Sandra Goldbacher

Sandra A. Goldbacher (born 1960) is a British film director, TV director, and screenwriter.

Early life and education Goldbacher grew up in Hampstead Garden Suburb in the London Borough of Barnet, the daughter of an Italian Sephardic Jewish father, a fruit importer, and a Protestant mother, who was a native of the Isle of Skye in Scotland. Her mother converted to Judaism when Goldbacher was a year old. Goldbacher's father was a Holocaust survivor. Goldbacher grew up as a Reform Jew.

Goldbacher graduated from Sussex University as a French Literature major, and then did a year-long course at Middlesex University, studying film and video.

Goldbacher's first feature film, The Governess, starring Minnie Driver, which Goldbacher wrote based on a fictional diary that she wrote, was nominated for a BAFTA award in 1999 for best newcomer. which starred Anna Friel and Michelle Williams and was written by Goldbacher and Laurence Coriat. The movie had been in development before The Governess, but funding came earlier for the other film. Me Without You explores the "over-intense" relationship between two teenage girls. The film was loosely based upon a childhood friendship she had when she was younger.

In 2007, Goldbacher directed the television film adaptation of Noel Streatfeild's book Ballet Shoes for BBC One, which starred Emma Watson.

In 2011, she wrote the book Matilda's Secret for the British doll company A Girl for All Time, which follows their character from Tudor times. She wrote two more books in this series, Amelia's Inheritance (2012) set during the Victorian period, and Clementine's Winter (2015) set during World War II.

In 2012, she directed two episodes of the second season of The Hour, starring Dominic West.

In 2016, Goldbacher directed an episode of the TV series Endeavour, set in 1967. Also in 2016, she directed two episodes of the British TV series Victoria. In 2017, she directed an episode of the TV series Anne with an E.

In 2018, Goldbacher directed the first series of the Amazon TV series Ordeal by Innocence, starring Bill Nighy and Alice Eve. It was an adaptation of the 1958 book by Agatha Christie.

In 2019, Goldbacher directed the four-episode Channel 4 mini-series, The Accident, which was created by and written by Jack Thorne, and is about a small Welsh community and how it copes with a devastating explosion.

Personal life In 1999, Goldbacher married writer/producer Peter Salmi. They have one child.

Awards and honours

Chicago International Film Festival

Silver Plaque Seventeen

Golden Hitchcock The Governess

Golden Hitchcock Me Without You

Carl Foreman Award for the Most Promising Newcomer in British Film The Governess

Alexander Korda Award for the Outstanding British Film of the Year (with Finola Dwyer) Me Without You

Crystal Globe The Governess

Audience Award The Governess

Special Prize (or an author debut) The Governess

Kodak Vision Award The Governess

1984: Night of a Thousand Eyes short film – co-director, editor 1990: Brendan's Boys TV – director 1993: Born to Be Wild TV – director 1993: Josie Lawrence TV – director 1993: Conceptions and Misconceptions TV – director 1994: Seventeen short film – director, script 1994: Building Sights TV show – director (episodes: "Grand Central Terminal", "John Hancock Center") 1995: Piccadilly Circus by Night short film – director, written by 1998: The Governess – director, written by 1999: The Devil's Chimney – director 2001: Me Without You – director, screenplay 2007: Ballet Shoes – director 2012: The Hour – director (episodes: Episode #2.1, Episode #2.2) 2016: Endeavour TV series – director (episode: "Ride") 2016: Victoria TV series – director (series 1 - episode 3: "The Clockwork Prince", episode 4: "An Ordinary Woman") 2017: Anne with an E TV series – director (episode: "But What Is So Headstrong as Youth?") 2018: Ordeal by Innocence TV series – director (all 3 episodes) 2019: The Accident TV series – director (episodes: Episode #1.1, Episode #1.2, Episode #1.3, Episode #1.4) 2023: The Reckoning TV series – director

Works or publications