Robert Koenig

Robert Koenig (born July 9, 1975 in Honesdale, Pennsylvania, USA) is an Emmy Award nominated American film director, producer, writer and editor. Koenig directed the documentary film “Returned: Child Soldiers of Nepal's Maoist Army”, which won the 2008 Artivist Award for Child Advocacy^[1][2] and produced "Coexist", which was nominated for Best Documentary Film by the African Movie Academy Awards (AMAA)^[3][4] in 2011.

Early life

Robert Koenig grew up in Hawley, Pennsylvania and graduated from the Wallenpaupack Area School District in 1993. Koenig attended the University of Pittsburgh and Pittsburgh Filmmakers to study filmmaking; he graduated in 1998.^[5]

Early career

In 1999, Koenig directed his first documentary, "The Wrestler's Second: The Story of Mongolia's Struggle with Yadargaa", in Ulan Bator, Mongolia. The documentary follows a Mongolian man who is diagnosed with mysterious disease called Yadargaa. The film documents his attempts to find a cure while traveling through the Gobi Desert.^[6]

After Koenig returned from living Mongolia for most of 1999, he started working at WCJB-TV in Gainesville, FL. During his time at WCJB-TV, he produced and edited the documentary style show "Police Beat" from 2000-2003.^[7]

In 2003, Koenig moved to Atlanta, Georgia where he worked in public broadcasting, WPBA (TV), and as a special projects producer for WGCL-TV (CBS46) and WXIA-TV (11 Alive). He was nominated for an Emmy Award for his work on the "Georgia Aquarium's Fun Fish Facts" series in 2007.^[8]

Documentary Films

In 2007, Koenig teamed up with medical anthropologist, Brandon Kohrt^[9][10] to document the stories of several child soldiers who were associated with the Unified Communist Party of Nepal (Maoist). "Returned: Child Soldiers of Nepal's Maoist Army" ^[11][12] tells the personal story of Nepali boys and girls as they attempt to rebuild their lives after fighting a Maoist revolution. Through the voices of former child soldiers, the film examines why these children joined the Maoists and explores the prevention of future recruitment.

In 2009, Koenig produced "Coexist" a documentary film that was shot in Rwanda and tells the stories of trauma survivors searching for ways to coexist with their loved ones’ murderers.^[13] Koenig also served as Field Producer during production of "Coexist" in Rwanda and continued to serve as the story consultant while the documentary was in post-production.^[14] "Coexist" premiered in Boston in November 2010^[15] and in March 2011, "Coexist" was nominated for Best Documentary Film by the African Movie Academy Awards (AMAA).^[16][17]

Filmography

Robert Koenig at the 2008 Artivist Film Festival & Awards.

Director/Writer/Producer

• Returned: Child Soldiers of Nepal's Maoist Army (2008)^[18]
• The Wrestler's Second: The Story of Mongolia's Struggle with Yadargaa (2008)^[19]
• Returned (2009)^[20]

Producer

• Coexist (2009)^[21][22]

Bibliography

Koenig has published articles and photos including:

• Child Soldiers, Edited by Leora Kahn • ISBN 978-1-57687-455-4 (2008) ^[23]
• Child Soldiers after War, by Robert Koenig and Brandon Kohrt (published in Anthropology News, May 2009)^[24]

References

External links

• Robert Koenig at the Internet Movie Database
• DER Filmmaker: Robert Koenig
• Returned: Child Soldiers of Nepal's Maoist Army
• Coexist
• Adventure Production Pictures