Biography

Photo: © Leni Deinhardstein

Born in 1964 in Brussels, Belgium, Borgers first works as a journalist for the Belgian television (RTBF). In 1987, she moves to San Francisco to further study directing and producing at San Francisco State University. In 1989, she wins the student « Documentary Writing » award from the National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences, Northern California Chapter. After graduating from the Broadcasting arts department in 1990, she first works for ATRIOM Production, a San Francisco based production company specializing in independent documentaries. In 1992, she moves back to Europe and soon prepares TRUTH UNDER SIEGE, a documentary about the resistance of journalists in Serbia, Croatia, and Bosnia during the war. The film, co-produced and co-directed in 1994 with Leslie Asako Gladsjo, has been broadcast in Europe, Canada, and Australia. It was selected in many festivals around the world and won several prizes, including the Special Jury Prize at the San Francisco International Film Festival and the First Prize at Buenos Aires Ars Electronica.

Today, Nathalie has more than 25 documentary films to her credit, including 52-minute films broadcast on television (ARTE, RTBF, France Télévision) and, in the past ten years, feature-length films produced for theatrical release. The most recent of these is SCARS OF A PUTSCH (2025), which examines the consequences of the September 12, 1980 military coup in Turkey; it premiered at the Berlinale FORUM in February 2025.

Alongside her work as an author and director, Nathalie is a script consultant for documentaries. For the past 5 years, she has taught the “Concevoir et Ecrire un Projet Documentaire” (Conceiving and Writing a Documentary) workshop at the Parisian film school La Fémis.

SELECTED FILMOGRAPHY

F E A T U R E   D O C U M E N T A R I E S

_Scars of a Putsch (Documentary, 100’, 2025). World Premiere : Berlinale Forum 2025.

_The Remains, After the Odyssey (Documentary, 89’, 2019.

    Best Documentary, Diagonale, Graz, 2019

   Prix Spécial du Jury, FIFDH, Paris 2019

   Documentary Award, Wifts, Los Angeles 2019

   Nominee, Prix Europa, 2020

_Catching Haider  (Original Titel: Fang den Haider) (Documentary, 90’, 2015.)

  Special Mention,  DokFest München 2019.

_Greetings from the colony (Documentary, 74’, 2011.)

  ÉTOILE, Scam 2012 (French Author Association)                                                                             

  Silverback Award for « Best documentary film », Hillywood 2012,  Rwanda                                 

  SPECIAL JURY PRIZE, Festival Lumières d’Afrique, Besançon 2012                                                     

  PRIX DE LA MÉMOIRE, Ecollywood, 2012

NOMINÉ pour le MEILLEUR DOCUMENTAIRE, MAGRITTE DU CINÉMA         

  Python Papou du MEILLEUR DOCUMENTAIRE, Quintescence, Bénin.

_Winds of Sand, Women of Rock. ( Documentary, 90’, 2009.)

  « Coup de Cœur » de la Région Ile de France, FIFE 2010

  Best Film, Watch Docs, Varsovie.

T V   D O C U M E N T A R I E S

• The Arrangement (Documentary, 50′, 2004)
• Citizen Krone (Original Titel: Kronenzeitung, Tag für Tag ein Boulevardstück),57′, 2002. Nominee for the Prix Henri Storck, Brussels, Belgium.
• Le Mal de soi, 83 ‘, 2000.
• Greyhound: One Way Ticket, 52′, 1998
• We are Family (Original title: Une Enfance Gay), 49′, 1997.
• Gender War  (La Guerre des Sexes) , 52′, 1995.
• Truth Under Siege, 68′, 1994. Special Jury Award, Golden Gate Award Competition, San Francisco 1995. First Prize, Buenos Aires International Video Festival, 1996.
• Piece of Mind, 46’, 1991.