Bill Viola

Career Overview

Bill Viola has 122 screen credits in a career dating back to 1973. Signature works include The Crossing, Wagner: Tristan und Isolde, Mary. Explore the interactive character relationship maps on each title page to trace how their roles connect across franchises.

Personal Facts

Known For: Directing
Gender: male
Known Credits: 122
Birth Date: 1951-01-25
Birth Place: Queens, New York, USA

Known For

Frequent Collaborators

Paul Esposito (1 collaborations)
Andreas Schager (1 collaborations)
Martina Serafin (1 collaborations)
René Pape (1 collaborations)
Matthias Goerne (1 collaborations)
Ekaterina Gubanova (1 collaborations)
Philippe Jordan (1 collaborations)
Ariana Afradi (1 collaborations)
Lola Gayle (1 collaborations)
Shinichi Iova-Koga (1 collaborations)

Credits

actors (13 credits)
- Processing the Signal
  Himself
  
  actor
  
  actors
  
  2026
- The Deluge
  actor
  
  actors
  
  2026
- Bill Viola: The Road to St. Paul's
  Self
  
  actor
  
  actors
  
  2017
- What Is Cinema?
  Self
  
  actor
  
  actors
  
  2013
- Bill Viola: The Eye of the Heart
  Self
  
  actor
  
  actors
  
  2003
- Going Forth By Day
  (segment "The Voyage")
  
  actor
  
  actors
  
  2002
- The Voyage
  Gatekeeper
  
  actor
  
  actors
  
  2002
- Trovoada
  Self (voice)
  
  actor
  
  actors
  
  1995
- I Do Not Know What It Is I Am Like
  Himself
  
  actor
  
  actors
  
  1986
- Reasons for Knocking at an Empty House
  actor
  
  actors
  
  1983
- The Reflecting Pool
  Performer
  
  actor
  
  actors
  
  1979
- Migration (for Jack Nelson)
  actor
  
  actors
  
  1976
- Return
  actor
  
  actors
  
  1975
directing (81 credits)
- The Crossing
  director
  
  directing
  
  2026
- Wagner: Tristan und Isolde
  director
  
  directing
  
  2018
- Mary
  director
  
  directing
  
  2016
- Martyrs: Earth
  director
  
  directing
  
  2014
- Martyrs: Water
  director
  
  directing
  
  2014
- Martyrs: Fire
  director
  
  directing
  
  2014
- Martyrs: Air
  director
  
  directing
  
  2014
- Martyrs
  director
  
  directing
  
  2014
- Inverted Birth
  director
  
  directing
  
  2014
- Man Searching for Immortality/Woman Searching for Eternity
  director
  
  directing
  
  2013
- The Dreamers
  director
  
  directing
  
  2013
- The Encounter
  director
  
  directing
  
  2012
- Walking on the Edge
  director
  
  directing
  
  2012
- Traveling on Foot
  director
  
  directing
  
  2012
- A Phrase from Chris
  director
  
  directing
  
  2011
- The Innocents
  director
  
  directing
  
  2008
- Three Women
  director
  
  directing
  
  2008
- Ocean Without a Shore
  director
  
  directing
  
  2007
- Poem B (The Guest House)
  director
  
  directing
  
  2006
- Basin of Tears
  director
  
  directing
  
  2005
- Ablutions
  director
  
  directing
  
  2005
- Tristan’s Ascension (The Sound of a Mountain Under a Waterfall)
  director
  
  directing
  
  2005
- Fire Woman
  director
  
  directing
  
  2005
- The Tristan Project
  director
  
  directing
  
  2004
- The Raft
  director
  
  directing
  
  2004
- Emergence
  director
  
  directing
  
  2003
- Going Forth By Day
  director
  
  directing
  
  2002
- Fire Birth
  director
  
  directing
  
  2002
- The Path
  director
  
  directing
  
  2002
- The Voyage
  director
  
  directing
  
  2002
- Four Hands
  director
  
  directing
  
  2001
- Catherine's Room
  director
  
  directing
  
  2001
- Surrender
  director
  
  directing
  
  2001
- The Quintet of the Astonished
  director
  
  directing
  
  2000
- Anima
  director
  
  directing
  
  2000
- Eternal Return
  director
  
  directing
  
  2000
- Ascension
  director
  
  directing
  
  2000
- The Crossing
  director
  
  directing
  
  1996
- The Veiling
  director
  
  directing
  
  1995
- Interval
  director
  
  directing
  
  1995
- The Greeting
  director
  
  directing
  
  1995
- Déserts
  director
  
  directing
  
  1994
- The Passing
  director
  
  directing
  
  1992
- The Sleepers
  director
  
  directing
  
  1992
- Slowly Turning Narrative
  director
  
  directing
  
  1992
- The Nantes Triptych
  director
  
  directing
  
  1992
- Heaven and Earth
  director
  
  directing
  
  1992
- The Stopping Mind
  director
  
  directing
  
  1990
- Angel's Gate
  director
  
  directing
  
  1989
- Sodium Vapor
  director
  
  directing
  
  1986
- I Do Not Know What It Is I Am Like
  director
  
  directing
  
  1986
- Silent Life
  director
  
  directing
  
  1986
- Reverse Television - Portraits of Viewers
  director
  
  directing
  
  1984
- Reasons for Knocking at an Empty House
  director
  
  directing
  
  1983
- Anthem
  director
  
  directing
  
  1983
- Ancient of Days
  director
  
  directing
  
  1982
- Hatsu Yume (First Dream)
  director
  
  directing
  
  1981
- Vegetable Memory
  director
  
  directing
  
  1980
- The Reflecting Pool
  director
  
  directing
  
  1979
- Moonblood
  director
  
  directing
  
  1979
- Chott el-Djerid (A Portrait in Light and Heat)
  director
  
  directing
  
  1979
- Moving Stillness: Mount Rainier 1979
  director
  
  directing
  
  1979
- Memories Of Ancestral Power
  director
  
  directing
  
  1977
- Memory Surfaces and Mental Prayers
  director
  
  directing
  
  1977
- Sweet Light
  director
  
  directing
  
  1977
- The Wheel of Becoming
  director
  
  directing
  
  1977
- The Morning After the Night of Power
  director
  
  directing
  
  1977
- He Weeps for You
  director
  
  directing
  
  1977
- Four Songs
  director
  
  directing
  
  1976
- Truth Through Mass Individuation
  director
  
  directing
  
  1976
- The Space Between the Teeth
  director
  
  directing
  
  1976
- Songs of Innocence
  director
  
  directing
  
  1976
- Junkyard Levitation
  director
  
  directing
  
  1976
- Migration (for Jack Nelson)
  director
  
  directing
  
  1976
- Return
  director
  
  directing
  
  1975
- Playing Soul Music to My Freckles So They Won't Get Lonely
  director
  
  directing
  
  1975
- A Non-Dairy Creamer
  director
  
  directing
  
  1975
- The Semi-Circular Canals
  director
  
  directing
  
  1975
- A Million Other Things (2)
  director
  
  directing
  
  1975
- Red Tape: Collected Works
  director
  
  directing
  
  1975
- Information
  director
  
  directing
  
  1973
writing (12 credits)
- Mary
  writer
  
  writing
  
  2016
- Tristan’s Ascension (The Sound of a Mountain Under a Waterfall)
  idea
  
  writing
  
  2005
- The Raft
  writer
  
  writing
  
  2004
- Going Forth By Day
  writer
  
  writing
  
  2002
- Déserts
  writer
  
  writing
  
  1994
- Angel's Gate
  idea
  
  writing
  
  1989
- Reasons for Knocking at an Empty House
  writer
  
  writing
  
  1983
- Anthem
  writer
  
  writing
  
  1983
- Hatsu Yume (First Dream)
  writer
  
  writing
  
  1981
- The Reflecting Pool
  writer
  
  writing
  
  1979
- Migration (for Jack Nelson)
  idea
  
  writing
  
  1976
- Return
  writer
  
  writing
  
  1975
crew (3 credits)
- Going Forth By Day
  cinematography
  
  crew
  
  2002
- I Do Not Know What It Is I Am Like
  cinematography
  
  crew
  
  1986
- Chott el-Djerid (A Portrait in Light and Heat)
  creator
  
  crew
  
  1979
editing (5 credits)
- Going Forth By Day
  editor
  
  editing
  
  2002
- Déserts
  editor
  
  editing
  
  1994
- Angel's Gate
  editor
  
  editing
  
  1989
- Hatsu Yume (First Dream)
  editor
  
  editing
  
  1981
- Migration (for Jack Nelson)
  editor
  
  editing
  
  1976
camera (6 credits)
- Déserts
  director of photography
  
  camera
  
  1994
- Angel's Gate
  director of photography
  
  camera
  
  1989
- Hatsu Yume (First Dream)
  director of photography
  
  camera
  
  1981
- The Reflecting Pool
  director of photography
  
  camera
  
  1979
- Guadalcanal Requiem
  director of photography
  
  camera
  
  1977
- Migration (for Jack Nelson)
  director of photography
  
  camera
  
  1976
production (2 credits)
- I Do Not Know What It Is I Am Like
  producer
  
  production
  
  1986
- Hatsu Yume (First Dream)
  producer
  
  production
  
  1981