传
Robert Nixon, Filmmaker and Conservationist - Academy Award nominee Robert Nixon leads film teams to the most remote parts of the Earth to document compelling stories about tribal communities, endangered habitats, and threatened species. His captivating films explore humanity's connection to nature and emphasize the urgent need to live in harmony with the environment. In high school, Bob's dream of becoming an ornithologist was dashed by an "F" in Biology. Accepting that a career as a field biologist was not his path, the passionate young conservationist chose instead to become their storyteller. This marked the beginning of his lifelong mission to use film to share the stories of heroic individuals dedicated to saving our planet. A fortunate apprenticeship with renowned British falconer and wildlife photographer Philip Glasier equipped Nixon with the skills to become both a master falconer and filmmaker. His first documentary as a teenager, The Falconer, focused on Glasier and the Falconry Center's efforts to breed raptors in captivity. After producing fifty documentaries and dramatic films, Nixon’s work is distinguished by synchronized sound storytelling in extreme environments and breathtaking cinematography. His powerful narratives have inspired millions and brought essential global attention and resources to scientists and species in critical need. Notable works include Amazon Diary, On The Trail of the Giant Panda, The Last Bushmen, Real Jaws, Ancient Nomads, The End of the Game, Elephant Diary, If I Can Do This... I Can Do Anything, Last Word From Paradise, Gorillas In The Mist, America the Beautiful, Endangered Species, The Last Rivermen, The Lord God Bird, Great White Highway, and American Heroes. In 1980, while filming the documentary Fossey's War, Nixon proposed to Dian Fossey that her 15-year fight to save the Mountain Gorilla would make a powerful feature film. Doubting public interest, Fossey agreed to exchange the rights to her life story for one year of Nixon’s commitment to what she called "boots on the ground conservation." Dian was partly right: Gorillas In the Mist was only produced after her untimely murder, with Nixon serving as Co-Producer. Following the film’s release, Nixon honored his promise to Dian by working to restore one of America’s most polluted rivers—the Anacostia River, which flows through the Nation's Capital and some of the country’s most impoverished and violent neighborhoods. At the Valley Green Public Housing complex, Nixon inspired nine young men and women to reclaim the polluted river in their community. They named themselves the Earth Conservation Corps. Two decades later, thousands of youth have embraced Dian Fossey’s model of hands-on conservation. Though the river is recovering, the cost has been heartbreaking. Nixon has buried twenty-one of his young volunteers, victims of epidemic street violence. When these deaths went unreported by the media, Nixon and the Corps launched a youth journalism program to highlight their positive contributions. The resulting Earth Conservation Corps films have sparked a movement among disenfranchised urban youth to address poverty, youth violence, and environmental injustice. Nixon’s innovative contributions to film and conservation have earned widespread recognition, including an Academy Award nomination, five Emmy Awards, the President's Service Medal from President Bill Clinton, "Hero of the Planet" by the National Geographic Society, "Educator of the Year" by the Chesapeake Bay Foundation, the Walter Cronkite Award, and honors as a Hometown Hero from WETA. His work has been featured on programs such as Now with Bill Moyers, 60 Minutes, People Magazine, The Washington Post, The New York Times, ABC World News Tonight, PBS, NPR’s All Things Considered, CBS Morning News, National Geographic Channel, and numerous media outlets worldwide.
