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Mark Jonathan Harris (born October 28, 1941) is an American documentary filmmaker, writer, and educator known for his award-winning work in the documentary genre.[1] Over the course of his career, Harris has earned three Academy Awards and numerous accolades for his contributions to filmmaking and education. He served as a distinguished professor and head of advanced documentary production at theUSC School of Cinematic Arts, where he taught from 1983 until his retirement in 2023.[2] Harris is also an accomplished author, having written five children's novels and a collection of short stories.[3]
Mark Jonathan Harris was born on October 28, 1941, in Scranton, Pennsylvania. He attendedHarvard University, where he completed his education before pursuing a career in documentary film making.
Harris began his career in documentary filmmaking in the late 1960s. His first major success came withHuelga! (1967), a documentary aboutCesar Chavez and the groundbreaking farmworkers strike in Delano, California. He followed this withThe Redwoods (1968), a film he wrote and co-produced for the Sierra Club to help establish aRedwoods National Park and which won anAcademy Award for Best Short Documentary.[4][5] He gained international recognition forThe Long Way Home (1997), a feature-length documentary on the aftermath of the Holocaust, which won the Academy Award for Best Feature Documentary.[6]
In 2000, Harris wrote and directedInto the Arms of Strangers: Stories of the Kindertransport, a documentary chronicling the British rescue mission that saved 10,000 Jewish children duringWorld War II. The film received critical acclaim and won the Academy Award for Best Feature Documentary. It was later selected by theU.S. Library of Congress for permanent preservation in the National Film Registry.[7]
Harris continued to focus on socially and politically significant issues in his work. He co-wrote and co-directedBreaking Point: The War for Democracy in Ukraine (2016), a film about the Ukrainian fight for independence, which garnered multiple awards at international film festivals.[8] His HBO documentaryFoster (2019), which examined the foster care system inLos Angeles,[9] was nominated for Best Documentary Screenplay by theWriters Guild of America.[10]
In recent years, Harris has returned to making films centered on contemporary social and political issues. His projects includeDarfur Now (2007), a documentary about the genocide in Darfur, which received the NAACP Image Award, andLiving in Emergency: Stories of Doctors Without Borders (2008), which focuses on the medical humanitarian organization and was shortlisted for the Oscar for Best Feature Documentary.[11]Women of the Gulag (2018), a film he executive produced,[12] was also shortlisted by the Academy for Best Short Documentary. Harris also served as Consulting Producer for the PBS seriesAsian Americans (2021), which won aPeabody Award.[13]
Harris has written five children's novels, which have won numerous awards, including the FOCAL Award for best children’s book about California forCome the Morning (1989).[14] He is also co-author of the book version ofInto the Arms of Strangers.[15][16] In addition to his work in children's literature, Harris has published short stories and articles in various national newspapers and magazines. His most recent literary work,Misfits, a collection of short stories, was published in 2023 and was an Editor’s Choice of Publishers Weekly BookLife.
Harris was a faculty member at the USC School of Cinematic Arts for 40 years, teaching courses in documentary filmmaking and screenwriting.[17] From 2012 to 2023, he also served as co-principal investigator of the American Film Showcase, the flagship film and TV diplomacy program of the U.S State Department.[18] In 2023, he was named Emeritus Distinguished Professor in recognition of his contributions to the university.
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