Donna Deitch (born June 8, 1945, San Francisco, California) is an American film and television director, producer, screenwriter, and actor best known for her 1985 film Desert Hearts. The movie was the first feature film to "de-sensationalize lesbianism" by presenting a lesbian romance story with positive and respectful themes.[1][2]
Donna Deitch | |
|---|---|
| Born | June 8, 1945 |
| Occupation(s) | Director, producer, writer |
| Years active | 1975-present |
| Known for | Desert Hearts |
| Website | donnadeitch |
Career
Deitch segued from documentary filmmaker to producing and directing Desert Hearts, the landmark hit of the 1985 Telluride and Toronto International film festivals, and the 1986 Sundance Film Festival. The film was picked up for worldwide distribution by The Samuel Goldwyn Company. Shortly after seeing the film, Oprah Winfrey hired Deitch to direct the Emmy-nominated four-hour miniseries The Women of Brewster Place.
After the success of Brewster Place, Deitch directed four pilots, three of which were picked up for series, including Second Noah. She has directed numerous episodes of one-hour dramas including NYPD Blue, ER, Murder One, Law and Order: SVU, EZ Streets, The Visitor, Dragnet, Crossing Jordan, Heroes, Private Practice, and others. She directed the pilot episode of The N's South of Nowhere.
She directed Prison Stories: Women on the Inside for HBO; Showtime's The Devil's Arithmetic starring Kirsten Dunst and Brittany Murphy, and Common Ground, written by Terrence McNally, Paula Vogel, and Harvey Fierstein (also for Showtime).
Deitch directed, photographed, and edited Angel On My Shoulder, a feature-length documentary about the experience of her best friend, actress Gwen Welles (Nashville), dying of cancer. The film won the Gold Hugo for Best Documentary at the 1998 Chicago International Film Festival.[3]
In a 2008 interview, she said she was working on obtaining financing for Blonde Ghost, a screenplay adapted from Stella, the 1992 non-fiction book by Peter Wyden about Stella Goldschlag, which takes place in Berlin during World War II.[4][5] That same year, Deitch said that she was writing a sequel to Desert Hearts which would be set "in NYC in the late 60s".[6]
Personal life
Deitch is openly lesbian.[7] Her partner is writer Terri Jentz.[8]
Filmography
Films
| Year | Title | Director | Producer | Screenwriter | Cinematographer | Editor | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1975 | Woman to Woman | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Documentary | |
| 1977 | The Great Wall of Los Angeles | Yes | Documentary short | ||||
| 1985 | Desert Hearts | Yes | Yes | Cameo appearance: Hungarian Gambler Winner: Special Jury Prize – Dramatic, Sundance Film Festival, 1986[9] | |||
| 1994 | Criminal Passion | Yes | |||||
| 1998 | Angel on My Shoulder | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Documentary |
Actor
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1969 | Several Friends | Short film | |
| 1985 | Desert Hearts | Hungarian Gambler | Cameo appearance |
Television
| Year | Title | Director | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1989 | The Women of Brewster Place | Miniseries | |
| 1990 | WIOU | 1 episode | |
| 1991 | Prison Stories: Women on the Inside | TV film. Segment "1" | |
| 1991 | Veronica Clare | 1 episode | |
| 1992 | Sexual Advances | TV film | |
| 1994 | A Change of Place | TV film | |
| 1994 | Robin's Hoods | 2 episodes | |
| 1995 | ER | 2 episodes | |
| 1995-1997 | Murder One | 5 episodes | |
| 1995-2003 | NYPD Blue | 13 episodes | |
| 1996 | Second Noah | 1 episode | |
| 1996 | Moloney | 1 episode | |
| 1997 | Murder One: Diary of a Serial Killer | Miniseries (final 6 episodes of Murder One) | |
| 1997 | EZ Streets | 1 episode | |
| 1997 | Total Security | 1 episode | |
| 1997 | The Visitor | 1 episode | |
| 1997 | Dellaventura | 1 episode | |
| 1998 | Nothing Sacred | 1 episode | |
| 1998 | C-16: FBI | 1 episode | |
| 1999 | The Devil's Arithmetic | TV film | |
| 2000 | Common Ground | TV film | |
| 2000-2001 | The $treet | 2 episodes | |
| 2001-2007 | Crossing Jordan | 9 episodes | |
| 2002-2011 | Law & Order: Special Victims Unit | 3 episodes | |
| 2003 | Judging Amy | 1 episode | |
| 2003 | L.A. Dragnet | 1 episode | |
| 2004 | Wild Card | 1 episode | |
| 2005 | South of Nowhere | 2 episodes | |
| 2006 | Bones | 1 episode | |
| 2006 | Heroes | 1 episode | |
| 2007 | Eureka | 1 episode | |
| 2009-2010 | Private Practice | 4 episodes | |
| 2010 | Grey's Anatomy | 1 episode | |
| 2010 | Army Wives | 1 episode | |
| 2011 | Off the Map | 1 episode | |
| 2011 | A Gifted Man | 1 episode | |
| 2013 | The Glades | 1 episode | |
| 2016 | Greenleaf | 1 episode |
Accolades
| Year | Work | Award | Result | Ref |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1986 | Desert Hearts | Special Jury Prize – Dramatic • Sundance Film Festival | Won | |
| 1986 | Desert Hearts | Grand Jury Prize – Dramatic • Sundance Film Festival | Nominated | |
| 1996 | NYPD Blue, episode "These Old Bones" | Outstanding Directorial Achievement in Dramatic Series • Directors Guild of America | Nominated | |
| 1998 | Angel on My Shoulder | Gold Hugo – Best Documentary • Chicago International Film Festival | Won | |
| 2000 | The Devil's Arithmetic | Emmy Award – Outstanding Directing in a Children's Special • National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences | Won | |
| 2008 | Heroes | Hugo Award – Best Dramatic Presentation - Long Form • World Science Fiction Society | Nominated | |
| 2008 | Outfest Achievement Award • Outfest | Won |
See also
References
External links
- Official website
- Donna Deitch at IMDb
- Donna Deitch Blog (archived March 8, 2012)
- 'Angel On My Shoulder' (Documentary Feature) at Donna Deitch website (archived May 17, 2010)