Sobre Michael Rabiger

At 17 in 1956 he followed his make-up artist father into the British film industry to become an assistant film editor. Worked on 12 feature films at Pinewood, Shepperton Studios and elsewhere, most notably under directors Raoul Walsh and Tony Richardson (A Taste of Honey). In 1962, moved to television documentary and edited about 30 films for BBC, North German Television, Granada Television, and others. Directed 21 documentaries in 6 countries 1967-72 for BBC Documentary Department; co-founded first TV oral history series, Yesterday¿s Witness.

Migrated to USA in 1972 to teach at Columbia College Chicago in a fledgling film department of 60 students (today over 2,000). BA at DePaul University, 1981. Wrote film criticism for New Art Examiner; in late 1980s published first editions of Directing the Documentary and Directing:Film Techniques and Aesthetics (both Focal Press: Boston).

Founded Documentary Center at Columbia College in 1988. In 1994 designed and led first VISIONS European documentary workshop for the international film schools¿ association CILECT which met in Berlin, Prague, and Amsterdam. Distinguished Visiting Professor 1994-5 at NYU Dept of Film and Television. In 1996 published Developing Story Ideas (Focal Press: Boston), and became Chair of Columbia¿s Film/Video Department.

In 2002 he was made Honorary Professor at the University of Buenos Aires, Argentina; awarded 2003 Preservation and Scholarship Award by International Documentary Association in Los Angeles; in 2005 given the Genius Career Achievement Award by the Chicago International Documentary Festival; in 2005 made Professor Emeritus by Columbia College Chicago.

He has given lectures and workshops in Argentina, Australia, Brazil, Canada, Chile, Costa Rica, Cuba, Czech Republic, Denmark, Germany, Italy, Iceland, Israel, Mexico, Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Portugal, Sweden, UK, USA. His documentary directing book, now in its 5th edition, is published in Spanish, Italian, German, Chinese, Korean, Portuguese, Russian, and Farsi.