Mark N. Hopkins
Encyclopedia
Mark N. Hopkins is an English-American filmmaker, who is best known for his award-winning film Living in Emergency: Stories of Doctors Without Borders
, the first uncensored look at Médecins Sans Frontières
.
After completing High School in the UK, Mark attended Georgetown University
where he majored in Philosophy. During this time he spent 8 months in Vietnam studying History and teaching English at the University of Hanoi.
Mark’s film career began as an assistant to New York-based producer Scott Rudin
, working on such films as; The Truman Show
, A Civil Action, Bringing Out The Dead
, Angela’s Ashes
, Sleepy Hollow
, Wonder Boys
, and Shaft
. He left to start an independent production company, with the aim of focusing on non-fiction storytelling.
In 2001 Mark began working with documentary director George Butler, helping to develop and produce his films. The association began on the award-winning documentary The Endurance: Shackleton's Legendary Antarctic Expedition
, followed by Roving Mars
, and included a series of shorts directed by Mark for Columbia Tristar Home Entertainment
. He later went on to produce George Butler’s critically acclaimed film Going Upriver: the Long War of John Kerry
.
and grew up predominantly in Kenya
. He lived in Italy
for 8 years as a child and is fluent in Italian.
He is the great grandson of Abraham Block, one of the best-known Kenya pioneers and the founder of Block Hotels.
Of note, his brother Jeremy is a rising star within UNICEF and his other brother Sam is a Nairobi-based artist who together with Alex Nikolic, Lukas Pusch, Julius Mwelu and Fred Otieno established Slum TV, a grassroots media collective working with young people in Nairobi.
Two of his cousins Jason Dunford
and David Dunford
are swimmers who swam for Kenya at the 2008 Summer Olympics
in eijin
Mark's father, David N. Hopkins, is a well-known international agronomist
, and the family moved between countries while Mark was growing up.
The family 'belongs' to the White minority in Kenya.
Living in Emergency: Stories of Doctors Without Borders
Living in Emergency: Stories of Doctors Without Borders was among the 15 documentaries shortlisted for the Best Documentary Oscar by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences for the 82nd Academy Awards....
, the first uncensored look at Médecins Sans Frontières
Médecins Sans Frontières
' , or Doctors Without Borders, is a secular humanitarian-aid non-governmental organization best known for its projects in war-torn regions and developing countries facing endemic diseases. Its headquarters are in Geneva, Switzerland...
.
After completing High School in the UK, Mark attended Georgetown University
Georgetown University
Georgetown University is a private, Jesuit, research university whose main campus is in the Georgetown neighborhood of Washington, D.C. Founded in 1789, it is the oldest Catholic university in the United States...
where he majored in Philosophy. During this time he spent 8 months in Vietnam studying History and teaching English at the University of Hanoi.
Mark’s film career began as an assistant to New York-based producer Scott Rudin
Scott Rudin
Scott Rudin is an American film producer and a theatrical producer.-Early life and work:Scott Rudin was born in New York City, NY, on July 14, 1958, and raised in the town of Baldwin on Long Island. At the age of sixteen, he started working as an assistant to theatre producer Kermit Bloomgarden...
, working on such films as; The Truman Show
The Truman Show
The Truman Show is a 1998 American satirical comedy-drama film directed by Peter Weir and written by Andrew Niccol. The cast includes Jim Carrey as Truman Burbank, as well as Laura Linney, Noah Emmerich, Ed Harris and Natascha McElhone...
, A Civil Action, Bringing Out The Dead
Bringing Out the Dead
Bringing Out the Dead is a 1999 drama film directed by Martin Scorsese, and based on the novel by Joe Connelly with the screenplay by Paul Schrader...
, Angela’s Ashes
Angela's Ashes (film)
Angela's Ashes is a 1999 Irish-American drama film based on the memoir of the same title by Frank McCourt. It was directed by Alan Parker and starred Emily Watson, Robert Carlyle, Joe Breen, Ciaran Owens, and Michael Legge .-Plot:Angela's Ashes tells the story of Frank McCourt and his childhood...
, Sleepy Hollow
Sleepy Hollow (film)
Sleepy Hollow is a 1999 American period horror film directed by Tim Burton. It is a film adaptation loosely inspired by the 1820 short story "The Legend of Sleepy Hollow" by Washington Irving and stars Johnny Depp, Christina Ricci, Miranda Richardson, Marc Pickering, Michael Gambon, Jeffrey Jones,...
, Wonder Boys
Wonder Boys (film)
Wonder Boys is a dark comedy film based on the 1995 novel of the same title by Michael Chabon. Directed by Curtis Hanson, it stars Michael Douglas as professor Grady Tripp, a novelist who teaches creative writing at an unnamed Pittsburgh university...
, and Shaft
Shaft (2000 film)
Shaft is a 2000 American action-crime film directed by John Singleton, and starring Samuel L. Jackson, Jeffrey Wright, Christian Bale, Pat Hingle, Toni Collette, Busta Rhymes, Vanessa L. Williams, and Mekhi Phifer. This film is not a remake of the 1971 film of the same name, but rather a sequel,...
. He left to start an independent production company, with the aim of focusing on non-fiction storytelling.
In 2001 Mark began working with documentary director George Butler, helping to develop and produce his films. The association began on the award-winning documentary The Endurance: Shackleton's Legendary Antarctic Expedition
The Endurance: Shackleton's Legendary Antarctic Expedition
The Endurance is a 2000 documentary film directed by George Butler about Ernest Shackleton's failed Antarctic expedition in 1914. The Endurance was the name of the ship of Shackleton's expedition.-Plot:...
, followed by Roving Mars
Roving Mars
Roving Mars is an IMAX documentary film about the development, launch, and operation of the Mars Exploration Rovers, Spirit and Opportunity. The film uses few actual photographs from Mars, opting to use computer generated animation based on the photographs and data from the rovers and other Mars...
, and included a series of shorts directed by Mark for Columbia Tristar Home Entertainment
Columbia Pictures
Columbia Pictures Industries, Inc. is an American film production and distribution company. Columbia Pictures now forms part of the Columbia TriStar Motion Picture Group, owned by Sony Pictures Entertainment, a subsidiary of the Japanese conglomerate Sony. It is one of the leading film companies...
. He later went on to produce George Butler’s critically acclaimed film Going Upriver: the Long War of John Kerry
Going Upriver
Going Upriver: The Long War of John Kerry is a documentary film on U.S. Senator John Kerry's military service during the Vietnam War and his subsequent participation in the peace movement...
.
Trivia
Mark was born in Puerto RicoPuerto Rico
Puerto Rico , officially the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico , is an unincorporated territory of the United States, located in the northeastern Caribbean, east of the Dominican Republic and west of both the United States Virgin Islands and the British Virgin Islands.Puerto Rico comprises an...
and grew up predominantly in Kenya
Kenya
Kenya , officially known as the Republic of Kenya, is a country in East Africa that lies on the equator, with the Indian Ocean to its south-east...
. He lived in Italy
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
for 8 years as a child and is fluent in Italian.
He is the great grandson of Abraham Block, one of the best-known Kenya pioneers and the founder of Block Hotels.
Of note, his brother Jeremy is a rising star within UNICEF and his other brother Sam is a Nairobi-based artist who together with Alex Nikolic, Lukas Pusch, Julius Mwelu and Fred Otieno established Slum TV, a grassroots media collective working with young people in Nairobi.
Two of his cousins Jason Dunford
Jason Dunford
Jason Edward Dunford is a swimmer from Kenya. He is predominantly a butterfly and freestyle sprinter. He has won gold medals at the Commonwealth Games, Universiade, All-Africa Games and African Championships, and reached finals at Olympics, World Championships and Short Course World Championships....
and David Dunford
David Dunford
David Harvey Dunford is a swimmer from Kenya who specializes in sprint freestyle. He is an African champion, Commonwealth Games finalist and the second Kenyan swimmer in history to qualify for the Olympics Games...
are swimmers who swam for Kenya at the 2008 Summer Olympics
2008 Summer Olympics
The 2008 Summer Olympics, officially known as the Games of the XXIX Olympiad, was a major international multi-sport event that took place in Beijing, China, from August 8 to August 24, 2008. A total of 11,028 athletes from 204 National Olympic Committees competed in 28 sports and 302 events...
in eijin
Mark's father, David N. Hopkins, is a well-known international agronomist
Agronomist
An agronomist is a scientist who specializes in agronomy, which is the science of utilizing plants for food, fuel, feed, and fiber. An agronomist is an expert in agricultural and allied sciences, with the exception veterinary sciences.Agronomists deal with interactions between plants, soils, and...
, and the family moved between countries while Mark was growing up.
The family 'belongs' to the White minority in Kenya.