grand Jury Prize at the Sundance Film Festival.
Since then, March has continued to explore the environment in her work, with documentaries such as ‘The Whale Trail’ (2011) and ‘The Great Invisible’ (2014), both of which were nominated for the Academy Award for Best Documentary Feature.
In addition to her work on environmental issues, March is also known for her work on women’s rights and indigenous issues. Her documentaries ‘To the Light’ (2015) and ‘The Burning Season’ (2016) both explored the rights of women in different cultures, and her film ‘Kai Tahu’ (2018) told the story of the struggles of the Maori people in New Zealand.
March has also directed and produced projects for National Geographic and the Discovery Channel, including the award-winning series ‘Women of the World’. She is currently in development on a feature-length documentary about the lives of women in the Middle East.
March is a passionate advocate for the environment, and she is a member of the Climate Change Media Partnership and the International Union for Conservation of Nature. She is also a strong voice for women’s rights and indigenous issues, and she has spoken at numerous film festivals and panels around the world.
March’s work has been recognized with numerous awards, including the Grand Jury Prize at Sundance, the Peabody Award, and the Emmy for Outstanding Documentary or Nonfiction Series. She is a true inspiration to filmmakers around the world.
