Donna Deitch

Donna Deitch (born June 8, 1945 in San Francisco, California) is an American film and television director, producer, and writer best known for her 1985 film Desert Hearts. The movie was the first feature film to depict a lesbian love story in a generally mainstream vein, with positive and respectful themes.[1][2]

Donna Deitch
Born (1945-06-08) June 8, 1945
San Francisco, California, US
OccupationDirector, producer, writer
Years active1975-present
Known forDesert Hearts
Websitedonnadeitch.com

Career

Donna Deitch segued from award-winning documentary filmmaker to producing and directing Desert Hearts, the landmark hit of the 1985 Telluride and Toronto International film festivals, and the 1986 Sundance Film Festival. The film was picked up for worldwide distribution by The Samuel Goldwyn Company. Shortly after seeing the film, Oprah Winfrey hired Deitch to direct the Emmy-nominated four-hour mini-series The Women of Brewster Place.

Deitch directed four pilots subsequent to the success of Brewster Place, three of which were picked up for series, including Second Noah. She has directed numerous episodes of one-hour dramas including NYPD Blue, ER, Murder One, Law and Order: SVU, EZ Streets, The Visitor, Dragnet, Crossing Jordan, Heroes, Private Practice, and others. She directed the pilot episode of The N's, South of Nowhere.

She directed Prison Stories: Women on the Inside for HBO; Showtime's The Devil's Arithmetic starring Kirsten Dunst and Brittany Murphy, and Common Ground, written by Terrence McNally, Paula Vogel, and Harvey Fierstein (also for Showtime).

Deitch directed, photographed, and edited Angel On My Shoulder, a feature-length documentary about the experience of her best friend, actress Gwen Welles (Nashville), dying of cancer. The film won the Gold Hugo for Best Documentary at the 1998 Chicago International Film Festival.[3]

In a 2008 interview, she said she was working on obtaining financing for "Blonde Ghost", a recently completed screenplay adapted from Stella, the 1992 non-fiction book by Peter Wyden about Stella Goldschlag, which takes place in Berlin during World War II.[4][5] That same year, Deitch said that she was writing a sequel to Desert Hearts which would be set "in NYC in the late 60s".[6]

Personal life

Deitch is openly lesbian.[7] Her partner is writer Terri Jentz.[8]

Filmography

Films
Year Title Director Producer Screenwriter Cinematographer Editor Notes
1975 Woman to Woman Yes Yes Yes Yes Documentary
1977 The Great Wall of Los Angeles Yes Documentary short
1985 Desert Hearts Yes Yes Cameo appearance: Hungarian Gambler
1994 Criminal Passion Yes
1998 Angel on My Shoulder Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Documentary

Television
Year Title Director Notes
1989 The Women of Brewster Place Miniseries
1990 WIOU 1 episode
1991 Prison Stories: Women on the Inside TV film. Segment "1"
1991 Veronica Clare 1 episode
1992 Sexual Advances TV Film
1994 A Change of Place TV Film
1994 Robin's Hoods 2 episodes
1995 ER 2 episodes
1995-1997 Murder One 5 episodes
1995-2003 NYPD Blue 13 episodes
1996 Second Noah 1 episode
1996 Moloney 1 episode
1997 Murder One: Diary of a Serial Killer Miniseries (final 6 episodes of Murder One)
1997 EZ Streets 1 episode
1997 Total Security 1 episode
1997 The Visitor 1 episode
1997 Dellaventura 1 episode
1998 Nothing Sacred 1 episode
1998 C-16: FBI 1 episode
1999 The Devil's Arithmetic TV Film
2000 Common Ground TV Film
2000-2001 The $treet 2 episodes
2001-2007 Crossing Jordan 9 episodes
2002-2011 Law & Order: Special Victims Unit 3 episodes
2003 Judging Amy 1 episode
2003 Dragnet 1 episode
2004 Wild Card 1 episode
2005 South of Nowhere 2 episodes
2006 Bones 1 episode
2006 Heroes 1 episode
2007 Eureka 1 episode
2009-2010 Private Practice 4 episodes
2010 Grey's Anatomy 1 episode
2010 Army Wives 1 episode
2011 Off the Map 1 episode
2011 A Gifted Man 1 episode
2013 The Glades 1 episode
2016 Greenleaf 1 episode

Actor
Year Title Role Notes
1969 Several Friends Short film
1985 Desert Hearts Hungarian Gambler Cameo appearance

Accolades
Year Work Award Result Ref
1986 Desert Hearts Special Jury Prize – Dramatic • Sundance Film Festival Won
[9]
1986 Desert Hearts Grand Jury Prize – Dramatic • Sundance Film Festival Nominated
[10]
1996 NYPD Blue, episode "These Old Bones" Outstanding Directorial Achievement in Dramatic Series • Directors Guild of America Nominated
[11]
1998 Angel on My Shoulder Gold Hugo – Best Documentary • Chicago International Film Festival Won
[12]
2000 The Devil's Arithmetic Emmy Award – Outstanding Directing in a Children's Special • National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences Won
[13]
2008 Heroes Hugo Award – Best Dramatic Presentation - Long Form • World Science Fiction Society Nominated
[14]
2008 Outfest Achievement Award • Outfest Won
[15]

See also

References
  1. Siskel, Gene (June 6, 1986). "'Desert Hearts': A New Story Told In The Old Fashion". Chicago Tribune. Retrieved March 21, 2017.
  2. Pasulka, Nicole (June 25, 2015). "Better Sex, Better World". Hazlitt Magazine. Retrieved March 21, 2017.
  3. Nesselson, Lisa (October 20, 1998). "Chicago film fest covers 'The Hole' with top prize". Variety. Retrieved February 14, 2012.
  4. Corson, Suzanne (July 9, 2008). "Donna Deitch Wins Highest Honor from Outfest". AfterEllen.
  5. "The Catcher". Donna Deitch. Retrieved October 29, 2017.
  6. Silverstein, Melissa (July 9, 2008). "Interview with Donna Deitch, Director of Desert Hearts". Women & Hollywood. Retrieved October 10, 2014.
  7. Kukoff, Alexandra (December 1, 2016). "Q&A: Alumna, director Donna Deitch reflects on 1985 film 'Desert Hearts'". Daily Bruin. Retrieved 6 January 2021.
  8. Pepe, Barbara (August 20, 1996). "Ten Years Gone". The Advocate. pp. 73–76. Retrieved 11 March 2020.
  9. "Sundance Film Festival: Films Honored 1985–2008" (PDF). Sundance Institute. Retrieved March 5, 2017.
  10. "Sundance Film Festival: Films Honored 1985–2008" (PDF). Sundance Institute. Retrieved March 5, 2017.
  11. Winners and Nominees (1996). "49th Annual DGA Awards". Directors Guild of America. Retrieved March 5, 2017.
  12. Nesselson, Lisa (October 20, 1998). "Chicago film fest covers 'The Hole' with top prize". Variety. Retrieved March 5, 2017.
  13. Grego, Melissa (May 15, 2000). "Emmy time for 'Rosie' & 'Bill Nye'". Variety. Retrieved March 5, 2017.
  14. "2008 Hugo Award Nominees". The Hugo Awards. World Science Fiction Society. March 21, 2008. Retrieved March 5, 2017.
  15. Hardy, Ernest (July 2, 2008). "One From the Heart: Outfest Achievement Award Winner Donna Deitch". LA Weekly. Retrieved March 5, 2017.
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