Martyn Burke, novelist and director/writer of both documentaries and dramatic films, has traveled extensively from the Arctic Circle to the Amazon jungles, finding himself in the middle of wars, revolutions and movies.
| His books, LAUGHING WAR; THE COMMISSAR’S REPORT; IVORY JOE; TIARA; THE SHELLING OF BEVERLY HILLS and THE TRUTH ABOUT THE NIGHT are often inspired by the places, situations and characters he has encountered. | |
Martyn Burke’s feature and cable movie credits include co-writing with Zucker, Abrahams and Zucker, Paramount’s cult comedy classic, TOP SECRET; writer of HBO’S timely and biting political satire, THE SECOND CIVIL WAR; and writer/director of the hugely successful cable movie PIRATES OF SILICON VALLEY which was nominated for five Emmys including Best Screenplay and Best Picture, the Producers Guild Award for Best Film, Directors Guild Award for Best Directing and the Writers Guild Award for Best Screenplay. Other features have included directing AVENGING ANGELO with Sylvester Stallone and Anthony Quinn; and COUP D’ETAT (aka POWER PLAY) with Peter O’Toole.
Documentaries such as the KGB CONNECTIONS found expression in parts of THE COMMISSAR'S REPORT and also in his adaptation of Orwell’s ANIMAL FARM; while WITNESSES the powerful, award winning, behind-the-lines film on the last days of the Russian war in Afghanistan became part of the source material for a new work-in-progress book. His documentary CINQ DEFIS (for TF-1 and Le Monde) and the filming near the Mexican border in California near the legendary Palomar Observatory, became part of the inspiration for his novel THE TRUTH ABOUT THE NIGHT.
His extensive credits as a documentary filmmaker include the recent, controversial PBS documentary ISLAM VS. ISLAMISTS: Voices from the Muslim Center, a film shot in Europe and North America revealing the dangers Muslim moderates face from radical extremists; and CONNECTIONS, the blockbuster expose on the Italian mafia in North America and Italy (which gave Burke material for SUGARTIME, the HBO movie about legendary Chicago mafia don, Sam Giancana and his love affairs with famous singers and one of JFK’s mistresses) .
Other documentary subjects have ranged from the street gangs in Los Angeles, to the domestic travails of lower income families; and: life on the road with a huge traveling carnival moving across the Eastern Seaboard in CARNIVALS.
Martyn Burke is currently writing a pilot for USA; a movie about Canadian troops in World II and is in the early stages of a documentary about the emotional and physical perils facing modern day war correspondents.
Martyn Burke divides his time between Toronto, Canada and Santa Monica, California.
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