Christopher Nolan
Date of birth: 1970-07-30
Place of birth: Westminster, London, England, UK
Known for: Directing
Also known as: Christopher Edward Nolan, Chris Nolan, Sir Christopher Nolan, Sir Christopher Edward Nolan
Biography
Christopher Nolan (born 30 July 1970) is a British-American filmmaker whose concept-driven epics have reshaped the modern studio blockbuster. Renowned for structurally intricate storytelling, large-format cinematography, and practical effects, he is widely regarded as a defining director of the 21st century. His films have grossed over $6.6 billion worldwide and earned him two Academy Awards, two BAFTAs, and a Golden Globe. He was appointed CBE in 2019 and knighted in 2024 for services to film. Raised between London and Evanston, Illinois, Nolan began making Super 8 shorts as a child, later studying English literature at University College London, where he ran the Film Society and met his producer and future wife, Emma Thomas; together they founded Syncopy Inc. After shorts like Doodlebug, he self-financed his micro-budget debut Following (1998), then broke through with the reverse-told amnesia noir Memento (2000). Studio work followed with Insomnia (2002) and then Batman Begins (2005), which launched a grounded superhero trilogy completed by The Dark Knight (2008) and The Dark Knight Rises (2012). Between and after those, he mounted original tentpoles—The Prestige (2006), Inception (2010), Interstellar (2014), and the triptych survival drama Dunkirk (2017), which earned his first Best Director nomination. Nolan’s films interrogate time, memory, identity, ethics, and knowledge—sneaking metaphysics into genre frames (noir, heist, war, biopic). Hallmarks include nonlinear or braided timelines, precision cross-cutting, mathematically inflected imagery, practical/in-camera spectacle augmented by visual effects, experimental soundscapes, and a steadfast preference for celluloid (65mm/IMAX) and theatrical exhibition. A frequent collaborator with Jonathan Nolan (co-writer), Emma Thomas (producer), and craftspeople such as Wally Pfister, Hoyte van Hoytema, Lee Smith, and Hans Zimmer, he also advocates globally for film preservation and exhibition, curating restorations and convening archivists to champion photochemical cinema. After the time-bending espionage of Tenet (2020), Nolan departed Warner Bros. and partnered with Universal on Oppenheimer (2023), a morally dense biopic that won him the Academy Awards for Best Director and Best Picture. He is re-teaming with Universal on The Odyssey (scheduled for 2026), an IMAX-shot adaptation of Homer’s epic. In 2025 he was elected President of the Directors Guild of America. Nolan lives in Los Angeles with Thomas and their four children, continuing to pair popular spectacle with intellectual ambition while championing the artistry—and communal ritual—of seeing movies on film, in cinemas.
Movie Credits
Batman Unmasked: The Psychology of The Dark Knight
2008-07-15
Delve into the world of Batman and the vigilante justice that he brought to the city of Gotham. Batm
Heath Ledger: A Tribute
2009-06-01
On January 22, 2008, the entertainment world was rocked by news that one of its brightest young star
These Amazing Shadows
2011-01-22
Tells the history and importance of The National Film Registry, a roll call of American cinema treas
The Batmobile
2012-07-16
Witness all five Batmobiles together for the first time in history. Dive deep into every aspect of t
Side by Side
2012-08-19
Since the invention of cinema, the standard format for recording moving images has been film. Over t
To End All War: Oppenheimer & the Atomic Bomb
2023-07-09
Explore how one man's relentless drive and invention of the atomic bomb changed the nature of war fo
Dreams: Cinema of the Subconscious
2010-12-07
Can the dream world be a fully functional parallel reality? Joseph Gordon-Levitt and leading scienti
Inside Christopher Nolan's Oppenheimer
2023-07-15
A look behind the scenes of Christopher Nolan's film "Oppenheimer" about an American scientist and h
Batman Tech
2008-07-21
He's caped, cowled and the coolest superhero of them all, because underneath that Batsuit, Batman on
Gotham Uncovered: Creation of a Scene
2008-07-15
Director Christopher Nolan and creative collaborators unmask the incredible detail and planning behi
The Science of Interstellar
2014-11-13
Matthew McConaughey narrates a fascinating look at Christopher Nolan's sci-fi film, 'Interstellar',
The Director's Notebook: The Cinematic Sleight of Hand of Christopher Nolan
2007-02-20
Behind-the-scenes documentary on the making of "The Prestige" (2006).
Tales from the Warner Bros. Lot
2013-01-15
Actors, crew and executives who worked at Warner Bros. Pictures recall their days at the studio.
The Fire Rises: The Creation and Impact of The Dark Knight Trilogy
2013-09-24
This feature-length documentary delves into the trilogy, opening with the inspiration and vision for
Tarantella
1989-09-12
"Tarantella" was an early Super 8 short film directed by Christopher Nolan with his childhood friend
Interstellar: Nolan's Odyssey
2014-11-05
A look behind the lens of Christopher Nolan's space epic.
Hans Zimmer: Hollywood Rebel
2022-10-16
An in-depth look of the 40 year journey, from post-war Germany to Hollywood royalty, of Hans Zimmer,
Cinema16: British Short Films
2003-05-05
This critically acclaimed DVD contains 16 of the best classic and award winning British short films
Stanley Kubrick in Focus
2012-11-30
Spielberg, Soderbergh, Stone, Friedkin, Scorsese and others tell how Kubrick's directorial style inf
Cinema Futures
2016-09-02
Analog celluloid strips are disappearing. Is film dying, or just changing? Are the world's film arch
Exploring 'The Tree of Life'
2011-10-11
A documentary on Terrence Malick and the making of his film "The Tree of Life."
Inside 'Interstellar'
2015-03-31
Cast and crew of Christopher Nolan's "Interstellar" discuss project origins, the film's imagery, amb
Film Noir: Bringing Darkness to Light
2006-07-18
Film Noir burrows into the mind; it's disorienting, intriguing and enthralling. Noir brings us into
Making Waves: The Art of Cinematic Sound
2019-10-25
The history of cinematic sound, told by legendary sound designers and visionary filmmakers.
Ending the Knight
2012-12-04
A comprehensive look into how Director Christopher Nolan and his production team made "The Dark Knig
Joker: Put on a Happy Face
2020-08-18
Featuring interviews with filmmakers and industry legends, discover the origins and evolution of The
Secret Origin: The Story of DC Comics
2010-11-09
A look at the history of the comic book publication that launched such legendary characters as Super
Catwoman: The Feline Femme Fatale
2021-05-05
A documentary about the history of Catwoman from DC.
Looking at the World in a New Way: The Making of ‘Tenet’
2020-12-15
A look behind the scenes of Christopher Nolan’s Tenet.
Hans Zimmer & Friends: Diamond in the Desert
2025-02-19
An extraordinary live performance of Hans Zimmer's most beloved and renowned movie soundtracks, incl
Utan ord – i filmmusikens värld
2024-02-10