Christopher Monger

Christopher Monger (born 1950, in Taffs Well, Cardiff, Wales) is a Welsh screenwriter, director and editor, best known for writing and directing '' The Englishman who Went up a Hill but Came down a Mountain'' and writing the HBO biopic '' Temple Grandin''. He has directed eight feature films and written over thirty screenplays.

Early life

Monger was born in Taff's Well, Wales. After attending boarding school in Taunton, Somerset, he went to the Chelsea School of Art, London.

After graduating he returned to Wales and was a founding member of the Chapter Film Workshop. Monger made his first no-budget features there including the controversial ''Voice Over'' (1981) which played festivals and was sold throughout the world.

At the same time he was film and video producer for the avant-garde theatre company Moving Being, regularly touring throughout Western Europe with shows such as ''Brecht in 1984'' and ''The Influence of the Moon on the Tides''.

After the success of ''Voice Over'', he was invited to show his films at the Museum of Modern Art in New York City, and shortly thereafter he moved to Los Angeles to work with producer Ed Pressman of ''Badlands'' fame.

Short films

His graduation short, a comic rendering of the life of 8th Chinese poet Han Shan, ''Cold Mountain'', was the opening film of the first ever British Festival of Independent Film in 1974.

Later work

As a director, his credits include: '' The Englishman who Went up a Hill but Came down a Mountain'' (1995) for Miramax Films, which he later adapted into a novel of the same name. It stars Hugh Grant, Colm Meaney, Tara FitzGerald and Harry Kretchmer. ''The Englishman et cetera'' was entered into the 19th Moscow International Film Festival He directed ''Waiting for the Light'', starring Shirley MacLaine and Teri Garr. Also ''Crime Pays'' for Film Four International, starring Ronnie Williams and Veronica Quilligan, and ''Voice Over'' starring Ian McNeice.

He wrote the television film ''Seeing Red'' for Granada and WGBH, for which he received a Christopher Award; and wrote and directed '' Girl from Rio'', which won the Hollywood Film Festival.

His documentary, ''Special Thanks to Roy London'', premiered at the Tribeca Film Festival and went on to win several awards. In 2007 he adapted Kaiulani Lee's stage play ''A Sense of Wonder'', based on the life of ''Silent Spring'' author Rachel Carson, into a film. Shot by Haskell Wexler and produced by Karen Montgomery, the film has been screened throughout North America.

In 2010 he wrote the script for the HBO biopic, '' Temple Grandin''. Starring Claire Danes as Temple Grandin, with David Strathairn, Julia Ormond and Catherine O'Hara, it was directed by Mick Jackson. Monger was nominated for an Emmy for his screenplay.

Apart from his film work he still paints and is a member of the Pharmaka group of painters in Los Angeles, who opened one of the first galleries in Gallery Row in Downtown Los Angeles.

Filmography

Director

* ''Repeater'' (1979)
* ''Voice Over'' (1983)
* '' Waiting for the Light'' (1990)
* '' Just Like a Woman'' (1992)
* '' The Englishman who Went up a Hill but Came down a Mountain'' (1995)
* '' Girl from Rio'' (2001)
* '' That's Life'' (4 episodes, 2000–2002)
* ''Special Thanks to Roy London'' (2005)
* ''Sense of Wonder'' (2007)

Producer

* ''Repeater'' (1979)
* ''Voice Over'' (1983)

Writer

* ''Repeater'' (1979)
* ''Voice Over'' (1983)
* ''Waiting for the Light'' (1990)
* '' The Englishman who Went up a Hill but Came down a Mountain (novel)'' (1995)
* ''Seeing Red'' (2000)
* '' Girl from Rio'' (2001)
* '' Temple Grandin'' (2010)
* ''Liz & Dick'' (2012)

Editor

* ''Repeater'' (1979)
* ''Voice Over'' (1983)
* ''Special Thanks to Roy London'' (2005)

References

External links

{{DEFAULTSORT:Monger, Christopher
People from Taff's Well
Welsh film directors
1950 births
Living people
Welsh screenwriters