Lionel Friedberg

Emmy Award-winning Film Maker
New York Times and Los Angeles Times Best-selling Author

Books

Forever in My Veins

Available Now!

The Flying Springbok

AVAILABLE NOW!

Full Service

AVAILABLE NOW!

Find Out More

Find out More

Books

Forever in My Veins

Available Now!

Find Out More

The Flying Springbok

AVAILABLE NOW!

Find out More

Full Service

AVAILABLE NOW!

Find Out More

About Lionel Friedberg

Emmy Award-winning, Columbus Film Festival Award-winning and American Association for the Advancement of Science’s Westinghouse Award-winning Lionel Friedberg was born in South Africa. He began his career working in the first television station in Central Africa—in Northern Rhodesia (now Zambia)—in 1961. He later photographed 18 feature motion pictures as Director of Photography in South Africa and then expanded his career to directing numerous dramatic TV episodes as well as writing, photographing and directing scores of documentaries and non-fiction productions. For many years he was Chairman of the South African Film & Television Technicians Association (SAFTTA.) In 1966 he worked in Canada as a cinematographer with the prestigious National Film Board of Canada in Montreal. After a long and successful career running his own company as producer, writer, cinematographer and director on a variety of productions in South Africa he moved to the United States in 1986. For the past 35 years he has specialized in documentaries, filming all over the world and winning numerous awards including a Primetime Emmy Award for cinematography. He has worked for the Public Broadcasting Service (PBS), the National Geographic Society, Discovery Channel, Arts & Entertainment cable network (A&E), American Movie Classics (AMC), The History Channel, regional television stations and many corporate clients. He is the author of three non-fiction books and is a New York Times and Los Angeles Times bestselling author. He is a vegan, environmentalist and supporter of numerous animal rights causes. His interests include ancient history, cosmology, aviation, classical music, collecting rare motion picture soundtracks, investigations into the nature of human consciousness and studies of the paranormal.

Lionel Friedberg shown holding Emmy Award 1993

SELECTed Filmography

Crisis in the Atmosphere

(1989, Writer-Director-Producer)

30 Years of National Geographic Specials

(1999, Featured as one of the producers)

Secrets From a Frozen World

(1991 – Writer-Director – Producer)

The Great Dinosaur Hunt

(1988, Writer-Director-Cinematographer-Producer)

The Shape of Life

(2000, PBS & National Geographic, Writer-Producer)

Mysteries of the Bible

(1994 – 1996, Supervising Writer)

Mysteries Underground

(1992 – Writer-Director-Cinematographer-Producer)

National Geographic

(1992 – National Geographic, PBS)

Sail On, Voyager!

(1990–Writer-Director-Producer)

Beyond Death

(1999—A&E Network—Writer-Director-Producer)

Shangani Patrol

(1970—Director of Photography)

Who Wrote the Bible?

(2004—A&E Network—Writer-Director-Producer)

In Search of History

(1996 – 1998—Supervising Writer)

Strangers at Sunrise

(1968—Director of Photography)

House of the Living Dead

(1973—Director of Photography)

Beyond Belief with George Noory

Exploring African Shamanism

Take A Look

“I found it stunning. It really is a wonderful program and I congratulate you!”

Arthur C. Clarke

Award-winning science fiction author and writer of ‘2001: A Space Odyssey’ after he saw 'Sail On, Voyager'

“One of the most pertinent and important documentaries I have ever seen. It has certainly inspired me to take immediate action.”

Al Gore

Former Vice President and Presidential Candidate after viewing ‘Crisis in the Atmosphere’ when it was screened for Congress in Washington DC, 1989

ON LOCATION

Die Voortrekkers

Zulu Warrior

(1973—Director Photography)

The Tribal Identity

(1975 — Young Venda female initiates in submission to their overseer during Domba initiation school)

Growing Up

Sitka Deer

(2004 – Animal Planet)

The Great Dinosaur Hunt

(1988—PBS—With renowned dinosaur paleontologist Robert Bakker)

On set with Panavision camera

(1992)

Growing Up

(2004—Animal Planet)

With diviners and tribal traditional healers

(2005—South Africa)

Sail On, Voyager!

(1990—With crew filming Harris ‘Bud’ Schurmeier, first Project Manager and designer of the Voyager spacecraft)

On backlot at MGM Studios, Culver City

(1966. Famed ‘Showboat’ paddle steamer on artificial lake in background)

The Tribal Identity

(1975–Venda ‘Sangoma’ Traditional Herbalist and Medicine Man)

The Tribal Identity

(1975—Venda Traditional Priest who was over a hundred years old. Lake Fundudzi, South Africa)

Okavango

(1967–Stuck in the swamps. Moremi, Botswana)

The Tribal Identity

(1975—Filming AbaKwetha Xhosa male initiates on the day of their ‘coming out’ ceremony)

Ocean Harvest

(1968—Filming documentary on board 42,000-ton fishing factory ship)

Filming Concorde supersonic airliner, New York, 1983

The Turning Point

(1971—Filming Early Man hominid fossils at Kromdraai, South Africa)

The Tribal Identity

(1975—Anthropologist Dr. Peter Becker)

Pondo ’Sangoma’, Herbalist, Medicine Man and Diviner, Ciskei, South Africa

Preparing to shoot aerials for documentary for the Government of Mauritius

Wings Over the Ocean

Air-to-air shot of South African Air Force Shackleton maritime patrol aircraft for ‘Wings over the Ocean’ (1978)

Growing Up

(Animal Planet — 2005 — Rhinos)

Eyes in the Sky

(1978—Boarding South African Air Force Mirage III supersonic jet fighter for filming)

Strangers at Sunrise

(1968—Director of Photography)

Die Voortrekkers (The Pathfinders)

(1973—Director of Photography)

1972—Setting up travelling shot for feature film

Those Who Serve

(1978—Setting up to shoot ground-to-air missile battery)

Shangani Patrol

(1970—Scene of Matabele warriors in final offensive battle charge)

Shangani Patrol

(1970—Recreation of scene depicting historical Prime Minister of the Cape Colony, Sir Leander Starr Jameson)

Shangani Patrol

(1970—Scene shot in Rhodesia, now Zimbabwe, of British Major Allan Wilson’s encounter with Matabele warriors)

The Tribal Identity

(1975–Preparing to film Venda ‘Sangoma’ or Medicine Man)

The Tribal Identity

(1975—On location with anthropologist Dr. Peter Becker with Venda female Domba initiates)

Secrets from a Frozen World

(1991—Filming from zodiac on ice floe of frozen ocean, Antarctica)

Their Frontier, the Sea

(1977—Filming from South African Air Force helicopter)

The Tribal Identity

(1975—Filming musicians & Venda female initiates at Domba initiation school)

Filming at sea (1968)

Graduating to cinematographic lighting (1964)

Growing Up

(2005—Feeding Nereus, the rescued walrus)

Sail On, Voyager!

(1990—With Dr. Ed Stone, Director of JPL, and model of Voyager spacecraft)

Lelik is my Offer

(1974—Director of Photography)

Swazi ’Sangoma’, Herbalist, Diviner and Medicine Man, P.H. Mntshauli (2000)

Secrets from a Frozen World

(1991—Filming on ice floe in Antarctica)

Shangani Patrol

(1970—Matabele warriors)

Growing Up series

(2004—With baby gorilla)

Shangani Patrol

(1970—On location with Matabele warriors in Matopos, Rhodesia, now Zimbabwe)

Growing Up

(2005—Animal Planet—Giraffe)

Growing Up

(2005—Animal Planet. Filming baby baboons)

Secrets from a Frozen World

(1991—Filming UN delegation arriving at Palmer Station, Antarctica)

Shangani Patrol

(1970—With camera crew)

Shangani Patrol

(1970—Filming in the Matopos mountains, Rhodesia, now Zimbabwe)

Shangani Patrol

(1970—Filming tracking shot)

Shangani Patrol

(1970—Setting up shot)

Shangani Patrol

(1970—Filming in bush, Rhodesia, now Zimbabwe)

Shangani Patrol

(1970)

Filming in Kalahari Desert

(1978—Namibia)

Their Frontier, the Sea

(1978—Filming on board submarine)

Okavango

(1967—Botswana)

The Long Red Shadow

(1967—Filming first feature film as Director of Photography at age 22)

A Sacred Duty

(2006—Filming in Jerusalem)

They Came from the East

(1977—Filming Hindu fire-walking ceremony)

Behind studio camera for first live educational TV broadcast in Central Africa

(1962—RTV Studios, Kitwe, Northern Rhodesia)

Behind studio TV camera

(1962—RTV Studios, Kitwe, Northern Rhodesia)

Setting up Mitchell motion picture camera

(1964—Johannesburg, South Africa)

House of the Living Dead

(1973—Director of Photography)

Filming interview with Hans Baur, Adolf Hitler’s personal pilot

Herrsching am Ammersee, Bavaria, 1983

The Turning Point

(1970—Prof. Bobby Brain with Australopithecus Africanus early hominid fossil)

Lionel and Friends

With Academy Award-winning actor, Anthony Quinn

With Academy Award-winning actor, Charlton Heston

With Academy Award-winning composer, Elmer Bernstein

With actress, dancer and singer, Debbie Reynolds

With motion picture composer, John Scott

With astronaut and first man to set foot on the moon, Neil Armstrong

With author, Ray Bradbury

With famed anthropologist Prof Raymond Dart at premiere of 'The Turning Point' in Philadelphia (1971)

With Dr. Edward Stone, Director of JPL, recreating Jupiter's moon Io for 'Sail On, Voyager!'

With Ray Heacock, Chief Engineer of the Voyager spacecraft at JPL, Pasadena for 'Sail On, Voyager!'

With long-time friend and much respected guide and mentor in all things cinematographic, Ian Wilson BSC, London, 2017

With Joe Sutter, Chief Designer of the Boeing 747, at Boeing factory, Seattle

With famed planetary geologist Eugene Shoemaker at Meteor Crater, Arizona, for 'Sail On, Voyager!' (1990)

With astronomer Carl Sagan

With African Medicine Man & Diviner, Moses Shado Dludlu

With actors George Montgomery & Deana Martin while filming 'Strangers at Sunrise' (Director of Photography) (1968)

With multiple Academy Award-winning Director of Photography, Leon Shamroy ASC at 20th Century Fox Studios (1966)

With author Alan Paton ('Cry the Beloved Country')

With Archbishop Desmond Tutu

With anti-apartheid activist and Member of Parliament Helen Suzman

With Zulu Prince Mangosuthu Gatsha Buthelezi, Ulundi, KwaZulu, South Africa

With Scotty Bowers

With George Noory

Lionel after being interviewed by George Noory, host of ‘Beyond Belief’ on Gaia Television, 2021

Awards

2008: Columbus International Silver Chris Award – A Sacred Duty (Producer/Director/Writer/Cinematographer)
1997: Golden Eagle Award— The Bible’s Greatest Mysteries (Supervising Writer)
1996: Nominee. Cable Ace Award — Mysteries of the Bible (Supervising Writer)
1996: Public Information Radio & Television Educational Society Buccaneer Award — Windows Through Time (Producer/Writer/Director)
1995: Nominee. Cable Ace Award — Mysteries of the Bible (Supervising Writer)
1994: Ohio Governor’s State Award — Mysteries Underground (Producer/Writer/Director)
1993: National Primetime Emmy Award — Mysteries Underground (Cinematographer)
1993: National Television Academy News and Documentary Award – Mysteries Underground (Producer)
1993: Columbus International Chris Award — Mysteries Underground (Producer/Writer/Director)
1993: Eastman Kodak Award — Mysteries Underground (Cinematographer)
1991: Columbus International Chris Award — Sail On, Voyager! (Producer/Writer/Director)
1991: Golden Eagle Award — Sail On, Voyager! (Producer/Writer/Director)
1991: Birmingham International Environmental Electra Award — Crisis in the Atmosphere (Producer/Writer/Director)
1990: Golden Eagle Award — Crisis in the Atmosphere (Producer/Writer/Director)
1990: American Association for the Advancement of Science Westinghouse Award — The Great Dinosaur Hunt (Producer/Writer/Director)
1990: Columbus International Chris Award — The Great Dinosaur Hunt (Producer/Writer/Director)
1985: Argus Star Tonight Award — Hell on Earth (Best Drama Director)
1985: Eastman Kodak Visible Spectrum Award — A Delicate Balance (Best Cinematography)
1984: Argus Star Tonight Award — Then Came the English (Best Documentary Series Director)
1978: International Anthropological Festival Grand Prix du Festival — The Cultural Identity (Best Director/Cinematographer)
1977: Argus Star Tonight Award — The Tribal Identity (Best Documentary Series Director/Writer/Cinematographer)

Contact Lionel Friedberg