Greg Barker is an American director and producer best known for his documentary films. Born in San Diego, California in 1969, he grew up in a military family, moving frequently throughout the United States and Europe. He attended the University of California, Berkeley, where he studied history and political science. After graduating in 1992, he moved to Los Angeles to pursue a career in filmmaking.
Barker began his career in Hollywood as an assistant director on feature films, television shows, and music videos. He directed his first film, "Hell House" in 1997, which premiered at the Sundance Film Festival. In 2000, he directed his first documentary, “The Final Days,” which followed the last days of the Clinton administration. The film won the National Board of Review's Best Documentary Award and was nominated for an Academy Award.
In 2004, Barker wrote and directed the documentary “Soldiers of Conscience.” The film focused on the moral dilemmas faced by US soldiers during the Iraq War and was nominated for an Emmy Award. After this, he directed the documentary “Sergio,” a film about a United Nations diplomat who was killed in Iraq in 2003. The film won the Grand Jury Prize at the 2009 Sundance Film Festival.
Barker's 2010 documentary “The Tillman Story” focused on the life of Pat Tillman, a former NFL player who was killed in Afghanistan after enlisting in the US Army. The film was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Documentary Feature. In 2012, he wrote and directed the feature film “Manhunt,” which was about the hunt for Osama bin Laden. The film was an official selection at the Toronto International Film Festival and won Best Documentary at the Satellite Awards.
In recent years, Barker has directed several television shows, including the National Geographic series “Explorer” and the Netflix series “Rise of Empires: Ottoman.” He is currently in production on the National Geographic documentary series “Apollo 11: First Steps Edition.”
Greg Barker has established himself as one of the most respected documentary filmmakers of his generation. His films have been nominated for numerous awards and have won critical acclaim for their thoughtful and nuanced examinations of contemporary issues. He continues to make thought-provoking films that challenge viewers to consider their beliefs and the world around them.
