David Schurmann

David Schurmann (birthname: David Ribeiro Schurmann) is a Brazilian non-fiction and fiction filmmaker who has made a range of features and TV series exploring natural science and historical subjects. Schurmann launched his feature filmmaking career with the autobiographical documentary about his family tracing Ferdinand Magellan’s global voyages in The World Twice Around/O Mundo Em Duas Voltas (2007), premiering at the Recife (Brazil) Film Festival.

Schurmann was the director/co-writer/producer of his first narrative feature, the suspense/horror mockumentary, Missing/Desaparecidos (2011), with Charlene Chagas, Natalia Vidal, and Pedro Urizzi. Schurmann returned as director/co-writer/producer with his next narrative movie, Little Secret (2016), based on a story by Schurmann’s cousin, Katherine, co-starring Julia Lemmertz, Fionnula Flanagan, Erroll Shand, Marcello Antony, and Maria Flor, and selected as Brazil’s official entry to the best foreign language Oscar.

David Schurmann was director of co-writers Paulina Lagudi and Kristen Lazarian’s version of the true story of a Brazilian fisherman, My Penguin Friend (2024), starring Jean Reno and Adriana Barrazza, and released wide by Roadside Attractions. Schurmann then directed and produced the Brazilian-funded documentary about an underwater quest for the remains of a German U-Boat, U-513 In Search of The Lonely Wolf/U-513 Em Busca di Lobo Solitario (date to be announced), written by Gui Stockler. Schurmann was director/producer of the drama, Por Um Fio (date to be announced), written by Luiz Bolognesi and co-starring Bruno Gagliasso, Romulo Estrela, Ellen Camp, Zeze Motta, and Othon Bastos.