BY DIRECTOR: P

Born in 1957 in Warsaw, Pawlikowski left Poland when he was 14 and lived in London, Germany and Italy. He finally settled in Britain. After studying literature and philosophy, he began his career making award-winning, offbeat documentaries which poetically mixed fact and fiction. He was a Creative Arts Fellow at Oxford Brookes University, and is fluent in six languages: Polish, French, English, German, Italian and Russian.

One of the great European documentarians, Nicolas Philibert began his education by studying philosophy and later worked as an assistant director. In his work, Philibert approaches man with tenderness, directness and sensitivity. His films have received awards in festivals and various events, and have achieved box office success in France.

John Pilger was born in Sydney. He left for Europe in the early 1960s, joining Reuters and the Daily Mirror, where he became chief foreign correspondent covering many international wars. Still in his twenties, he became the youngest journalist to receive the 'Journalist of the Year' award. During his travels, he began making award-winning documentaries about his home nation, which attempted to reveal Australia's forgotten past.

Sarah Polley was born in 1979 in Toronto, Canada. She started her acting career as a child, starring in numerous high-budget feature films. As an adult, she started directing. Her feature debut, 'Away From Her' (2006) starring Julie Christie, was nominated for an Academy Award for best Adapted Screenplay. In 2013, her documentary 'Stories We Tell', exposing many of her family's secrets, was shortlisted for the Best Documentary Oscar.

Sally Potter, was born in 1949 in London. She is the daughter of two artistic parents who influenced her decision to become a filmmaker. Potter began making 8mm films, and has also worked as a choreographer and opera director. Her film 'Orlando' (1992), starring Tilda Swinton, an adaptation of Virginia Woolf's classic, first brought her work to a wider audience. She is known for her innovative form and risk-taking subject matter.