Eric Carl Steel (born ) is an American

filmmaker Filmmaking or film production is the process by which a Film, motion picture is produced. Filmmaking involves a number of complex and discrete stages, beginning with an initial story, idea, or commission. Production then continues through screen ...

and producer, best known for his controversial 2006 documentary ''

The Bridge The Bridge may refer to: Art, entertainment and media Art * ''The Bridge'' (sculpture), a 1997 sculpture in Atlanta, Georgia, US * Die Brücke (''The Bridge''), a group of German expressionist artists * ''The Bridge'' (M. C. Escher), a lithograph ...

''.

Career

''The Bridge''

Steel's directorial debut was the 2006 documentary ''

''. After reading about suicides at the

Golden Gate Bridge The Golden Gate Bridge is a suspension bridge spanning the Golden Gate, the strait connecting San Francisco Bay and the Pacific Ocean in California, United States. The structure links San Francisco—the northern tip of the San Francisco Peni ...

, one of the world's most often used venues for suicide, he had the bridge filmed from multiple locations throughout 2004, to obtain footage of actual suicides. In obtaining permits to film the bridge, Steel did not reveal to bridge officials that his goal was to film people committing suicide. Instead he stated that his purpose was to make a film capturing "the powerful, spectacular intersection of monument and nature that takes place every day at the Golden Gate Bridge". A number of suicides were captured on film. The resulting footage was combined with interviews with family and friends of the victims, along with other witnesses.

Personal life

Steel was born in to Bette-Ann Gwathmey, and was a stepson of

Charles Gwathmey Charles Gwathmey (June 19, 1938 – August 3, 2009) was an American architect. He was a principal at Gwathmey Siegel & Associates Architects, as well as one of the five architects identified as The New York Five in 1969. Gwathmey was perhaps be ...

. He attended

Yale University Yale University is a Private university, private Ivy League research university in New Haven, Connecticut, United States. Founded in 1701, Yale is the List of Colonial Colleges, third-oldest institution of higher education in the United Stat ...

. Steel married Frank Christopher Ledda in 2015, whom he met at

Whistler, British Columbia Whistler (, ; , ) is a resort municipality in Squamish-Lillooet Regional District, British Columbia, Canada. It is located in the southern Pacific Ranges of the Coast Mountains, approximately north of Vancouver and south of Pemberton, Britis ...

Filmography

As producer

*''

Bringing Out the Dead ''Bringing Out the Dead'' is a 1999 American drama film directed by Martin Scorsese and written by Paul Schrader, based on the 1998 novel by Joe Connelly. It stars Nicolas Cage, Patricia Arquette, John Goodman, Ving Rhames, and Tom Sizemore. ...

'' (1999) *''

Angela's Ashes ''Angela's Ashes: A Memoir'' is a 1996 memoir by the Irish-American author Frank McCourt, with various anecdotes and stories of his childhood. The book details his early childhood in Brooklyn, New York, but focuses primarily on his life in Li ...

'' (1999) *'' Shaft'' (2000) *''

Julie & Julia ''Julie & Julia'' is a 2009 American biographical comedy drama film written and directed by Nora Ephron starring Meryl Streep and Amy Adams in the title roles with Stanley Tucci, Chris Messina, and Linda Emond in supporting roles. The film ...

'' (2009)

As director

*''

'' (2006) *''Kiss the Water'' (2013) *''

Minyan In Judaism, a ''minyan'' ( ''mīnyān'' , Literal translation, lit. (noun) ''count, number''; pl. ''mīnyānīm'' ) is the quorum of ten Jewish adults required for certain Mitzvah, religious obligations. In more traditional streams of Judaism ...

'' (2020)

References

External links

* American documentary film directors American film producers Yale University alumni Living people Year of birth missing (living people) {{US-film-director-stub