Nathaniel Hansen
PRODUCER | DIRECTOR | CINEMATOGRAPHER | EDITOR | EDUCATOR
Nathaniel Hansen is an Emmy-nominated and Peabody award-winning documentary film producer, and an active independent documentary filmmaker. He works as a director, cinematographer, & editor of commercials, branded stories, and documentary films.
Trusted By
Latest work as Documentary Filmmaker
The Recall: Reframed (Trailer)
DOCUMENTARY FILM SERIES
ROLE: PRODUCER, CINEMATOGRAPHER, ADDITIONAL EDITOR
ROLE: PRODUCER, CINEMATOGRAPHER, ADDITIONAL EDITOR
THE RECALL: REFRAMED examines the 2018 recall of California Judge Aaron Persky, who lost his judgeship after handing down a sentence deemed too lenient by many in the infamous sexual assault case involving Stanford swimmer Brock Turner. The recall came at the height of the #MeToo movement, and some hailed it as a victory against rape culture, white privilege, and a system stacked against survivors of sexual violence. But there’s more to the story. The film offers competing perspectives and asks the difficult question: Who actually bears the burden when we demand harsher punishment for a privileged white defendant?
Now streaming on MSNBC/PEACOCK
The XTET: A Documentary Concert Film
FEATURE DOCUMENTARY FILM SERIES
ROLE: PRODUCER, DIRECTOR, EDITOR
ROLE: PRODUCER, DIRECTOR, EDITOR
A feature-length documentary film about GRAMMY-winning Boston Baroque’s chamber group X-tet. We were lucky enough to be invited in with them for a week-long retreat in late February 2021 to film their rehearsals and downtime, and ultimately film 5 select pieces performed on their final day together. GRAMMY winner Antonio Oliart audio recorded and engineered the performances, which threads throughout this 64-minute BTS concert documentary film.
BOSTON BAROQUE Documentary Film Series- 20/21 Virtual Season
BRANDED DOCUMENTARY FILM SERIES
ROLE: PRODUCER, DIRECTOR, EDITOR, DOCUMENTARY FILMMAKER
ROLE: PRODUCER, DIRECTOR, EDITOR, DOCUMENTARY FILMMAKER
Teaser for Boston Baroque’s 20/21 Virtual Season, consisting of more than 20 short documentary videos and behind the scenes insights for season subscription holders. Filmed on RED in 8k, in the historic Coolidge Corner Theater,
Branded Documentary Films & Commercials
OXO - Joanne Chang
BRANDED DOCUMENTARY PORTRAIT
ROLE: PRODUCER, DIRECTOR, EDITOR
ROLE: PRODUCER, DIRECTOR, EDITOR
Spot for OXO featuring Chef Joanne Chang and her teams at Flour and Myers & Chang, profiling her work and her craft for OXO
OXO - Gregory Gourdet
BRANDED DOCUMENTARY PORTRAIT
ROLE: PRODUCER, DIRECTOR, EDITOR
ROLE: PRODUCER, DIRECTOR, EDITOR
Spot for OXO featuring Chef Gregory Gourdey and his team Kann, profiling his work and craft for OXO.
OXO - Tim Hollingsworth
BRANDED DOCUMENTARY PORTRAIT
ROLE: PRODUCER, DIRECTOR, EDITOR
ROLE: PRODUCER, DIRECTOR, EDITOR
Spot for OXO featuring Chef Timothy Hollingsworth and his team at Otium in LA.
CK Platinum Commercial
TV COMMERCIAL
ROLE: CINEMATOGRAPHER
ROLE: CINEMATOGRAPHER
Campaign for the relaunch of the CK Platinum fragrances. Directed by Toby McFarlan Pond.
Fossil QSport Commercial
TV COMMERCIAL
ROLE: EDITOR
ROLE: EDITOR
TV Commercial for the launch of the QSport series of watches for Fossil. Directed by Tom Schirmacher.
Fossil - Mandy Moore
BRANDED DOCUMENTARY FILM
ROLE: EDITOR
ROLE: EDITOR
Celebrity documentary film portrait series for Fossil watches, featuring Mandy Moore. Directed by Tom Schirmacher.
CK Holiday - TVC
TV COMMERCIAL
ROLE: CINEMATOGRAPHER
ROLE: CINEMATOGRAPHER
2018 Holiday campaign for the relaunch of the CK line up of fragrances. Directed by Toby McFarlan Pond.
CK Obsessed Commercial
TV COMMERCIAL
ROLE: CINEMATOGRAPHER
ROLE: CINEMATOGRAPHER
TV and web campaign for the relaunch of the CK Obsessed fragrances. Directed by Toby McFarlan Pond.
Fossil - IZZY BIZU
BRANDED DOCUMENTARY FILM
ROLE: EDITOR
ROLE: EDITOR
Celebrity documentary film portrait series for Fossil watches, featuring Izzy Bizu. Directed by Tom Schirmacher.
Chip Kidd - Pantone
BRANDED DOCUMENTARY FILM
ROLE: PRODUCER, DP, EDITOR
ROLE: PRODUCER, DP, EDITOR
Short documentary film profile of Chip Kidd, legendary graphic designer. For a short documentary series by Pantone.
Jessica Walsh - Pantone
BRANDED DOCUMENTARY FILM
ROLE: PRODUCER, DP, EDITOR
ROLE: PRODUCER, DP, EDITOR
Short documentary film profile of Jessica Walsh, well-known graphic designer of Sagmeister Walsh. Part of a short documentary series by Pantone.
Edie Opara - Pantone
BRANDED DOCUMENTARY FILM
ROLE: PRODUCER, DP, EDITOR
ROLE: PRODUCER, DP, EDITOR
Short documentary film profile of Edie Opara, well-known graphic designer at Pentagram. For a short documentary series by Pantone.
Johnny Miller Foundation
BRANDED DOCUMENTARY FILM
ROLE: PRODUCER, DP, EDITOR
ROLE: PRODUCER, DP, EDITOR
Short documentary film profile of Katie Robinson, youth golfer and scholarship recipient representing the Johnny Miller Champ Foundation.
Story Changers - Clinique
BRANDED DOCUMENTARY FILM
ROLE: PRODUCER, DP, EDITOR
ROLE: PRODUCER, DP, EDITOR
Short documentary film profile campaign (4 films) for Clinique’s “Story Changers” series, featuring updated release of their lauded acne regimen.
Peter Child - Doc Profile
BRANDED / COMMERCIAL FILM
ROLE: PRODUCER, DIRECTOR, EDITOR
ROLE: PRODUCER, DIRECTOR, EDITOR
Short documentary film profile of composer Peter Child, well-known contemporary composer and professor of music at MIT. In collaboration with Cantata Singers, this profile screened as part of their annual Gala.
The shortest distance between truth and a human being, is a story.
Featured By
Recent Work as Documentary Filmmaker
RECENT DOCUMENTARY FILM WORK
ROLE: PRODUCER, CINEMATOGRAPHER, ADDITIONAL EDITOR
ROLE: PRODUCER, CINEMATOGRAPHER, ADDITIONAL EDITOR
THE RECALL examines the 2018 recall of California Judge Aaron Persky, who lost his judgeship after handing down a sentence deemed too lenient by many in the infamous sexual assault case involving Stanford swimmer Brock Turner. The recall came at the height of the #MeToo movement, and some hailed it as a victory against rape culture, white privilege, and a system stacked against survivors of sexual violence. But there’s more to the story. The film offers competing perspectives and asks the difficult question: Who actually bears the burden when we demand harsher punishment for a privileged white defendant?
RECENT DOCUMENTARY FILM WORK
ROLE: PRODUCER, DIRECTOR, EDITOR
ROLE: PRODUCER, DIRECTOR, EDITOR
Meet the X-tet, Boston Baroque’s period string chamber ensemble, in this one-hour long documentary film that follows the ensemble during a weeklong residency. The film showcases performances by the X-tet, featuring music by Vicente Lusitano, Johann Rusenmüller, Franz Joseph Haydn, and Felix Mendelssohn, alongside exclusive interviews and discussions with the musicians. The concert documentary was directed and produced by Emmy-nominated filmmaker Nathaniel Hansen and recorded by GRAMMY® Award-winning audio engineer Antonio Oliart.
RECENT DOCUMENTARY FILM WORK
ROLE: CO-PRODUCER, EDITOR, DOCUMENTARY FILMMAKER
ROLE: CO-PRODUCER, EDITOR, DOCUMENTARY FILMMAKER
Slated to premiere in competition at HotDocs in 2020, this 90 minute feature documentary follows two farming families, continents apart, as they aim to reinvent themselves on their own land, on their own terms. One family—a strong-willed French matriarch and the son she raised among her vines—tends a centuries-old, biodynamic vineyard in the Southern Rhône. Across the ocean in Humboldt, California, another family—a brash father and his more reserved son—carefully manage a state-recognized, organic cannabis farm. The feature documentary WEED & WINE interweaves their stories, urging comparisons and teasing out contradictions between France’s revered winemaking traditions and the artisan culture emerging alongside the legal cannabis industry. Weed & Wine was directed by Rebecca Richman Cohen.
RECENT DOCUMENTARY FILM WORK
ROLE: EDITOR, DOCUMENTARY FILMMAKER
ROLE: EDITOR, DOCUMENTARY FILMMAKER
Meet Delores Saltzman. She’s an 80 year old great grandmother who enjoys quilling and weekend barbecues with her family. She uses cannabis to treat a host of ailments, including chronic pain and arthritis. In June of 2018 Delores was arrested for marijuana possession because her medical marijuana card had expired. This is the story of the absurdity of her experience – and the deep empathy it inspires. The film premiered at the Mountain Film Festival in Telluride, Colorado. Mrs. Saltzman goes to Jail was directed by Rebecca Richman Cohen.
RECENT DOCUMENTARY FILM WORK
ROLE: CINEMATOGRAPHER, EDITOR, DOCUMENTARY FILMMAKER
ROLE: CINEMATOGRAPHER, EDITOR, DOCUMENTARY FILMMAKER
Two friends stumble upon a unique and valuable piece of motion picture history in Omaha, Nebraska. This is their story. Directed by Adam Roffman, the film premiered at SXSW Film Festival, was a Vimeo Staff Pick, was featured by National Geographic, and ultimately led to the sale of the collection to Alamo Drafthouse founder Tim League. SXSW and enjoyed a lengthy festival run, screening in over 100 festivals world-wide. The Collection was directed by Adam Roffman.
RECENT DOCUMENTARY FILM WORK
ROLE: CINEMATOGRAPHER, EDITOR, DOCUMENTARY FILMMAKER
ROLE: CINEMATOGRAPHER, EDITOR, DOCUMENTARY FILMMAKER
“A Coalition of the Willing” is a 20 minute documentary film that explores the successes and struggles among care teams from the Camden Coalition, Partners Healthcare, Health Quality Partners, and others, as they discover new methods to make healthcare sustainable while serving the most complex patients in their communities. Critics argue the fixes are short term at best, or the result of skewed reporting, while others fear economic catastrophe still awaits these early innovators after their years of effort to prove these new models successful. Can redefining success per-patient, improving targeted interventions, and actively using care management teams actually have a long-term impact? This documentary was directed by Ethan Vincent and Nathaniel Hansen.
RECENT DOCUMENTARY FILM WORK
ROLE: PRODUCER, CINEMATOGRAPHER, EDITOR, DOCUMENTARY FILMMAKER
ROLE: PRODUCER, CINEMATOGRAPHER, EDITOR, DOCUMENTARY FILMMAKER
EXPIRED is a short documentary film that explores how misleading date labels on food products contribute to food waste in America. EXPIRED was directed by Rebecca Richman Cohen, and was awarded “Best Short Film” from the 2017 Earth Port Film Festival and received the “Facing Up to Hunger” award from the 2016 Faces of Hunger Short Film Festival.
RECENT DOCUMENTARY FILM WORK
ROLE: CINEMATOGRAPHER, EDITOR, DOCUMENTARY FILMMAKER
ROLE: CINEMATOGRAPHER, EDITOR, DOCUMENTARY FILMMAKER
Howard Hankins is on a quest to save the U.S. Presidents. In 2013, he rescued 43 enormous busts from a failed tourist attraction near his Virginia farm. Watching the 20-foot tall statues crumble in his field, Hankins dreams of one day restoring them to their former glory. The film was featured by National Geographic Short Films and was directed by Adam Roffman.
RECENT DOCUMENTARY FILM WORK
ROLE: CINEMATOGRAPHER, EDITOR, DOCUMENTARY FILMMAKER
ROLE: CINEMATOGRAPHER, EDITOR, DOCUMENTARY FILMMAKER
In this atmospheric and darkly funny documentary, an offbeat cast of lovers, acolytes, and critics of a megalomaniacal spear-hunter remember his distinctive tactics both for killing and for leaving a legacy. The short documentary premiered at SXSW and enjoyed a lengthy festival run, screening in over 100 festivals world-wide. Spearhunter was directed by Adam Roffman and Luke Poling.
RECENT DOCUMENTARY FILM WORK
ROLE: PRODUCER, DIRECTOR, CINEMATOGRAPHER, EDITOR, DOCUMENTARY FILMMAKER
ROLE: PRODUCER, DIRECTOR, CINEMATOGRAPHER, EDITOR, DOCUMENTARY FILMMAKER
This 27 minute documentary tells the story of visionary Indian heart surgeon, Dr. Devi Shetty opens the first Narayana Health System hospital in the Western hemisphere. Health City on Cayman Islands now offers cardiothoracic surgery at a fraction of the US cost. Co-directed with documentary filmmaker Ethan Vincent.
RECENT DOCUMENTARY FILM WORK
ROLE: PRODUCER, DIRECTOR, CINEMATOGRAPHER, EDITOR, DOCUMENTARY FILMMAKER
ROLE: PRODUCER, DIRECTOR, CINEMATOGRAPHER, EDITOR, DOCUMENTARY FILMMAKER
Through the eyes of an aging generation, The Elders examines what it really means to live, by coming of age. An aging engineer reminisces about designing a rocket-catapult ejection seat, then breaks down in tears when asked about his marriage. A Japanese American recounts how getting sent to an internment camp caused her to reshuffle her dreams. And memories of falling in love—and getting jilted—reverberate down the decades. “We all have a history of some kind,” says the 94-year-old Louise, whose story is threaded throughout the other interviews. “Everybody not only has a story, everybody is a story.” Director Nathaniel Hansen captures these seniors’ stories, pet peeves, and spirits, which are undimmed by time. THE ELDERS shines a light on memories that are at risk of fading out, but deserve illumination. The Elders premiered at the Independent Film Festival Boston, in 2013. Called “outstanding” and “remarkable” by Boston Globe film critic Peter Keough, the documentary film is streaming on Vimeo. — Anya Weber for IFFB
RECENT DOCUMENTARY FILM WORK
ROLE: PRODUCER, PROJECT MANAGER, DOCUMENTARY FILMMAKER
ROLE: PRODUCER, PROJECT MANAGER, DOCUMENTARY FILMMAKER
Hollow is an interactive, participatory documentary that explores post-industrial small-town America through the voices and ideas of people living in McDowell County, W.Va. The immersive, online experience combines video portraits, user-generated content, interactive data, grassroots mapping and soundscapes on an HTML5 site and an accompanying community tool. Hollow, which is a Tribeca Film Institute New Media grantee, allows users to experience the stories of over 30 residents, captures user-input data and provides story updates to featured community members through an embedded WordPress site, Holler Home. The film was produced and directed by Elaine McMillon Sheldon.
In Partnership With
Healthcare Animation Work
Health Catalyst - Patient Safety Animation
RECENT ANIMATION WORK
ROLE: PRODUCER, DIRECTOR
ROLE: PRODUCER, DIRECTOR
Series of animated films for health technology company Health Catalyst, for their suite of off-the-shelf health technology services.
Health Catalyst - Predictive Analytics Animation
RECENT ANIMATION WORK
ROLE: PRODUCER, DIRECTOR
ROLE: PRODUCER, DIRECTOR
Short animated healthcare film for Health Catalyst, featuring their predictive analytics product.
Health Catalyst -Touchstone Animation
RECENT ANIMATION WORK
ROLE: PRODUCER, DIRECTOR
ROLE: PRODUCER, DIRECTOR
Short animated healthcare film for Health Catalyst, featuring their product Touchstone.
Health Catalyst - DOS Animation
RECENT ANIMATION WORK
ROLE: PRODUCER, DIRECTOR
ROLE: PRODUCER, DIRECTOR
Short animated healthcare film for Health Catalyst, featuring their “Data Operating System” healthcare product.
Health Catalyst - Care Management Animation
RECENT ANIMATION WORK
ROLE: PRODUCER, DIRECTOR
ROLE: PRODUCER, DIRECTOR
Short animated healthcare film for Health Catalyst, featuring their “Care Management” healthcare product.
Health Catalyst - Animated Brand Film
RECENT ANIMATION WORK
ROLE: PRODUCER, DIRECTOR
ROLE: PRODUCER, DIRECTOR
Short brand film for healthcare technology company Health Catalyst. Written by Chip Rich, and animated by CASE Agency.
Health Catalyst - Leading Wisely Animation
RECENT ANIMATION WORK
ROLE: PRODUCER, DIRECTOR
ROLE: PRODUCER, DIRECTOR
Short animated healthcare film for Health Catalyst, featuring their “Leading Wisely” healthcare product.
Dartmouth Hitchcock - Telehealth Animation
RECENT ANIMATION WORK
ROLE: PRODUCER, DIRECTOR
ROLE: PRODUCER, DIRECTOR
Short animated healthcare film for New England based health system Dartmouth Hitchcock, profiling their Telehealth product. Written by Nathaniel Hansen, animated by Luke Gibson.
Dartmouth Hitchcock - 'Imagine' Animation
RECENT ANIMATION WORK
ROLE: PRODUCER, DIRECTOR
ROLE: PRODUCER, DIRECTOR
Short animated healthcare film for New England based health system Dartmouth Hitchcock. Written by Chip Rich, animated by Luke Gibson.
There have been great societies that did not use the wheel, but there have been no societies that did not tell stories.
