Alexander Nanau is a German-born Romanian director, screenwriter, and cinematographer, born in 1979 in Romania. His family, part of the Transylvanian Saxons (a German cultural minority living in Romania for generations), emigrated to Germany in the 1990s. After studying directing at the Berlin University of the Arts (DFFB), he directed his first documentary in 2006, Peter Zadek inszeniert Peer Gynt [Peter Zadek directs Peer Gynt], which premiered at the Munich International Film Festival and was released in cinemas across Germany and Austria. In 2009, he directed and co-produced with HBO Romania his second documentary, The World According to Ion B. [Lumea văzută de Ion B.], which portrays a 62-year-old homeless man who begins a career in the art world with collages accumulated over 30 years. The film won the International Emmy Award for Best Arts Programming in 2010. His third feature, Toto and His Sisters [Toto și surorile lui], received numerous awards, including the Grand Prix at the Premiers Plans Festival in Angers. The film follows the lives of three siblings in a Bucharest slum, highlighting their resilience and hope despite challenging circumstances.
In 2019, his film Collective [Colectiv] was presented at the Venice Film Festival and the Toronto Film Festival, marking his first time in competition at Cannes. The documentary investigates a public health scandal in Romania following a nightclub fire, uncovering widespread corruption and systemic failures. It was nominated for two Academy Awards in 2021: Best International Feature Film and Best Documentary. The same year, Collective won the European Film Award for Best Documentary and the Lux Audience Award.