VanessaSchlesier

Journalist and documentary filmmaker

Selected work

All films

  1. Land Without Women

    How the Taliban exclude Afghan women from education, work and public life. The film follows women who refuse to be silenced.

    NZZ Format / SRF · 50 min long version · 30 min short version

    Film by Vanessa Schlesier

    German Human Rights Film Award 2026 · Nominee · Feature-length film

  2. The Rise of Germany’s New Right

    Evan Williams investigates the rise of Germany’s New Right and its connections to Russia and the United States.

    PBS Frontline · 104 min

    Cinematography · Production, Germany

    RIAS Award 2026 · Best TV · Emmy nominee 2026

  3. Mission Kabul Airlift

    The series follows people at particular risk on their evacuation journey from Afghanistan through Pakistan to Germany.

    ARD Mediathek · rbb · 4 × 30 min

    Writing · Direction · Vanessa Schlesier with Ronald Rist and Antje Boehmert

    Nominated · Grimme-Preis 2023 · Roman-Brodmann-Preis 2023

  4. Clean Cars, Dirty Batteries

    The film traces cobalt through the Democratic Republic of the Congo and meets the people paying the human price of the energy transition.

    ZDFinfo · 43 min

    Writer · Vanessa Schlesier with Lukas Augustin

    Ernst Schneider Prize 2021 · Video category

Portrait of Vanessa Schlesier
Vanessa Schlesier

About Vanessa

Vanessa Schlesier is a journalist and documentary filmmaker. Her films explore power, displacement and social conflict.

About Vanessa

Seminars and workshops

Vanessa draws on her experience in investigative reporting and documentary filmmaking in her seminars, workshops and one-to-one coaching. She also moderates expert discussions and panels.

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