Eric Steel

{{short description|American filmmaker and producer}} '''Eric Carl Steel''' (born {{Birth based on age as of date|51|2015|September|27|noage=yes}}) is an American filmmaker and producer, best known for his controversial 2006 documentary ''The Bridge''.<ref name="abc">{{cite news |date=October 20, 2006 |title=The Bridge of Death |url=https://abcnews.go.com/2020/story?id=2592841&page=1&CMP=OTC-RSSFeeds0312 |work=ABC News}}</ref>

==Career== ===''The Bridge''=== Steel's directorial debut was the 2006 documentary ''The Bridge''. After reading about suicides at the Golden Gate Bridge, one of the world's most often used venues for suicide, he had the bridge filmed from multiple locations throughout 2004, to obtain footage of actual suicides. In obtaining permits to film the bridge, Steel did not reveal to bridge officials that his goal was to film people committing suicide. Instead he stated that his purpose was to make a film capturing "the powerful, spectacular intersection of monument and nature that takes place every day at the Golden Gate Bridge".<ref>{{Cite news |last=Glionna |first=John M. |date=April 28, 2006 |title=Uproar Over Film of Golden Gate Suicides |url=https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-2006-apr-28-me-bridge28-story.html |access-date=May 22, 2025 |work=LA Times}}</ref> A number of suicides were captured on film. The resulting footage was combined with interviews with family and friends of the victims, along with other witnesses.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Savlov |first=Marc |last2= |last3= |last4= |date=January 26, 2007 |title=The Gate Escape |url=https://www.austinchronicle.com/screens/2007-01-26/439265/ |access-date=2025-05-22 |website=The Austin Chronicle |language=en-US}}</ref>

== Personal life == Steel was born in {{Birth based on age as of date|51|2015|September|27|noage=yes}} to Bette-Ann Gwathmey, and was a stepson of Charles Gwathmey. He attended Yale University. Steel married Frank Christopher Ledda in 2015, whom he met at Whistler, British Columbia.<ref name=":0">{{Cite news |date=2015-09-27 |title=Eric Steel and Frank Ledda |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2015/09/27/fashion/weddings/eric-steel-and-frank-ledda.html |access-date=2025-05-22 |work=The New York Times |language=en-US |issn=0362-4331}}</ref>

==Filmography== ===As producer=== *''Bringing Out the Dead'' (1999) *''Angela's Ashes'' (1999) *''Shaft'' (2000) *''Julie & Julia'' (2009)<ref name=":0" />

===As director=== *''The Bridge'' (2006)<ref name=":0" /> *''Kiss the Water'' (2013)<ref name=":0" /> *''Minyan'' (2020)<ref>{{Cite web |last=Rooney |first=David |date=2020-02-22 |title=‘Minyan’: Film Review {{!}} Berlin 2020 |url=https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/movies/movie-reviews/minyan-review-berlin-2020-1280281/ |access-date=2025-05-22 |website=The Hollywood Reporter |language=en-US}}</ref>

== References == {{Reflist}}

==External links== *{{IMDb name|0824414}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Steel, Eric}} Category:1960s births Category:American documentary film directors Category:American documentary film producers Category:Yale University alumni Category:Living people Category:Year of birth missing (living people)