Director biography:
Erik Poppe born in 1960 in Oslo and grew up in Norway and Portugal. Educated as a still photographer in Oslo in 1982 and worked actively as a pictorial journalist for the news agency Reuters, and the newspaper Verden Gang In Norway from 1983 until 1987, covering news, politics and sport worldwide. Educated as a cinematographer at Dramatiska Institutet in Stockholm. 1987-1991. He has directed commercials, music-, short- and documentary films as well as being a cinematographer on several features during the period 1991 - 2003.

Was awarded with The Kodak Award at the Moscow International Film Festival for cinematography on 'Eggs' by Bent Hammer (1994). Was awarded Cinematographer of the Year in Norway in 1995. Has won all the most central international prizes for commercials in Cannes, the Clio Award in New York (2 times - 1992, 1993), Epica, Eurobest, Grand Prix in the Nordic Commercials Festival in Helsingborg.

Voted Nordic Director of the Year at the the Nordic Commercial Festival in Helsingborg in 1994. Won the national commercial prize in Denmark, Czech Republic and Norway. Various prizes for directing on final films and the documentary The Beatiful in the Brutal 1991.

Debuted with the feature film Schpaaa in 1998. The story of a gang of criminal boys aged 12-14 years. The film was invited to the prestigious Panorama program at the Berlin International Film Festival 1999, received the grand prize, The Vesuvio Prize at the Napoli International Film Festival, nominated as the Nordic Feature at the Gothenberg Fim Festival in 1999, nominated for Amanda for best Norwegian film of the year and among others shown in the program at the AFI - Los Angeles International Film Festival 1999. The film was picked for several of the major programs at a number of festivals in 1998 - 2000.

Main director of the TV.series Brigaden for NRK 2001-2002. A drama series about life in fire station. Nominated for AMANDA for Best Norwegian Television Drama of the year, 2002.

Started the film production company PARADOX PRODUKSJON AS in 1997 together with Finn Gjerdrum and Thorleif Hauge.

Erik Poppe is represented as director by Paradox Film AS in Norway, Locomotion Productions in Denmark, and The Producers in London, UK.

Troubled Water is his third feature after his debut as film director in 1998 with Schpaaa.

FILMOGRAPHY

Director of Photography:
A number of short films during the period 1991-1995. (Among others the prize winner: Bingoplassen by Pål Sletaune, Applaus by Bent Hammer, En mann by Eva Dahr)
The feature film Eggs by Bent Hamer in 1994. (Quinzane - The Cannes Film Festival, Amanda Best Norwegian Film 1994)

Director:
About 100 international commercials and 20 music videos. 1990 - 2003.
Det vakre i det brutale. Documentary about the photographer Morten Krogvold. 1991.
Aftenlandet. 1994. Documentary with the saxophonist Jan Garbarek and the singer Mari Boine.
Drittunger (Bratts). 1997. Drama. Short film.
Schpaaa. (Schpaaa/Bunch of Five). 1998. Drama. Feature film.
Brigaden. (The Brigade). 2001-2002. 23 episodes. TV-drama.
Hawaii, Oslo. 2004. Drama. Feature film
Troubled Water (De usynlige). 2008. Drama. Feature film