Directing

Sara Joe Wolansky

Sara Joe Wolansky is a documentary director and Emmy-nominated producer whose films depict stranger-than-fiction stories, grounded in genuine empathy. She rose to prominence as the Senior Video Producer at The New Yorker, helping to build The New Yorker's Oscar-nominated documentary brand from the ground up while directing her own award-winning & widely viewed short films. She has also produced fo…

Known For

JaneJane · 2017
Jane
★ 7.52017
MovieDocumentary
Drawing from never-before-seen footage that has been tucked away in the National Geographic archives, director Brett Morgen tells the story of Jane Goodall, a woman whose chimpanzee research revolutionized our understanding of the natural world.
The Andrew Yang ShowThe Andrew Yang Show · 2021
The Andrew Yang Show
2021
MovieDocumentary
A captivating profile of Andrew Yang’s New York City mayoral campaign and how he got there.
The Last ConversationThe Last Conversation · 2020
The Last Conversation
2020
MovieDocumentaryFamily
A son makes a surprising discovery on his elderly parents' answering machine after his father's passing.
After the 12-9After the 12-9 · 2020
After the 12-9
2020
MovieDocumentary
Every few days in New York City, a subway operator stops a train, speaks the phrase "12-9" into a radio, and waits what may feel like an eternity for a police officer to arrive and inspect the train and tracks. In the parlance of the Metropolitan Transportation Authority, 12-9s describe collisions between trains and people. In 2019, the M.T.A. recorded a hundred and ninety-five 12-9s, the highest number in at least a decade. About a third are fatal. "After the 12-9" follows three subway operators through their recovery process after their involvement in deadly collisions, as they battle PTSD, nightmares, and guilt. Although all three of them are left with different feelings towards their jobs, they are united by their collective experience of a very specific type of grief: the emotional weight of a death that one had no power to stop.
The Big CheeseThe Big Cheese · 2026
The Big Cheese
2026
MovieDocumentary
A clever American team competes for first place at France's Mondial du Fromage cheese competition.
Finding Fenn's GoldFinding Fenn's Gold · 2022
Finding Fenn's Gold
2022
MovieDocumentary
In 2010, Forrest Fenn published a set of clues about a secret trove, estimated to be worth at least a million dollars, that he'd hidden in the Rocky Mountains. Some still seek this treasure, captivated as much by the mystery as the promise of riches.
Documenting DeathDocumenting Death · 2021
Documenting Death
2021
MovieDocumentary
When Kim Acquaviva’s wife Kathy was diagnosed with late-stage ovarian cancer, the couple decided to share the day-to-day realities of her slide toward death that doctors can’t always provide.

Filmography

Sort
After the 12-9After the 12-9 · 2020
After the 12-9
2020
MovieDocumentary
Every few days in New York City, a subway operator stops a train, speaks the phrase "12-9" into a radio, and waits what may feel like an eternity for a police officer to arrive and inspect the train and tracks. In the parlance of the Metropolitan Transportation Authority, 12-9s describe collisions between trains and people. In 2019, the M.T.A. recorded a hundred and ninety-five 12-9s, the highest number in at least a decade. About a third are fatal. "After the 12-9" follows three subway operators through their recovery process after their involvement in deadly collisions, as they battle PTSD, nightmares, and guilt. Although all three of them are left with different feelings towards their jobs, they are united by their collective experience of a very specific type of grief: the emotional weight of a death that one had no power to stop.

Director