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Lucy Walker

Lucy Walker

Director, producer and writer · Born January 1, 1970 (56) · London, England, UK

Oscar nominee · 4 other major award bodies

Lucy Walker (born 1970; London) is an British documentary film director. She has directed the feature documentaries Devil's Playground (2002), Blindsight (2006), Waste Land (2010), Countdown to Zero (2010), The Crash Reel (2013), Buena Vista Social Club: Adios (2017), Bring Your Own Brigade (2021), and Mountain Queen: The Summits of Lhakpa Sherpa (2023). She has also directed the short films The Tsunami and the Cherry Blossom (2011) and The Lion's Mouth Opens (2014). Waste Land was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Documentary Feature and The Tsunami and the Cherry Blossom was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Documentary (Short Subject).

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Biography from TMDB.

Born
January 1, 1970 (56)
From
London, England, UK
Works as
Director, producer and writer
Titles
10 on MovieCove · 37 credits in all
Links
IMDb (opens in a new tab)TMDB (opens in a new tab)Official site (opens in a new tab)Wikidata (opens in a new tab)

Known for

TMDB popularity, last 157 days to Oct 28Down 50% in 30 days

What are Lucy Walker's films like?

Across their 8 MovieCove titles with a thematic analysis, their films lean Survival and Self.

Themes

share of theme weight
Survival
30%
Self
22%
Society
18%
Ideas
17%
Bonds
7%
Morality
6%
Purpose2 titles, browse their movies with this themeCommunity3 titles, browse their movies with this themeSurvival2 titles, browse their movies with this themeFamily bonds2 titles, browse their movies with this themeMortality2 titles, browse their movies with this theme

What they feel like to watch

their average across 7 films
ToneFeelDemandtheir average · filled zone: the category
Serious: How heavy the subject matter and outlook get. Browse their serious movies.
Tone · Weight
lightdark

A split, not a type: Light 2 · Serious 2 · Dark 3

Grounded: How far its world departs from everyday reality. Browse their grounded movies.
Tone · Style
naturalisticheightened

Grounded 6 · Stylized 1 · Heightened 0

Charged: How hard the emotional peaks hit while you watch. Browse their charged movies.
Feel · Intensity
gentleintense

A split, not a type: Gentle 3 · Charged 1 · Intense 3

Steady: How much it swings between very different feelings. Browse their steady movies.
Feel · Swings
steadyswings

Steady 3 · Shifting 3 · Whiplash 1

Straight-faced: How much of the runtime is played for laughs. Browse their straight-faced movies.
Feel · Humor
noneconstant

Straight-faced 7 · Some laughs 0 · Funny 0

Slow burn: How fast it moves from scene to scene. Browse their slow burn movies.
Demand · Pace
slowrelentless

Slow burn 4 · Even-paced 3 · Relentless 0

Engaged: How much focus it asks of you — look away and lose the thread? Browse their engaged movies.
Demand · Attention
casualfull focus

Casual 2 · Engaged 4 · Full focus 1

Affecting: How much it costs you emotionally; whether you need recovery time. Browse their affecting movies.
Demand · Emotional cost
easyheavy

A split, not a type: Easy watch 1 · Affecting 2 · Heavy 4

Resolved: How much is left for you to interpret. Browse their resolved movies.
Demand · Resolution
resolvedambiguous

Resolved 5 · Open-ended 2 · Ambiguous 0

Moods and endings

endings are an aggregate; no title is named

Dominant moods · mentions across their titles

Contemplative
6
Hopeful
5
Tense
2
Warm
2
Bittersweet
2
Other
6

How their films linger

Hopeful5 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteThought-provoking4 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteBittersweet3 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteRousing2 titles, browse their movies with this aftertaste

How their films end

  • Happy1
  • Bittersweet7

AI-generated from each title's plot synopsis and cast list, with extra plot summaries, reviews and Parents Guide notes for titles the model may not know, and the model's own knowledge of the ones it recognizes. Only analyzed titles count, so this covers part of the filmography; the feel axes count films only for now.

Where can I watch Lucy Walker's films?

As of October 24, 2026, 9 of their 10 MovieCove titles stream on a subscription or free service, most on Netflix (4).

Also on these channels

Subscription and free streaming for Lucy Walker's titles on MovieCove; rent and buy are not counted. Titles are listed by Midcredits score, highest first, at most 12 per service; a dashed chip is a producer credit or a minor one, such as a thanks. A service opens the browse page, which counts movies only, so its number can differ.

Filmography

37 credits, 10 with a MovieCove page; 1 appearance as themselves is hidden until asked for.

  • Mountain Queen: The Summits of Lhakpa Sherpa(2023)

    Director · Executive Producer

    Midcredits score: 97th percentile of all films

  • Of Night and Light: The Story of Iboga and Ibogaine (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2023)

    Director · Producer

  • How to Change Your Mind(2022)

    Show 4 episodes · Director · Executive Producer

    Midcredits score: 88th percentile of all shows

  • Bring Your Own Brigade(2021)

    Director · Producer · Writer

    Midcredits score: 87th percentile of all films

  • Why Did You Kill Me?(2021)

    Producer

    Midcredits score: 24th percentile of all films

  • Defying Gravity: The Untold Story of Women's Gymnastics (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2020)

    Show 6 episodes · Director · Executive Producer

  • Oh, What a Beautiful City (A City Symphony) (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2017)

    Director

  • Bridge Poem (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2017)

    Director

  • Ram Dass, Going Home(2017)

    Executive Producer

    Midcredits score: 79th percentile of all films

  • Buena Vista Social Club: Adios(2017)

    Director · Executive Producer · Sound Recordist

    Midcredits score: 81st percentile of all films

  • #LikeAGirl (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2016)

    Director

  • The Vodou Healer (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2016)

    Director

  • PlayStation: Makers & Gamers - Street Fighter (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2016)

    Director

  • The New Yorker Presents(2015)

    Show 1 episode · Director

    Midcredits score: 38th percentile of all shows

  • A History of Cuban Dance (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2016)

    Director · Executive Producer · Writer

  • Feel Every Smile (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2015)

    Director

  • Project Daniel (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2014)

    Director

  • The Lion's Mouth Opens (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2014)

    Director · Producer · Sound Recordist

  • Daredevil on a Snowmobile (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2013)

    Director · Producer

  • David Hockney in the Now: In Six Minutes (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2013)

    Director · Producer · Writer

  • The Crash Reel(2013)

    Director · Producer · Sound · Writer

    Midcredits score: 99th percentile of all films

  • Crooked Lines (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2013)

    Director

  • The Red Pill (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2013)

    Director

  • The Rein of Mary King (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2013)

    Director

  • Focus Forward: Short Films, Big Ideas (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2012)

    Director

  • Make Haste Slowly (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2012)

    Director

  • The Contenders (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2012)

    Director

  • Secrets of the Mongolian Archers (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2012)

    Director

  • The Tsunami and the Cherry Blossom (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2011)

    Director · Producer

  • Countdown to Zero (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2010)

    Director · Sound Recordist · Writer

  • Waste Land(2010)

    Director · Screenplay

    Midcredits score: 97th percentile of all films

  • Blindsight (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2006)

    Director · Cinematographer

  • Devil's Playground (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2002)

    Director · Cinematographer

  • Independent Lens (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1999)

    Show 1 episode · Director

  • Blue's Clues: Blue's Birthday (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1998)

    Director

  • Blue's Clues(1996)

    Show 13 episodes · Director

    Midcredits score: 52nd percentile of all shows

  • Interspecies (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)

    Director

Career shape

A full career of 37 titles, 36 of them dated from 1996 to 2024.

Biggest box office

Buena Vista Social Club: Adios (2017)

$702K worldwide

Highest rated

The Crash Reel (2013)

Midcredits 99th

Most popular right now

How to Change Your Mind (2022)

By role

only this rolewith another role
Directing35 of 37: 19 only directing, 16 with another role · typical Midcredits score88thWriting6 of 37: 0 only writing, 6 with another roleProducing14 of 37: 2 only producing, 12 with another role · typical Midcredits score87thCinematography2 of 37: 0 only cinematography, 2 with another roleOther crew4 of 37: 0 only other crew, 4 with another role

37 titles, 16 with more than one role — directing and producing overlap on 12 of them.

By decade

1990s3 · crew2000s2 · crew2010s25 · crew2020s6 · crew

Counts from TMDB across their full career, self appearances out; a title counts in every role they held on it. The ring is the typical Midcredits score (the median percentile) of the role's titles that are on MovieCove, shown from 5 scored.

Awards

6 major awards from 13 major nominations, 2003–2014.

WinNomination
  1. 2014
    • Sundance award, nominated
    • Directors Guild Award, nominated · Outstanding Directorial Achievement in Documentary
  2. 2012
    • Oscar, nominated · Best Documentary, Short Subjects
    • +1 other major body · 2 wins and 1 nomination
      • Sundance award, won · Non-Fiction
      • Sundance award, won
      • Sundance award, nominated
  3. 2011
    • Oscar, nominated · Best Documentary, Features
  4. 2010
    • Berlinale award, won ×2
    • Sundance award, won · World Cinema - Documentary
    • Sundance award, nominated · World Cinema - Documentary
  5. 2007
    • Berlinale award, won
  6. 2003
    • Independent Spirit Award, nominated · Best Documentary

Major bodies only: the Oscars, Primetime Emmys, Golden Globes, BAFTAs and Screen Actors Guild Awards are named; Cannes, Venice, the Berlinale, Sundance, the directors', writers' and producers' guilds, the Grammys, Critics Choice and the Independent Spirit Awards count as other major bodies. Festival and regional prizes are not counted. Source: IMDb.

How do Lucy Walker's films land?

Their typical MovieCove film has a Midcredits score in the 87th percentile, the median of all 7; across their 7 films with reception data, the typical film sits in the 91st percentile for acclaim.

Acclaim · how much people like their films

91stpercentile
Typical film, the median of 7

Approval · how many liked their films

80thpercentile
Typical film, the median of 7

Reach · how many have seen their films

61stpercentile
Typical film, the median of 7

Midcredits score across 10 titles, by percentile

  • 75th and up7
  • 50th to 74th1
  • 25th to 49th1
  • Below 25th1

Shape of the crowd

4 of their 10 titles are Crowd Pleasers.

  • Universally Loved3
  • Cult Classic1
  • Crowd Pleaser4
  • Broadly Agreed1
  • Mixed1

Most divisive · director

The New Yorker Presents (2015)

76th percentile spread · 21% rated it 4 or lower

Most loved · director, writer, producer

The Crash Reel (2013)

Midcredits 99th · 93% liked

Reviewers score the atmosphere 78/100 and the pacing 60/100 in their films, across 7 reviewed titles. The element that speaks to their work as a director.

Percentiles are each film's standing among all films on MovieCove; the typical film is the median, so one outlier cannot drag it. Percentiles and reviewer scores count the films IMDb credits them on, for now; the Midcredits score bands, the shape of the crowd and the two cards count their MovieCove titles, shows included (a show ranked among shows), appearances as themselves left out. A descriptor is the shape of a title's IMDb rating distribution against the catalog; "most divisive" needs a spread wider than half of all titles, and a card names only a principal credit: a craft role, and on a show a crew role or a run of episodes, never a courtesy credit or a one-off guest spot.

Who does Lucy Walker work with?

People who share at least 2 of Lucy Walker's MovieCove titles, grouped by what they did on them; Julian Cautherley shares the most, 5.

Cinematographers and editors

Producers