Having lived and worked in different countries across multiple continents, he is passionate about cross-cultural issues, and the philosophical, political and spiritual implications of a globalized modern existence. Brook frequently explores these ideas in his work, the ultimate focus of which is our shared humanity.
Born in London, Simon grew up between France and England. After training as an actor and director in London, he worked as an assistant director for Academy-Award winning director Zbigniew Rybczinsky and for Philip Kaufman on The Unbearable Lightness of Being amongst many others. He went on to direct numerous and produce theatrical and TV documentaries for ARTE, BBC, Discovery amongst others. Recent productions include A Different American Dream about the MHA Nation, a coalition of Native American tribes in North Dakota struggling to preserve their land rights and cultural identity, Pot Luck, The Altered State of Colorado a feature documentary turning the camera on those whose lives are impacted by the cannabis industry.
Other films include Indian Summer which explores Ayurvedic medicine as a treatment for cancer, 20 short films about children in the Caucasus, a documentary on the Amazon River, a docudrama about the Karo tribe of Ethiopia and the documentary feature Brook by Brook co-produced by the Dardenne brothers for ARTE. He also made a film on Alexandria at the time of Cleopatra for Discovery USA and a musical documentary in the Amazon, Jungle Magic, for BBC Storyville/ARTE. In 2006, he wrote and directed The True Legend of the Eiffel Tower a 95-minute docudrama for Canal+ (one of the most successful docudramas ever broadcast on French TV.)
In the area of Fine Arts, Brook is working to create what will be one of the largest land art projects in history. Located in the Emirate of Fujairah, UAE, this project is expected to take around 20 years, with phase one slated to commence in 2023.
Simon Brook has been a guest lecturer/tutor at the Sorbonne, Discovery Campus, Aristoteles Workshop, and the Stockholm School of Visual Arts amongst others. He is a member of the British Academy of Film and Television Arts BAFTA.