John Knoop Filmography

Filmography

Excerpts on this page from the book Fault Lines: A Nomad Filmmaker's Journal.

Awakening from Sorrow: Buenos Aires 1997 (2009) Stories of death, disappearance and the dissolution of a society. A film by John Knoop and Karina Epperlein. karinafilms.us Excerpt
On Chautauqua: The Alaska Tour (2005) A month on the Alaska ferry system with the New Old Time Chautauqua who perform vaudeville in places that have never seen live performance. Post-producer, cinematographer, editor. Excerpt
San Francisco Street Music (2006) Buskers performing in the city of San Francisco. Post-producer, cinematographer, editor. Excerpt
We Are Here Together (2003) A film about the first year of a charter school called Home Base started by students. A film by Karina Epperlein and John Knoop. karinafilms.us Excerpt Stream full film
The Simple Life (1998) A portrait of Hansel Hagel, one of the outstanding documentary still photographers of this century. Co-producer with Gaetano Maida, cinematographer. Excerpt
River out of Time: A Journey Through Tanu Tuva (1993) A travel film blending ethnography and adventure in SovietAsia. Co-producer with David Boatwright, director, cinematographer, editor. Excerpt Stream full film
Report From Iraq (1991) Following a group of doctors, lawyers and students from Harvard University in their assessment of the damage from the Gulf War. Producer, director, cinematographer. Excerpt
El Nuevo Amanecer (1988) A video documentary about Salvadoran refugees at the Colomancagua camp in Honduras for the Sanctuary Movement. Director, cinematographer. Excerpt
Cafe Nica (1987) Politics, music, theater and the '86 coffee harvest in Nicaragua. Director, cinematographer, editor. Excerpt
Mother (1982) A 30-minute video-noir. Producer, director. Excerpt
Shadow Master (1982) Shadow puppetry, dance and drama in Bali. Co-producer with C. L. Reed, cinematographer, editor. Excerpt
Memories of the Hunt (1980) The cave paintings of Baja California. Director, cinematographer, editor. Excerpt Stream full film
Sea of Cortez (1977) A voyage through the Gulf of California. Director, cinematographer, editor. Excerpt Stream full film
World's Fastest Hippie (1975) A short on the American cult of drag racing and a portrait of Mike Mitchell, whose racing title was World's Fastest Hippie. Producer, director, cinematographer, editor. Excerpt
Dune (1974) Portrait of a desert space. Producer, director, cinematographer, editor. AFI grant film. Excerpt
What I Want (1972) An endless scroll of women's demands collected and read by Sharon Hennessey. Producer, cinematographer. Excerpt
Norien Ten (1972) An erotic short. Producer, director, cinematographer, editor. Excerpt
Five O'clock Rush (1971) A film about blood money during Cambodia week. Director, cinematographer, editor. Excerpt
Here Below (1971) A meditation about death. Producer, director, cinematographer, editor. Excerpt
Penumbra (1970) A short film of images shot through a microscope. Producer, director, cinematographer, editor. Excerpt
Farm (1969) A lyrical exploration of American agriculture. Producer, director, cinematographer, editor. Excerpt

Cinematography for others

Phoenix Dance (2006) A performance by Homer Avila, a professional dancer who kept on dancing after losing a leg and hip to cancer. (2nd camera with D.P. Karina Epperlein.) A film by Karina Epperlein. karinafilms.us (Click this link to find a clip.)
In the Light of Reverence (2002) Native Americans struggling to protect sacred places. (Shot also by Will Parinello & Andy Black.) A film by Christopher McLeod and Malinda Maynor. Excerpt
High Cotton (1997) This is the title sequence for the yet-to-be produced film "High Cotton," from a screenplay written by O'Neal Compton. This sequence was filmed in 35mm in one day on location in St. Matthews, South Carolina. Excerpt
Peace is Every Step (1997) A documentary on Vietnamese Buddist Thich Nat Han. A film by Gaetano Maida.
In Search of Law & Order (1997) A three-part series on Juvenile justice in America. Produced by Michael Schwartz and Roger Graef. Directed by Ray Telles.
MacNeil/Lehrer NewsHour (1990-96) MacNeil/Lehrer NewsHour. Forty-one documentary reports from Vietnam, Cambodia, Peru, Panama, Nicaragua, Guatemala, El Salvador, Korea, Japan, Haiti and the U.S. Co-producer with Elizabeth Fransworth. Excerpt
Voices from Inside (1996) The search for inner freedom by women at the high security Federal Correctional Institute in Dublin, California. A film by Karina Epperlein. karinafilms.us (Click this link to find a clip.) Excerpt
Truth under Siege (1994) Portraits of independent journalists in Croatia, Bosnia and Serbia for Discovery UK, RTBF (Belgium), CBC (French Canadian) and Dutch TV. A film by Leslie Gladsjo and Nathalie Borgers. Excerpt
Cathedrals of the Sea (1993) Coral reefs: Audubon Film Series. A film by Hardy Jones and Julia Whitty. Excerpt
N is a Number (1993) A one-hour portrait of mathematician Paul Erdös. A film by George Cisery. http://www.zalafilms.com/about.html Excerpt Stream full film
My Home, My Prison (1992) A documentary about Raymonda Tawil, one of the pioneers of an Israeli/Palestinian dialogue for peace. A film by Susana Blaustein Munoz and Erica Marcus. Excerpt
Harry Bridges: A Man and His Union (1992) A one-hour documentary about the dynamic founder of the ILWU. A film by Barry Minott.
Maria's Story (1990) A portrait of one of the leaders of the FMLN in El Salvador. Produced by Camino Films. Directed by Pamela Cohen and Manona Wali. Excerpt
Thanh's War (1990) A one-hour portrait of Thanh Pham, a Vietnamese wounded in1968 and brought to the United States. Co-director with Elizabeth Farnsworth. Produced by KQED. Excerpt
The Challenge to Wildlife (1990) A 90-minute documentary for KQED. A film by Hardy Jones and Julia Whitty.
If Dolphins Could Talk (1989) Audubon Films Series. A film by Hardy Jones and Julia Whitty.
People Say I'm Crazy (1988) A documentary for the California Department of Mental Health. A film by Barry Minott.
Cowboy Poets (1988) Documentary portraits of three western poets. A film by Kim Sheldon.
Downwind/Downstream (1977) One-hour documentary on environmental problems in the RockyMountains. NOVA version broadcast 1990 as Poison in the Rockies. Produced by Christopher McLeod. Excerpt
Ry Cooder & Moula Banda Rhythm Aces: Let’s Have a Ball (1987) A 90-minute concert feature. A film by Les Blank. Excerpt
Sworn to the Drum (1986) Portrait of Cuban drummer Francisco Aquabella. Produced by Tom Luddy. Directed by Les Blank and Tom Luddy.
Where the Heart Roams (1986) A documentary on the romance novel industry. A film by George Csicery. http://www.zalafilms.com/about.html
Louie Bluie (1985) Country blues, featuring Howard Armstrong. A film by Terry Zwigoff.
Cowgirls (1985) Portraits of American ranch women. A film by Nancy Kelly. Excerpt
Barcelona! (1985) A promotional film for the Bureau of Tourism in Barcelona, Spain. Directed by Dan Wohlfeiler. Excerpt
The Highly Exalted (1984) Cowboys following a traditional horse-drawn chuckwagon on a half-million acre Nevada ranch. Location co-director. A film by Kim Sheldon. Excerpt
Commercials (1987) Bear Advertising/Lucky Boy Films. Spots for Ford Car and Truck; Bojangles Restaurants and the South Carolina Credit Union. A film by O'Neal Compton and David Boatwright. Bear Advertising/Lucky Boy Films. Excerpt
Industrial Documentary Industrial Documentaries for Chevron, Northrup King, Pioneer International, EPRI, Del Monte, Hidden Valley Ranch, American President Lines, PG&E and the Henry Luce Foundation.
Industrial Training Tapes Industrial Training Tapes Jaime Kibben Film and Video. Short dramatic pieces for Levi Strauss, Gap Stores and American President Lines. A film by Jaime Kibben Film and Video.
Campaign spots Eight spots for Leo McCarthy for Lt. Governor. Produced by DHS Films.
Projects: Theatre to Tape Titles: Twelfth Night, California Shakespeare Festival; Singing MyMother to Sleep,Walking Home and White Trash, Nina Wise; CarelessAbuse, Survival Research Laboratories.

Screenings and Awards

Awakening from Sorrow: Mill Valley Film Festival; Charleston Film Festival; Newport Beach Film Festival; Oaxaca International Independent Film and Video Festival; Port Townsend Film Festival; Sin Fronteras Film Festival; Brantford Film Festival

We Are Here Together: Mill Valley Film Festival; Denver International Film Festival

River Out of Time: Earthwatch Film Awards, February l994.

Report from Iraq: Broadcast on seventeen PBS affiliates in January l992.

Cafe Nica: Mill Valley FF; Film Arts Foundation Festival; Santa Fe FF; Humboldt FF; Havana FF; Amiens FF; Bahia FF; Sao Paulo FF; Discovery Channel; Globo TV, Brazil; Irish TV; Global Village.

Mother: Mill Valley FF; Boston Video Festival; AFA tour; 'Revising Romance'; Kijkhuis Video Festival (The Hague); European tour.

Shadow Master: Mill Valley FF; San Francisco FF; Australian, Dutch, Irish TV; Discovery Channel

Dune: Ann Arbor FF; Bellevue FF; Sinking Creek FF; German, Dutch, Belgian, Canadian TV.

Norien Ten: Best Special Effects, 1st New York Erotic Film Festival

Farm: Canadian & German TV broadcasts

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Phoenix Dance: Docuweek; Academy Award short list; G.G.Award, S.F.Film Festival

In the Light of Reverence: POV/PBS ’01; Am. Indian FF; Telluride Mtn. FF; Council on Foundations. FF, Henry Hampton Award; Taos Talking Picture FF

Harry Bridges: A Man and His Union: Sundance Film Festival; Best Bay Area Documentary, San Francisco Film Festival; Film Arts Foundation Festival. Sidney Film Festival. Margaret Mead FF. Dupont Award.

My Home/My Prison: Sundance FF; Mill Valley FF; Haifa FF; Wellington FF

Thanh's War: PBS, April '91; Cine Golden Eagle; Best Documentary, Asian Critics Association.

Maria's Story: POV/PBS; Mill Valley FF; Film Arts Foundation FF; Best Documentary, Havana FF; Best Documentary, San Antonio Cine Festival; Rotterdam FF; Leningrad FF; Sundance (U.S. FF).

Cowboy Poets: Golden Apple, National Educational FF; Silver Award, Houston FF; National Geographic Explorer; Discovery Channel, PBS.

Downwind/Downstream: Blue Ribbon, American FF; Golden Gate Award, San Francisco FF; Gold Apple, National Educational FF; Cine Golden Eagle; Special Jury Award, Telluride Mountain FF; NOVA.

Where the Heart Roams: Sundance FF; San Francisco FF (Golden Gate Award); AFI Festival-LA; Seattle FF; Festival dei Popoli; POV/PBS.

Louie-Bluie: Filmex; San Francisco, Edinborough, Telluride, Sundance Festivals; POV/PBS.

Cowgirls: Mill Valley, San Francisco Festivals; National Geographic Explorer.

The Highly Exalted: Mill Valley FF; Golden Gate Award, S.F.FF; Berlin FF; Nat'l. Geo.