Christopher Nolan is an English-American film director, screenwriter, and producer known for his original and commercially successful films. Some of his most notable films include Memento, Inception, and The Dark Knight Trilogy. Nolan is praised for integrating elements of art film into blockbuster formats and exploring philosophical concepts through complex narratives and nonlinear storytelling. He has received numerous awards and nominations for his work.

1. ChristopherNolan
ChristopherNolan
ChristopherNolan,London
Nolanat the 2013 premiere of Man of Steel inLondon
Born ChristopherJonathanJamesNolan
30 July1970 (age 45)
London,England,UK
Almamater UniversityCollege London
Occupation Filmmaker
Years active 1989–present
Spouse(s) Emma Thomas
Children 4
Relatives JonathanNolan(brother)
JohnNolan(uncle)
KimHartman (aunt)
ChristopherJonathanJamesNolanisanEnglish-Americanfilmdirector,screenwriter,andproducer.His
nine filmshave grossedoverUS$4.2 billionworldwide andgarneredatotal of 26 Oscar nominationsand
sevenawards.
Havingmade hisdirectorial debutwithfollowing(1998),Nolangainedconsiderable attentionforhis
secondfeature,Memento(2000).The acclaimof these independentfilmsgave Nolanthe opportunityto

2. make the big-budgetthrillerInsomnia(2002),andthe mysterydramaThe Prestige (2006). He found
furtherpopularandcritical successwiththe The Dark KnightTrilogy(2005–2012), Inception(2010) and
Interstellar(2014). Nolanhasco-writtenseveralof hisfilmswithhisbrother,JonathanNolan,andruns
the productioncompanySyncope Inc.withhiswife EmmaThomas.
Nolan'sfilmsare rootedinphilosophical,sociological andethical concepts,exploringhumanmorality,
the constructionof time,andthe malleable nature of memoryandpersonal identity.Hisbodyof workis
permeatedbymetfictive elements,temporalshifts,solipsisticperspectives,nonlinearstorytellingand
analogousrelationshipsbetweenvisual language andnarrative elements.Nolanisdescribedas"one of
the most innovativestorytellersandimage makersatworkinmoviestoday",[2] andhe isoftenadmired
by criticsfor integratingelementsof artfilmintothe blockbusterformat.
Contents
1 Earlylife
2 Career
2.1 1990s
2.2 2000s
2.3 2010s
2.4 Future work
3 Filmmaking
3.1 Style
3.2 Method
3.3 Themes
3.4 Influences
4 Viewsonthe filmindustry
5 Recurringcollaborators
6 Personal life
7 Recognition
7.1 Awardsand honors
8 Filmography
9 References
10 Sources

3. 11 External links
Early life [edit]
NolanattendedUniversityCollegeLondon,anduseditsFlaxmanGalleryforascene inInception
Nolanwasborn inLondon.His Englishfather,BrendanJamesNolan,wasanadvertisingexecutive,and
hisAmericanmother,Christina(née Jensen),workedasa flightattendantandEnglishteacher.His
childhoodwassplitbetweenLondonandChicago,andhe hasbothBritishand Americancitizenship.He
has an olderbrother,Matthew,anda youngerbrother,Jonathan.
He beganmakingfilmsatage seven,borrowinghisfather'sSuper8cameraand shootingshortfilms
withhisactionfigures.Growingup,Nolanwasa greatadmirerof Star Wars (1977), andaround the age
of eighthe made a stopmotionanimationhomage calledSpace Wars.Hisuncle whoworkedatNASA,
buildingguidancesystemsforthe Apollorockets,senthimsome launchfootage."Ire-filmedthemoff
the screenand cut themin,thinkingno-one wouldnotice,"Nolanlaterremarked.Fromthe age of 11,
he aspiredto be a professional filmmaker.
Nolanwaseducatedat HaileyburyandImperial Service College,anindependentschool inHertford
Heath,Hertfordshire,andlaterreadEnglishliterature atUniversityCollege London(UCL).He chose UCL
specificallyforitsfilmmakingfacilities,whichcomprisedaSteinbeckeditingsuite and16 mm film
cameras.Nolanwaspresidentof the Union'sFilmSociety,andwithEmmaThomas(hisgirlfriendand
future producer) he screened35mm feature filmsduringthe school yearandusedthe moneyearnedto
produce 16 mm filmsoverthe summers.
Duringhiscollege years,Nolanmade twoshortfilms.The firstwasthe surreal 8 mmTarantella(1989),
whichwasshownon Image Union(an independentfilmandvideoshowcase onthe PublicBroadcasting
Service).The secondwasLarceny(1995), filmedoveraweekendinblackandwhite withalimitedcast,
crew,and equipment.FundedbyNolanandshotwiththe society'sequipment,itappearedatthe
Cambridge FilmFestival in1996 and is consideredone of UCL'sbestshorts.
Career
Aftergraduation,Nolandirectedcorporate videosandindustrialfilms.He alsomade a thirdshort,
Doodlebug(1997),about a man chasingan insectarounda flatwitha shoe,onlytodiscoverwhenkilling
it thatit is a miniature of himself.Duringthisperiodof hiscareer,Nolanhadlittle ornosuccessgetting
hisprojectsoff the ground;he laterrecalledthe "stackof rejectionletters"thatgreetedhisearlyforays
intomakingfilms,adding"there'saverylimitedpool of finance inthe UK.To be honest,it'sa very
clubbykindof place ...Neverhadany supportwhatsoeverfromthe Britishfilmindustry.

4. In 1998 Nolandirectedhisfirstfeature,whichhe personallyfundedandfilmedwithfriends.Following
depictsanunemployedyoungwriter(JeremyTheobald) whotrailsstrangersthroughLondon,hoping
theywill provide material forhisfirstnovel,butisdrawnintoa criminal underworldwhenhe failsto
keephisdistance.The filmwasinspiredbyNolan's experienceof livinginLondonandhavinghisflat
burgled:"There isaninterestingconnectionbetweenastrangergoingthroughyourpossessionsandthe
conceptof followingpeople atrandomthrougha crowd – bothtake you beyondthe boundariesof
ordinarysocial relations”.Followingwasmade ona modestbudgetof £3,000, and wasshot on
weekendsoverthe course of a year.To conserve filmstock,eachscene inthe filmwasrehearsed
extensivelytoensure thatthe firstorsecondtake couldbe usedinthe final edit.Co-producedwith
Emma Thomasand JeremyTheobald,Nolanwrote,photographedandeditedthe filmhimself.Following
wonseveral awardsduringitsfestival runandwaswell receivedbycritics;The New Yorkerwrote thatit
"echoedHitchcockclassics",butwas"leanerandmeaner”.On11 December2012, it wasreleasedon
DVD andBlu-rayas part of the CriterionCollection.
2000s
"[The] difference betweenshootingFollowingwithagroupof friendswearingourownclothesandmy
mummakingsandwichestospending$4millionof somebodyelse'smoneyonMementoandhavinga
crewof a hundredpeople is,tothisday,byfar the biggestleapI've evermade."
—Nolanonthe jumpfromhisfirstfilmto hissecond.
As a resultof Following 'ssuccess,Nolanwasaffordedthe opportunitytomake hisbreakthroughhit
Memento(2000). Duringa road tripfromChicago toLos Angeles,hisbrotherJonathanpitchedthe idea
for "MementoMori",abouta man withanterograde amnesiawhousesnotesandtattoosto hunt forhis
wife'smurderer.Nolandevelopedascreenplaythattoldthe storyinreverse;AaronRyder,anexecutive
for NewmarketFilms,saiditwas"perhapsthe mostinnovativescriptIhad everseen".The filmwas
optionedandgivenabudgetof $4.5 million.Memento,starringGuyPearce andCarrie-Anne Moss,
premieredinSeptember2000 at the Venice International FilmFestivaltocritical acclaim.Joe
Morgensternof The Wall StreetJournal wrote inhisreview,"Ican't rememberwhenamovie has
seemedsoclever,strangelyaffectingandslylyfunnyatthe verysame time." Basil Smith,inthe bookThe
Philosophyof Neo-Noir,drawsacomparisonwithJohnLocke'sAnEssayConcerningHuman
Understandingwhicharguesthatconsciousmemoriesconstitute ouridentities,atheme which Nolan
exploresinthe film.The filmwasabox-officesuccess andreceivedanumberof accolades,including
AcademyAwardandGoldenGlobe Awardnominationsforitsscreenplay,IndependentSpiritAwardsfor
BestDirectorand BestScreenplay,anda DirectorsGuildof America (DGA) Awardnomination.Memento
was consideredbynumerouscriticstobe one of the bestfilmsof the 2000s.
ImpressedbyhisworkonMemento,StevenSoderberghrecruitedNolantodirectthe psychological
thrillerInsomnia(2002),starringAcademyAwardwinnersAl Pacino,Robin WilliamsandHilary Swank.

5. Warner Bros.initiallywantedamore seasoneddirector,butSoderberghandhisSectionEight
ProductionsfoughtforNolan,aswell ashischoice of cinematographer (Wally Pfizer) andeditor(Dowdy
Dorn).[40] Witha $46 millionbudget,itwasdescribedas"amuch more conventional Hollywoodfilm
than anythingthe directorhasdone before". A remake of the 1997 Norwegianfilmof the same name,
InsomniaisabouttwoLos AngelesdetectivessenttoanorthernAlaskantownto investigate the
methodical murderof alocal teenager.Itreceivedpositivereviewsfromcriticsandperformedwell at
the box office,earning$113 millionworldwide. FilmcriticRogerEbertpraisedthe filmforintroducing
newperspectivesandideasonthe issuesof moralityandguilt."Unlikemostremakes,the Nolan
Insomniaisnota pale retread,buta re-examinationof the material,like anew productionof agood
play. ErikSkjoldbjærg,the directorof the original film,wassatisfiedwithNolan'sversion,callingita
"well crafted,smartfilm...withareally gooddirectorhandlingit". RichardSchickel of Time deemed
Insomniaa"worthysuccessor"to Memento,and"a triumphof atmosphere overa none-too-mysterious
mystery.
AfterInsomnia,NolanplannedaHowardHughesbiographical filmstarringJimCarrey.He hadwrittena
screenplay,butwhenhe learnedthatMartinScorsese wasmakinga Hughesbiopic(2004's The Aviator)
he reluctantlytabledhisscriptandmovedonto otherprojects.Havingturneddownanoffertodirect
the historical epicTroy(2004),NolanworkedonadaptingRuthRendell'scrime novelThe Keystothe
Streetintoa screenplaywhichhe plannedtodirectforFox SearchlightPictures,buteventuallyleftthe
projectcitingthe similaritiestohispreviousfilms. Inearly2003, NolanapproachedWarnerBros. with
the ideato make a newBatman film.Fascinatedbythe characterandstory, he wantedtomake a film
groundedina "relatable"worldmore reminiscentof aclassical drama than a comic-book fantasy.
Batman Begins,the biggestprojectNolanhadundertakentothat point,premiered inJune 2005 to both
critical acclaimand commercial success. StarringChristianBale inthe title role,alongwithMichael
Caine,Gary Oldman,Morgan Freeman,andLiam Neeson,the filmrevivedthe franchise,heraldinga
trendtowardsdarkerfilmswhichrebooted (orretold) backstories. Ittellsthe originstoryof the
character fromBruce Wayne'sinitial fearof bats,the deathof hisparents,hisjourneytobecome
Batman,and hisfightagainstRa's al Ghoul’s plottodestroyGotham City.Praisedforitspsychological
depthandcontemporaryrelevance, Kyle Smithof The New YorkPostcalledit"a wake-upcall tothe
people whokeepgivinguscute capersaboutmenin tights.Itwipesthe smirkoff the face of the
superheromovie. BatmanBeginswasthe eighth-highest-grossingfilmof 2005 in the UnitedStatesand
the year's ninth-highest-grossingfilmworldwide.Itwasnominatedforthe AcademyAwardforBest
Cinematographyandthree BAFTA awards.
Nolanwiththe cast and crewof The Dark Knight(2008) at the Europeanpremiere inLondon.
Before returningtothe Batmanfranchise,Nolandirected,co-wrote andproducedThe Prestige (2006),
an adaptationof the ChristopherPriestnovelabouttworival 19th-centurymagicians. In2001, when
Nolanwasin post-productionforInsomnia,he askedhisbrotherJonathantohelpwrite the scriptfor
the film.The screenplaywasanintermittent,five-yearcollaborationbetweenthe brothers. Nolan
initiallyintendedtomake the filmasearlyas 2003, postponingthe projectafteragreeingtomake

6. Batman Begins. StarringChristianBale andHugh Jackman in the leadroles,The Prestige receivedcritical
acclaim(includingOscarnominationsforBestCinematographyandBestArtDirection), andearnedover
$109 millionworldwide. Withadark and twistingtale,RogerEbertdescribeditas"quite a movie —
atmospheric, obsessive,almostsatanic.
In July2006 Nolanannouncedthatthe follow-uptoBatmanBeginswouldbe calledThe DarkKnight.
Approachingthe sequel,Nolanwantedtoexpandonthe nourish qualityof the firstfilmbybroadening
the canvas and takingon"the dynamicof a story of the city,a large crime story... where you're looking
at the police,the justicesystem, the vigilante,the poorpeople,the richpeople,the criminals.Released
in2008, to great critical acclaim,The Dark Knighthasbeencitedas one of the bestfilmsof the 2000s
and one of the bestsuperherofilmsevermade. ManohlaDargisof The New YorkTimesfoundthe film
to be of higherartisticmeritthanmanyHollywoodblockbusters:"Pitchedatthe divide betweenartand
industry,poetryandentertainment,itgoesdarkeranddeeperthananyHollywoodmovieof itscomic-
bookkind.Ebertexpressedasimilarpointof view,describingitasa "hauntedfilmthatleapsbeyondits
originsandbecomesanengrossingtragedy. The filmsetanumberof box-office recordsduringits
theatrical run, earning$534,858,444 in NorthAmericaand$469,700,000 abroad, fora worldwidetotal
of $1,004,558,444.The Dark Knightisthe firstfeature filmshotpartially inthe 15/70 mm IMAXformat.
At the 81st AcademyAwardsthe filmwasnominatedforeightOscars,winningtwo:the AcademyAward
for BestSoundEditinganda posthumousAcademyAwardforBestSupportingActorforHeathLedger.
Nolanwas recognized byhispeerswithnominationsfromthe DGA,WritersGuildof America(WGA),
and ProducersGuildof America(PGA).
2010s
AfterThe Dark Knight’ssuccess,WarnerBros.signedNolantodirectInception.Nolanalsowrote andco-
producedthe film,described as"acontemporarysci-fi actionersetwithinthe architecture of the mind".
Before beingreleasedintheaters,criticslikePeterTraversandLou Lumenickwonderedif Nolan'sfaith
inmoviegoers'intelligence wouldcosthimatthe box office.Starring alarge ensemblecastledby
LeonardoDiCaprio,the filmwasreleasedon16 July2010, andwas a critical and commercial success.
RichardRoeperof the ChicagoSun-Times,awardedthe filmaperfectscore of "A+"and calledit"one of
the bestmoviesof the [21st] century. Mark Kermode nameditthe bestfilmof 2010, stating"Inception
isproof thatpeople are notstupid,thatcinemaisnot trash, andthat it ispossible forblockbustersand
art to be the same thing. VeteranproducerJohnDavisspeculatedthat itssuccesscouldinspire studios
to make more original content;"Ican promise youthatheadsof studiosare alreadygoinginto
productionmeetingssayingwe needfreshideasforsummermovies,we wantoriginal conceptslike
Inceptionthatare big andboldenoughto carry themselves”.The filmendedupgrossingover$820
millionworldwide andwasnominatedforeightOscars,includingBestPicture;itwonBest
Cinematography,BestSoundMixing,BestSoundEditingandBestVisual Effects. Nolanalsoreceived
BAFTA,GoldenGlobe,DGA andPGA Awardnominations,aswell asaWGA Award forhiswork onthe
film.While inpost-productiononInception,Nolangave aninterview forThese AmazingShadows(2011),
a documentaryspotlightingfilmappreciationandpreservationby the National Film Registry.He also
appearedinSide bySide (2012), a documentaryaboutthe history,processandworkflow of bothdigital
and photochemical filmcreation.

7. Nolanacceptinga "Certificate of Appreciation"fromPittsburghduringa breakfromfilmingThe Dark
KnightRisesin2011.
In 2012, Nolandirectedhisthirdandfinal Batmanfilm, The Dark KnightRises.Althoughhe wasinitially
hesitantaboutreturningtothe series,he agreedtocome back afterdevelopingastorywithhisbrother
and DavidS. Goyerwhichhe feltwouldendthe seriesonahighnote.The Dark KnightRiseswas
releasedon20 July2012 to critical acclaim;Andrew O'Hehirof Saloncalledit"arguablythe biggest,
darkest,mostthrillinganddisturbingandutterlyballs-outspectacle evercreatedforthe screen.",
furtherdescribingthe workas"auteuristspectacle onascale neverbefore possibleandneverbefore
attempted”.Christy Lemire of The AssociatedPresswrote inherreview thatNolanconcludedhistrilogy
ina "typicallyspectacular,ambitiousfashion",butdislikedthe "overloaded"storyandexcessive
grimness;"Thisisthe problemwhenyou're anexceptional,visionaryfilmmaker.Whenyougive people
somethingextraordinary,theyexpectiteverytime.Anythingshortof thatfeelslike aletdown. Likeits
predecessoritperformedwellatthe box office,becomingthe thirteenthfilminthe worldtogrossover
$1-billion. Duringamidnightshowingof the filmatthe Century16 cinemain Aurora,Colorado,a
gunmanopenedfire inside the theater,killing12 people andinjuring58 others. Nolanreleaseda
statementtothe pressexpressinghiscondolencesforthe victimsof whathe describedasasenseless
tragedy.
Duringstory discussionsforThe DarkKnightRisesin2010, Goyertold Nolanof hisideato present
Supermanina moderncontext.ImpressedwithGoyer'sconcept,Nolanpitchedthe ideaforManof
Steel (2013) to Warner Bros,whohiredNolantoproduce andGoyerto write NolanofferedZackSnyder
to directthe film,basedonhisstylizedadaptationsof 300 (2007) and Watchmen(2009) and his"innate
aptitude fordealingwithsuperheroesasreal characters”.StarringHenry Cavil,AmyAdams,Kevin
CostnerandMichael Shannon,Man of Steel grossedmore than$660 millionatthe worldwidebox
office,butgarneredadivisivecritical reaction.NolanandThomasalsoservedasexecutiveproducerson
Transcendence (2014),the directorial debutof Nolan'slongtime cinematographerWallyPfister.Based
on a scriptby Jack Paglen,the filmrevolvesaroundtwoscientistswhoworktowardcreatingamachine
that possessessentience andcollectiveintelligence.[103] StarringJohnnyDepp,RebeccaHall andPaul
Bettany,Transcendence wasreleasedintheaterson18 April 2014 to mostlyunfavorablereviewsA.A.
Dowdof The A.V.Clubgave the filma C- rating,pointingoutthat "[Pfister]lacksNolan'stalentfor
weavinggrandpopspectacle outof cultural anxieties."
In January2013 it wasannouncedthatNolanwoulddirect,write andproduce ascience-fictionfilm
entitledInterstellar.The firstdraftsof the scriptwere writtenbyJonathanNolan,anditwas originallyto
be directedbyStevenSpielberg. Basedonthe scientifictheoriesof renownedtheoretical physicistKip
Thorne,the filmdepicted"aheroicinterstellarvoyage tothe farthestbordersof our scientific
understanding". InterstellarstarredMatthew McConaughey,Anne Hathaway,JessicaChastain,Bill Irwin,
Michael Caine andEllenBurstyn,andwas notablyNolan'sfirstcollaborationwithcinematographer

8. Hoyte van Hoytema.AccordingtocomposerHans Zimmer,theywantedtomove inanew directionwith
the score: "We had thissort of conversationabout — youknow nine yearswe spentinour Batman
world.The textures,the music,andthe sounds,andthe thingwe sortof createdhas sortof seepedinto
otherpeople'smoviesabit,soit's time to reinvent.ParamountPicturesandWarnerBros.co-financed
and co-distributedthe project,releasedon5November2014 to positive reviewsandstrongbox office
results,grossingover$670 millionworldwide. Interstellarwasparticularlypraisedforitsscientific
accuracy, whichledto the publicationof twoscientificpapersandthe AmericanJournal of Physics
callingforit tobe showninschool science lessons. Interstellarwasnamedone of the bestfilmsof the
yearby The AmericanFilm Institute (AFI).Atthe 87thAcademyAwards,the filmwonthe BestVisual
Effectsandreceivedfourothernominations — BestOriginal Score,BestSoundMixing,BestSound
EditingandBestProductionDesign. Nolancuratedthe shortfilmEmic:A Time Capsule Fromthe People
of Earth (2015). It was specificallyinspiredbythe themesof Interstellar,and attemptstocapture and
celebrate the human experience onEarth
In 2015, Nolan'sproductioncompany Syncope formedajointventure withZeitgeistFilms,torelease
Blu-rayeditionsof Zeitgeist'sprestige titles.TheirfirstprojectwasElena(2011) fromdirectorAndrey
Zvyagintsev. Aspartof a Blu-rayrelease of the QuayBrothersanimatedwork,Nolandirectedthe
documentaryshortQuay(2015). He alsoinitiatedatheatrical tour,showcasingthe Quay'sInAbsentia,
The Comb and Streetof Crocodiles.The programandNolan'sshortreceivedcritical acclaim, withIndie
wire writingintheirreviewthatthe brothers"will undoubtedlyhave hundreds,if notthousandsmore
fansbecause of Nolan,andfor that The Quay Brothersin35mm will alwaysbe one of latter'smost
importantcontributionstocinema.In 2015, NolanalsojoinedThe FilmFoundation'sboardof directors,
a non-profitorganizationdedicatedtofilmpreservation. On7May, itwas announcedthatNolanand
Martin Scorsese hadbeenappointedbythe Libraryof Congresstoserve onthe National Film
PreservationBoard(NFPB) asDGA representatives.
Future work
NolanandThomas are executive producersonthe upcomingBatmanv Superman:Dawnof Justice
(2016), the sequel toMan of Steel andthe secondinstallmentof the DCExtendedUniverse.According
to producerCharlesRoven,Nolanisinvolvedwiththe production inan"advisorycapacity".
On September8,2015, VarietyannouncedthatNolan woulddirectanotherfilmforWarnerBros.to be
releasedonJuly21, 2017; nootherdetailsaboutthe filmhave beenrevealed.
FilmmakingStyle
Regardedasan auteur andpostmodernfilmmaker,Nolan'svisualstyle emphasizes urbansettings,men
insuits,mutedcolors,dialogue scenesframedinwideclose-upwithashallow depthof fieldand
modernlocationsandarchitecture.He hasnotedthat all of hisfilmsare heavilyinfluencedbyfilmnoir.

9. A map showingthe structure of Memento(2000).
Nolanhascontinuouslyexperimentedwithmetafictive elements,temporal shifts,elliptical cutting,
solipsisticperspectives,nonlinearstorytellingand the mergingof style andform. DiscussingThe Tree of
Life (2011), Nolanspoke of Terrence Malik’sworkandhow it has influencedhisownapproachtostyle,
"Whenyouthinkof a visual style,whenyouthinkof the visual language of afilm, there tendstobe a
natural separationof the visual style andthe narrative elements.Butwiththe greats,whetherit's
StanleyKubrickorTerrence Malikor Hitchcock,whatyou're seeingisaninseparable,avital relationship
betweenthe image andthe storyit'stelling".
Drawingattentiontothe intrinsicallymanipulativenature of the medium, Nolan usesnarrative and
stylistictechniques(notablymise enscene andrecursions) tostimulatethe viewertoaskthemselves
whyhisfilmsare put togetherinsuchwaysand whythe filmsprovoke particularresponses.He often
useseditingasa wayto representthe characters'psychological states,mergingtheirsubjectivity with
that of the audience. Forexample,inMementothe fragmentedsequential orderof scenesistoputthe
audience intoasimilarexperience of Leonard'sdefectiveabilitytocreate new long-termmemories.In
The Prestige,the seriesof magictricksandthemesof dualityanddeceptionmirrorthe structural
narrative of the film.
The protagonistsof Nolan'sfilmsare usuallypsychologicallydamaged,obsessivelyseekingvengeance
for the deathof a lovedone.Theyare oftendrivenbyphilosophical beliefs,andtheirfate isambiguous.
In manyof hisfilmsthe protagonistandantagonistare mirrorimagesof eachother,a pointwhichis
made to the protagonistbythe antagonist.Throughthese clashingsof ideologies,Nolanhighlightsthe
ambivalentnature of truth. Hiswritingstyle incorporatesanumberof storytellingtechniquessuchas
flashbacks,shiftingpointsof viewandunreliablenarrators.Scenesare ofteninterruptedbythe
unconventional editingstyle of cuttingawayquicklyfromthe moneyshot(ornearlycuttingoff
characters' dialogue) andcrosscuttingseveral scenesof parallelactiontobuildtoa climax. Nolanhas
alsostressedthe importance of establishingaclearpointof view inhisfilms,andmakesfrequentuse of
"the shot thatwalksintoa room behindacharacter, because ...thattakes[the viewer] inside the way
that the character enters.
Nolanusescinéma-véritétechniques(suchashand-heldcamerawork) toconveyrealism. Inan
interview atthe FilmSocietyof LincolnCenter,NolanexplainedhisemphasisonrealisminThe Dark
Knighttrilogy:"Youtry andget the audience toinvestincinematicreality.WhenItalkaboutrealityin
these films,it'softenmisconstrued asa directreality,butit'sreally aboutacinematicreality.
Method

10. Filmsare subjective –whatyoulike,whatyoudon'tlike,butthe thingfor me that isabsolutelyunifying
isthe ideathateverytime Igo to the cinemaand pay mymoneyandsit down andwatch a filmgo up
onscreen,Iwantto feel thatthe people whomade thatfilmthinkit'sthe bestmovie inthe world,that
theypouredeverythingintoitandtheyreallylove it.Whetherornot I agree withwhatthey've done,I
wantthat effortthere – I wantthat sincerity.Andwhenyoudon'tfeel it,that'sthe onlytime Ifeel like
I'm wastingmytime at the movies.
—Nolan,onsincerityandambitioninfilmmaking.
Nolanhasdescribedhisfilmmakingprocessasa combinationof intuitionandgeometry."Idraw a lotof
diagramswhenIwork. I doa lotof thinkingaboutetchingsbyEscher,forinstance.Thatfreesme,
findingamathematical model orascientificmodel.I'll draw picturesanddiagramsthatillustrate the
movementorthe rhythmthat I'm after. He also deliberatelyworksunderatightschedule duringthe
earlystagesof the editingprocess,forcinghimselfandhiseditortoworkmore spontaneously."Ialways
thinkof editingasinstinctiveorimpressionist.Nottothinktoomuch,in a way, and feel itmore."Nolan
alsoavoidsusingtempmusicwhile cuttinghisfilms.
He prefersshootingonfilmtodigital video,andopposesthe use of digital intermediatesanddigital
cinematography,whichhe feelsare lessreliable andofferinferiorimage qualitytofilm.Inparticular,the
directoradvocatesforthe use of higher-quality,larger-formatfilmstocksuchasanamorphic35 mm,
VistaVision,65mm and IMAX.Nolan usesmulti-cameraforstuntsandsingle-cameraforall the
dramaticaction,from whichhe will thenwatchdailieseverynight;"Shootingsingle-camerameansI've
alreadyseeneveryframe asit'sgone throughthe gate because myattentionisn'tdividedtomulti-
cameras.
Whenworkingwithactors,Nolanprefersgivingthemthe time toperformasmanytakesof a given
scene as theywant."I've come to realize thatthe lightingandcamerasetups,the technical things,take
all the time,butrunninganothertake generallyonlyaddsacouple of minutes....If anactor tellsme
theycan do somethingmore withascene,Igive themthe chance,because it'snotgoingto cost that
much time.Itcan't all be aboutthe technical issues. GaryOldmanpraisedthe directorforprovidinga
relaxedatmosphere onset,adding"I've neverseenhimraise his voice toanyone".He alsoobserved
that Nolanwouldgive the actorsspace to "findthingsinthe scene",andnotjustgive directionfor
direction'ssake.
Nolanchoosestominimize the amountof computer-generatedimageryforspecialeffectsinhisfilms,
preferringtouse practical effectswheneverpossible,onlyusingCGIto enhance elementswhichhe has
photographedincamera.Forinstance hisfilmsBatmanBegins,InceptionandInterstellarfeatured620,
500 and850 visual-effectsshots,respectively,whichisconsideredminorwhencomparedwith
contemporaryvisual-effectsepicswhichmayhave upwards of 1,500 to 2,000 VFXshots:"Ibelieveinan
absolute difference betweenanimationandphotography.Howeversophisticatedyourcomputer-

11. generatedimageryis,if it'sbeencreatedfromnophysical elementsandyouhaven'tshotanything,it's
goingto feel like animation.There are usuallytwodifferentgoalsin avisual effectsmovie.One istofool
the audience intoseeingsomethingseamless,andthat'show I try to use it.The otheristo impressthe
audience withthe amountof moneyspentonthe spectacle of the visual effect,andthat,I have no
interestin".
Nolanshootsthe entiretyof hisfilmswithone unit,ratherthanusingasecondunitforaction
sequences.InthatwayNolankeepshispersonalityandpointof view ineveryaspectof the film."If I
don't needtobe directingthe shotsthatgo in the movie,whydoI needtobe there at all?The screenis
the same size for everyshot...Many actionfilmsembrace asecondunittakingon all of the action.For
me,that's oddbecause thenwhydidyouwant to doan actionfilm?"A famouslysecretivefilmmaker,
Nolanisalsoknownfor histightsecurityonscripts,evengoingasfar as tellingthe actorsof The Dark
KnightRisesthe endingof the filmverballytoavoidanyleaksandalsokeepingthe Interstellarplot
secretfromhiscomposerHans Zimmer.
Themes
A staircase ina square format.The stairsmake four90-degree turnsin eachcorner,so theyare inthe
formatof a continuousloop.
Mazes,impossibleconstructionsandparadoxesare featuredinNolan'swork. The Penrosestairs
featuredinInceptionasanexample of the impossible objectsthatcan be createdinluciddreamworlds.
Nolan'sworkexploresexistential,ethicalandepistemological themessuchassubjective experience,
distortionof memory,humanmorality,the nature of time,andconstructionof personal identity.I’m
fascinatedbyoursubjective perceptionof reality,thatwe are all stuckina verysingularpointof view,a
singularperspective onwhatwe all agree tobe an objective reality,andmoviesare one of the waysin
whichwe try to see thingsfromthe same pointof view”.Film criticTomShone describedNolan'sfilms
as "epistemological thrillerswhose protagonists,grippedbythe desire fordefinitiveanswers,must
negotiate mazyenvironmentsinwhichthe truthisalwaysbeyondtheirreach.
His charactersare oftenemotionallydisturbedandmorallyambiguous,facingthe fearsandanxietiesof
loneliness,guilt,jealousy,andgreed;inadditiontothe largerthemesof corruptionandconspiracy.By
grounding"everydayneurosis –our everydaysortof fearsand hopesforourselves"inaheightened
reality,Nolanmakesthemmore accessible toauniversal audience.The directorhassaidthat he
incorporateshispersonal experiencesintohiswork,"Fromacreative pointof view,the processof
growingup,the processof maturing,gettingmarried,havingkids,I've triedtouse thatinmy work.I've
triedto justalwaysbe drivenbythe thingsthatwere importanttome.
WritingforThe Playlist,OliverLytteltonsingledoutparenthoodasa signature theme inNolan'swork,
adding;"the directoravoidstalkingabouthisprivate life,butfatherhoodhasbeenatthe emotional

12. heartof almosteverythinghe'smade,atleastfromBatman Beginsonwards(previousfilms,itshouldbe
said,pre-datedthe birthof hiskids). While promotingInterstellar,JessicaChastainsaid,"Atthe heartof
it,it's aboutlove;it'sabout a fatherand daughter...I thinkforChris,beingafather,thisstorywas very
close to him.
Nolan'smostprominentrecurringtheme isthe conceptof time.The directorhasidentifiedthatall of his
films"have hadsome oddrelationshipwithtime,usuallyinjustastructural sense,inthatI have always
beeninterestedin the subjectivityof time. WritingforFilmPhilosophy,EmmaBell pointsoutthatthe
characters inInceptiondonotliterallytime-travel,"rathertheyescape time bybeingstrickeninit –
buildingthe delusionthattime hasnotpassed,andis notpassingnow.Theyfeel time grievously:
willinglyandknowingly destroyingtheirexperience bycreatingmultiple simultaneousexistences.In
Interstellar,Nolanexploredthe lawsof physicsasrepresentedinEinstein'stheoryof general relativity,
identifyingtimeasthe film'santagonist.
In Nolan'sfilmsrealityis oftenanabstractand fragile concept.AlecPrice andM. Dawsonof LeftField
Cinema,notedthatthe existentialcrisesof conflictedmale figures"strugglingwiththe slipperynature of
identity"isaprevalenttheme inNolan'swork.The actual (orobjective) worldisof lessimportance than
the way inwhichwe absorband remember,anditisthiscreated(or subjective) realitythattruly
matters."It issolelyinthe mindandthe heartwhere anysense of permanencyorequilibriumcanever
be found. AccordingtofilmtheoristToddMcGowan,these "createdrealities"alsorevealthe ethical and
political importance of creatingfictionsandfalsehoods.Nolan'sfilmstypicallydeceivespectatorsabout
the eventsthatoccur and the motivationsof the characters,buttheydo not abandonthe ideaof truth
altogether.Instead,"Theyshowushowtruthmust emerge outof the lie if itisnot to leadus entirely
astray."McGowan furtherarguesthatNolanisthe firstfilmmakertodevote himself entirelytothe
illusionof the medium,calling himaHegelianfilmmaker.
The Dark Knighttrilogyexploredthemesof chaos,terrorism, escalationof violence,financial
manipulation,utilitarianism,masssurveillance,andclassconflicts. Batman'sarc of rising
(philosophically) fromamanto "more thanjusta man",issimilartothe NietzschianÜbermensch.The
filmsalsoexploreideasakintoJean-JacquesRousseau'sphilosophical glorificationof asimpler,more-
primitive wayof life and the conceptof general will. TheoristDouglasKellnersaw the seriesasacritical
allegoryaboutthe Bush-Cheneyera,highlightingthe theme of governmentcorruptionandfailure to
solve social problems,aswell asthe cinematicspectacle andiconography relatedto9/11.
In Inception,Nolanwasinspiredbyluciddreaminganddreamincubation.The film'scharacterstryto
embedanideaina person'smindwithouttheirknowledge,similartoFreud'stheoriesthatthe
unconsciousinfluencesone'sbehaviorwithouttheirknowledge. Mostof the filmtakesplace in
interconnecteddreamworlds;thiscreatesaframeworkwhere actionsinthe real (ordream) worlds
ripple acrossothers.The dreamisalwaysina state of emergence,shiftingacrosslevelsas the characters
navigate it. Inception,like MementoandThe Prestige,usesmetalepticstorytellingdevicesandfollows
Nolan's"auteuraffinityof converting,moreover,convergingnarrative andcognitivevaluesintoand

13. withinafictional story.Nolan hassaidmovies are "suitedtowardsaddressingparadox,recursiveness,
and worlds-within-worlds".
Influences
NolanhascitedStanleyKubrick Terrence Malik,OrsonWelles,FritzLang,NicolasRoeg,SidneyLumet,
DavidLean,Ridley Scott,TerryGilliam,andJohnFrankenheimerasinfluences.Nolan'spersonal favorite
filmsinclude BladeRunner(1982),Star Wars (1977), The Man Who WouldBe King(1975), Lawrence of
Arabia(1962), Chinatown(1974),and 2001: A Space Odyssey(1968). In 2013, CriterionCollection
releasedalistof Nolan'stenfavorite filmsfromitscatalog,whichincludedThe Hit(1984),12 AngryMen
(1957), The ThinRed Line (1998), The Testamentof Dr.Mabuse (1933), Bad Timing(1980), Merry
ChristmasMr. Lawrence (1983), For All Mankind(1989), Koyaanisqatsi (1982),Mr. Arkadin(1955), and
Erich vonStroheim'sGreed(1924).
Nolan'shabitforemployingnon-linearstorylineswasparticularlyinfluencedbythe GrahamSwiftnovel
Water land,whichhe felt"didincrediblethingswithparallel timelines,andtold astory indifferent
dimensionsthatwasextremelycoherent".He wasalsoinfluencedbythe visual languageof the filmPink
Floyd– The Wall (1982) andthe structure of PulpFiction(1994), statingthat he was "fascinatedwith
whatTarantino haddone". For Interstellarhe mentionedanumberof literaryinfluences,including
FlatlandbyEdwinAbbott,The WaspFactory by IainBanks,and Madeleine L'Engle'sA Wrinkle in Time.
OtherinfluencesNolanhascitedincludefigurativepainterFrancisBacon, architectLudwigMiesvander
Rohe,graphicartistM. C. Escherand authorsRaymondChandler,James Elroy,JimThompson,Jorge Luis
Borges, and CharlesDickens(A Tale of TwoCitieswasa majorinfluence onThe DarkKnightRises).
Viewsonthe filmindustry
ChristopherNolanisavocal proponentforthe continueduse of filmstockoverdigital recordingand
projectionformats,summinguphisbeliefsas,"Iam notcommittedtofilmoutof nostalgia.Iam infavor
of anykindof technical innovationbutitneedsto exceedwhathasgone before andsofarnothinghas
exceededanythingthat'scome before". Nolan'smajorconcernisthatthe filmindustry'sadoptionof
digital formatshasbeendrivenpurelybyeconomicfactorsasopposedtodigital beingasuperior
mediumtofilm,saying:"Ithink,truthfully,itboilsdowntothe economicinterestof manufacturersand
[a production] industrythatmakesmore moneythroughchange ratherthanthrough maintainingthe
statusquo.
Shortlybefore Christmasof 2011, Nolaninvitedseveral prominentdirectors,including,EdgarWright,
Michael Bay,Bryan Singer,Jon Favre au, Eli Roth,Duncan JonesandStephenDaldry,toUniversal City
Walk’sIMAX theatre fora private screeningof the firstsix minutesof The Dark KnightRises,whichhad
beenshoton IMAXfilmandeditedfromthe original cameranegative.Nolanusedthisscreeninginan
attemptto showcase the superiorityof the IMAXformatoverdigital,andwarnthe filmmakersthat
unlesstheycontinuedtoasserttheirchoice touse filmintheirproductions,Hollywoodmovie studios

14. wouldbegintophase outthe use of filminfavorof digital. Nolanexplained;"Iwantedtogive thema
chance to see the potential,because IthinkIMAXisthe bestfilmformatthatwas everinvented.It'sthe
goldstandardand what anyothertechnologyhasto match upto, but none have,inmyopinion.The
message Iwantedto putout there wasthat no one istakinganyone'sdigital camerasaway.Butif we
wantfilmto continue asan option,andsomeone isworkingonabigstudiomovie withthe resources
and the powerto insist[on] film,theyshouldsayso.Ifeltasif I didn'tsayanything,andthenwe started
to lose thatoption,itwouldbe a shame.WhenI lookat a digitallyacquiredandprojectedimage,itlooks
inferioragainstanoriginal negative anamorphicprintoran IMAX one. In2015, NolanandTacita Dean
invitedover30 representativesfromleadingAmericanfilmarchives,labsandpresentinginstitutionsto
participate inaninformal summitentitledReframingthe Future of Filmatthe J. Paul GettyMuseum.
Nolanisalsoan advocate for the importance of filmsbeingshowninlarge screenedcinematheatersas
opposedtohome videoformats,ashe believesthat,"The theatrical window istothe movie business
whatlive concertsare to the musicbusiness—andnoone goestoa concertto be playedanMP3 on a
bare stage.
In 2014, ChristopherNolanwrote anarticle forThe Wall StreetJournal where he expressedconcernthat
as the filmindustrytransitionsawayfromphotochemical filmtowardsdigital formats,the difference
betweenseeingfilmsintheatersversusonotherformatswill become trivialized,leavingaudiencesno
incentive toseekoutatheatrical experience.Nolanfurtherexpressedconcernthatwithcontent
digitized,theatersof the future will be able totrackbest-sellingfilmsandadjusttheirprogramming
accordingly;a processthatfavorslarge heavilymarketedstudiofilms,butwill marginalize smaller
innovative andunconventional pictures.Inordertocombatthis,Nolanbelievesthe industryneedsto
focuson improvingthe theatrical experience withbiggerandmore beautifulpresentationformatsthat
cannot be accessedor reproducedinthe home,aswell asembracingthe new generationof aspiring
younginnovative filmmakers.
Recurringcollaborators
Emma Thomashas co-producedall of hisfilms(includingMemento,inwhichshe iscreditedasan
associate producer).He regularlyworkswithhisbrother,screenwriterandproducerJonathanNolan,
whodescribestheirworkingrelationshipinthe productionnotesforThe Prestige:"I've always
suspectedthatithas somethingtodowiththe fact that he'sleft-handedandI'mright-handed,because
he'ssomehowable tolookat my ideasandflip themaroundina way that'sjust a little bitmore twisted
and interesting.It'sgreatto be able to workwithhimlike that". The brothers"alwaysbounce ideasoff
each other",evenwhenworkingonseparate projects.
WhenNolan'sfamilyrelocatedtoChicagoduringhisformativeyears,he startedmakingfilmswith
AdrienandRokoBelic.He has continuedhiscollaborationwiththe brothers,receivingacreditforhis
editorial assistance ontheirOscar-nominateddocumentaryGenghisBlues(1999).Nolanalso worked

15. alongside Roko(andfuture PulitzerPrize winnerJeffreyGettleman) ondocumentingasafari acrossfour
Africancountries,organizedbythe late photojournalistDanEldoninthe early1990s.
Nolan'syoungerbrother,Jonathan,in2012.
The directorhas workedwithscreenwriterDavidS.Goyeronall hiscomic-bookadaptations.[185]
Nolan'sformerassistantandfrequentcollaborator,JordanGoldberg,hasproducedeveryNolan-
directedfilmsince The Prestige,[186] andhelpedreworkWally Pfizer’s directorialdebut,
Transcendence.Pfizerwasthe cinematographerforall of Nolan'sfilmsfromMementotoThe Dark
KnightRises.He spoke of hisrelationshipwiththe director:"Mine andChris'workingrelationshipis
defined,quite simply,bythe greatrespectwe have foreach other.I've learnedsomuchfromhim in
termsof himpushingme tofindbeautyina simplermethodof photography.We're alsoverylike-
minded,we share asense of humor,and fromthe beginningItrust hisjudgment."
"Asa director,I'm sort of a humanlensthroughwhicheveryone'seffortsare focused.A bigpartof my
jobis makingdecisionsabouthowall the greattalentthatI'm workingwithblendsintoasingle
consciousness"
—Nolanoncollaborationandleadership.
Lee Smithhas beenNolan'seditorsince BatmanBegins,withDodyDorneditingMementoandInsomnia.
DavidJuliancomposedthe musicforNolan'searlywork,whileHansZimmerandJamesNewtonHoward
providedthe musicforBatman BeginsandThe Dark Knight. ZimmerscoredThe DarkKnightRises,and
workedwithNolanon InceptionandInterstellar.The directorhasworkedwithsounddesignerRichard
Kingand soundmixerEd Novicksince The Prestige. Nolanhasfrequentlycollaboratedwithspecial-
effectssupervisorChrisCorbould,stuntcoordinatorTomStruthers andvisual effectssupervisorPaul
Franklin. ProductiondesignerNathanCrowleyhasworkedwithhimsince Insomnia(exceptfor
Inception). NolanhascalledCrowleyone of hisclosestandmostinspiringcreative collaborators. Casting
directorJohnPapsiderahasworkedonall of Nolan'sfilms,exceptFollowingandInsomnia.
ChristianBale,Michael Caine andCillianMurphyhave beenfrequentcollaboratorssince BatmanBegins.
Caine isNolan'smostprolificcollaborator,havingappearedinsix of hisfilms,andisregardedbyNolan
to be his"good luckcharm".[200] In return,Caine hasdescribedNolanas"one of cinema'sgreatest
directors",comparinghimfavorablywiththe likesof DavidLean,JohnHustonandJosephL.
Mankiewicz.Nolanisalsoknownforcastingstarsfromthe 1980s in hisfilms,i.e.RutgerHauer(Batman
Begins),EricRoberts(The DarkKnight),Tom Beranger(Inception),andMatthew Modine (The Dark
KnightRises).[204] Modine saidof workingwithNolan:"There are nochairson a Nolanset,he getsout
of hiscar and goesto the set.And he standsup until lunchtime.Andthenhe standsupuntil theysay
'Wrap'. He's fullyengaged –ineveryaspectof the film.

16. Personal life
Nolanandhis wife EmmaThomasinJanuary2011
Nolanismarriedto Emma Thomas,whomhe metat UniversityCollegeLondonwhenhe was 19.She has
workedasa produceronall of hisfilms,andtogethertheyfoundedthe productioncompanySyncopy
Inc. The couple have fourchildrenand reside inLosAngeles.
Nolanprefersnottouse a cell phone oran email address,saying"It'snotthat I'm a Luddite anddon't
like technology;I've justneverbeeninterested[...] WhenImovedtoLosAngelesin1997, nobodyreally
had cell phones,and Ijustneverwentdownthatpath.
Recognition
Havingmade some of the mostinfluential andpopularfilmsof histime, Nolan'sworkhasbeenas
"intenselyembraced,analyzedanddebatedbyordinaryfilmfansasbycriticsand film academics".
Accordingto The Wall StreetJournal,his"abilitytocombine box-office successwithartisticambitionhas
givenhimanextraordinaryamount of cloutinthe industry Geoff Andrew of the BritishFilmInstitute
(BFI) andregularcontributorto the Sight& Soundmagazine,calledNolan"apersuasivelyinventive
storyteller",singlinghimoutasone of few contemporaryfilmmakersproducinghighlypersonalfilms
withinthe Hollywoodmainstream.He alsopointedoutthatNolan'sfilmsare asnotable fortheir
"considerabletechnical virtuosityandvisual flair"asfortheir"brilliantnarrative ingenuityandtheir
unusuallyadultinterestincomplex philosophical questions. ScottFoundasof Varietydeclaredhim"the
premierbig-canvasstorytellerof hisgeneration.
The filmmakerhasbeenpraisedbymanyof hiscontemporaries,andsome have citedhisworkas
influencingtheirown.RupertWyatt,directorof Rise of the Planetof the Apes(2011), said inan
interview thathe thinksof Nolanasa "trailblazer...he istobe hugelyadmiredasamasterfilmmaker,
but alsosomeone whohasgivenothersbehindhimastickto beatback the naysayerswhonever
thoughta modernmassaudience wouldbe willingtoembrace storyand characteras muchas
spectacle". Michael ManncomplimentedNolanforhis"singularvision"andcalledhim"acomplete
auteur".NicolasRoegsaidof Nolan,"[His] filmshave amagictothem... People talkabout'commercial
art' andthe termisusuallyself-negating;Nolanworksinthe commercial arenaandyet there's
somethingverypoeticabouthiswork. Discussingthe difference betweenartfilmsandbig-studiofilms,
StevenSpielbergreferredtoNolan'sDarkKnight Seriesasan example of both; he hasdescribed
MementoandInceptionas"masterworks”.Nolan hasalsobeencommendedbyJames Cameron,
GuillermoDel Toro, DannyBoyle,WongKar-Wai,StevenSoderbergh,Sam Mendes,WernerHerzog,
MatthewVaughn,Paul ThomasAnderson,Paul Greengrass,RianJohnson,andothers. Notedfilmcritic
Mark Kermode complimentedthe directorforbringing"the discipline andethicsof art-house

17. independentmoviemaking"toHollywoodblockbusters,callinghim"[The] livingproof thatyoudon't
have to appeal tothe lowestcommondenominatortobe profitable".
In 2007, Total FilmnamedNolanthe 32nd greatestdirectorof all time, andin2012, The Guardian
rankedhim# 14 on theirlistof "The 23 BestFilmDirectorsinthe World The followingyear,
EntertainmentWeeklynamedhimthe 12thgreatestworkingdirector,writingthat"Nolanisthe rare
directordeterminedtomake you,the moviegoer,walkoutof the theaterafterhisfilmandgasp,'I've
neverseenanythinglike thatbefore.'Hismoviesare full of twistsandriddles,andevenhispopcornfare
isstuffedwithenoughbrain candytofill upa graduate school syllabus. He wasrankedNo.2 on the
same listin2011.A surveyof 17 academicsheldin2013, regardingwhichfilmmakershadbeen
referencedthe mostinessaysanddissertationsmarkedoverthe lastfive years,showedthatNolanwas
the second-moststudieddirectorinthe UKafterQuentinTarantinoandaheadof AlfredHitchcock,
Martin Scorsese andStevenSpielberg.In 2015, Time featuredhimasone of the "100 Most Influential
People inthe World".
Nolan'sworkhas also been recognized asaninfluenceonvideogames.In 2013, the official Xbox
magazine namedNolanamongthe 100 mostimportantpeople ingames,writingthat"videogameshave
startedto looka bit like his films:grittyandcomplex".
Awardsand honors
Main article:Listof awardsand nominationsreceivedbyChristopherNolan
As a writeranddirectorof a numberof science fictionandactionfilms,Nolanhasbeenhonoredwith
awardsand nominationsfromthe WorldScience FictionSociety(HugoAwards),the Science Fictionand
FantasyWritersof America(NebulaAwards),andthe Academyof Science Fiction,Fantasy&Horror
Films(SaturnAwards).
NolanscreenedFollowingatthe 1999 Slamdance FilmFestival,andwonthe Black& White Award.In
2014, he receivedthe first-everFounder'sAwardfromthe Festival."Throughouthisincredible
successes,ChristopherNolanhasstoodfirmlybehindthe Slamdance filmmakingcommunity.We are
honoredtopresenthimwith Slamdance’s inaugural Founder'sAward,"said Slamdance presidentand
co-founderPeterBaxter. Atthe 2001 Sundance FilmFestival,NolanandhisbrotherJonathanwonthe
WaldoSalt ScreenwritingAwardforMemento,andin2003, Nolanreceivedthe SonnyBonoVisionary
Awardfrom the PalmSpringsInternationalFilmFestival.Festivalexecutive directorMitchLevine said,
"Nolanhadin hisbrief time asa feature filmdirector,redefinedandadvancedthe verylanguage of
cinema". He was namedanHonorary Fellow of UCL in2006; a title givenouttoindividuals"who have
attaineddistinctioninthe arts,literature,science,businessorpubliclife".

18. In 2009, the directorreceivedthe Boardof the Governor’s Awardfromthe AmericanSocietyof
Cinematographers.ASCpresidentDarynOkadasaid,"ChrisNolanisinfused withtalentwithwhichhe
masterfullyusestocollaborativelycreate memorable motionpictures...hisquestforsuperlative images
to tell storieshasearnedthe admirationof ourmembers". In2011, Nolanreceivedthe BritanniaAward
for ArtisticExcellence inDirectingfromthe BritishAcademyof FilmandTelevisionArts andthe ACE
GoldenEddie Filmmakerof the YearAwardfrom AmericanCinemaEditors. Thatyearhe alsoreceived
the Modern Master Award,the highesthonorpresentedbythe SantaBarbara International Film
Festival.The executive directorof the festival RogerDurlingstated:"Everyone of Nolan'sfilmshasseta
newstandardfor the film community,withInception beingthe latestexample". Inaddition,Nolanwas
the recipientof the inaugural VESVisionaryAwardfromthe Visual EffectsSociety. InJuly2012 he
became the youngestdirectortobe honoredwithahand-and-footprintceremonyat Grumman’s
Chinese Theatre inLosAngeles.
The Art DirectorsGuild(ADG) selectedNolanasthe recipientof itsCinematicImageryAwardin2015, an
honorgivento those whose bodyof workhas"richlyenhancedthe visual aspectsof the movie-going
experience.He wasselectedasthe 2015 ClassDay speakeratPrincetonUniversity."Nolan,more thana
filmproducer,isa thinkerandvisionaryinourage and we are thrilledtohave himdeliverthe keynote
address,"saidClassDayco-chair Hanna Kim. Nolanwasawardedthe Empire InspirationAward atthe
20th Empire Awards. The directorwasalsohonoredwitha retrospectiveatthe WalkerArtCenterin
Minneapolis.
Filmography
Year Film Creditedas Notes Box office
Director Producer Writer Other
1989 Tarantella Yes Yes Yes N/A Unreleasedshortfilm N/A
1995 LarcenyYes Yes Yes N/A Unreleasedshortfilm N/A
1997 Doodlebug Yes Yes Yes Yes Short film N/A
1998 Following Yes Yes Yes Yes $0.24 million
2000 Memento Yes Yes $40 million
2002 Insomnia Yes $114 million
2005 Batman Begins Yes Yes $374 million
2006 The Prestige Yes Yes Yes $110 million
2008 The Dark KnightYes Yes Yes $1.005 billion
2010 Inception Yes Yes Yes $826 million
2011 These AmazingShadows HimselfDocumentary N/A

19. 2012 Side bySide HimselfDocumentary $58 thousand
The Dark KnightRises Yes Yes yes $1.084 billion
2013 Man of Steel Yes Story $668 million
2014 Transcendence Executive $103 million
Interstellar Yes yes yes $673 million
2015 Quay Yes N/A N/A N/A Documentaryshort N/A
2016 Batman v Superman:Dawnof Justice Executive