Cathy Henkel - Producer, Director, Writer

Cathy Henkel, a partner in Hatchling Productions, has worked as a writer, producer and director of documentaries since 1988. Her television documentary debut was Heroes Of Our Time – the first inside look at Greenpeace during one of its dramatic ‘direct action’ campaigns.

Cathy’s television credits include ‘Walking Through a Minefield’, ‘Losing Layla’, ‘Spike Milligan: I Told You I was Ill’ and ‘The Man Who Stole My Mother's Face’.

The latter film - a very personal story about Cathy’s search for justice for her mother who was brutally raped in South Africa – received much critical acclaim, winning ‘Best Documentary’ at the Australian IF Awards and at New York’s Tribeca Film Festival in 2004. A feature film adaptation is now in development.

Cathy wrote, directed and co-produced 'The Burning Season'. The film took 18 months to complete and took Cathy to four continents and new levels of commitment and endurance. Filming took place in such diverse places as the top of the Empire State Building in New York, the corridors of power in Washington, remote villages and forests in the Indonesian provinces of Aceh and Jambi, the forests of Borneo, and office buildings overlooking Sydney Harbour. The film was completed in June 2008 and had its world premiere at the Brisbane International Film Festival on 2 August 2008.

Cathy’s upcoming projects include a feature documentary on internationally-renowned Australian cinematographer, Don McAlpine, and a multiplatform production focused on Australian youth in rural areas. She is also completing a PhD and developing a sequel to 'The Burning Season'.