Tree of Film / Filmmaker

PHILIPPE G. BRUNOT

Documentary filmmaker

Drawn to human stories, unfamiliar worlds, and the people whose lives offer a window into them.

Philippe G. Brunot is a documentary filmmaker with an interest in character-driven storytelling: the individuality, experiences, and perspectives of people whose stories might otherwise remain untold.

He directed Follow the Zebra (2014), a feature-length documentary filmed in Tanzania and Kenya, following renowned gemologists Vincent Pardieu and Richard W. Hughes into remote gemstone mining regions. Beyond the beauty of precious stones, the film explores the lives, risks, and aspirations of the people searching for them.

His documentary short Gem Painting (2019) won Best Short Documentary at the Paris Film Festival in May 2021.

Through Tree of Film, Brunot presents documentary work guided by curiosity, human encounters, and a desire to bring lesser-known stories to wider audiences.

Philippe G. Brunot speaking to an audience at a Follow the Zebra screening in San Francisco in 2014
Philippe G. Brunot presenting Follow the Zebra at a screening hosted at Dolby Laboratories, San Francisco, July 2014.
Selected work

THE FILMS

2014 · Documentary feature

FOLLOW THE ZEBRA

A journey into the hidden world of gemstone miners in Tanzania and Kenya.

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2019 · Documentary short

GEM PAINTING

Best Short Documentary — Paris Film Festival, May 2021.

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Screenings / Film projects / Collaborations

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For screening enquiries, filmmaking collaborations, and professional conversations.

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