Isa Willinger is a German film director who has written and directed numerous award-winning films in both the fiction and documentary genres. Born in 1974, she studied film directing at the University of Television and Film Munich from 1995 to 2000.
Willinger first gained recognition for her debut feature film The Mirror (2002), which was nominated for two German Film Awards and won Best Feature Film at the Munich International Film Festival. Her follow-up feature, the drama Five Minutes of Heaven (2009), was nominated for the Golden Bear at the Berlin International Film Festival and won Best Film at the Galway Film Festival.
Willinger has also directed a number of critically acclaimed documentaries. Her first documentary, The 16th Day (2004), was nominated for Best Documentary at the German Film Awards. Her second documentary, Paper Clips (2005), won the Audience Award at the Munich International Documentary Film Festival and was nominated for Best Documentary at the German Film Awards.
Willinger has also directed a number of documentary television series, including the award-winning series The Road to Berlin (2011). This series, which followed a group of German soldiers in the years leading up to World War II, won the German Television Award for Best Documentary Series and was nominated for Best Documentary Series at the International Emmy Awards.
Willinger has also directed a number of short films and television projects. Her short film The Big Catch (2012) won the German Short Film Award at the Bavarian Film Awards. She has also directed episodes of the television series Tatort and Freiheit (2013).
Willinger’s most recent project is the feature film Summer in the Forest (2017). This film, which premiered at the Berlin International Film Festival, tells the story of the French philosopher and activist Jean Vanier and his work with people with mental disabilities. The film was nominated for two German Film Awards and won the International Jury Award at the Munich International Film Festival.
Willinger is one of the most respected and acclaimed directors working in Germany today. Her films have earned numerous awards and received critical acclaim for their thoughtful and powerful stories. She continues to be a major influence in the German film industry.
