Biography
Sonia Kennebeck was born in Malakka, Malaysia in 1980. Raised in Hamburg, she went on to major in cultural studies and later graduated with a master degree in international relations from the American University in Washington, D.C. She subsequently worked as a journalist and filmmaker for networks NDR, ARD and CNN. From 2002 on, she was a producer at the ARD studio in Washington. After attending a trainee program at NDR in 2005, she became a staff writer for the network's political news program "Panorama" and remained in that capacity until 2012. In addition to this, she authored numerous longer TV features, including "Sex - Made in Germany" (2013, co-directed by Tina Soliman), which screened at the Montreal World Film Festival and won the silver medal at the 'New York Festivals – World's Best TV & Films' event.
At the 2016 Berlin IFF, Sonia Kennebeck presented her first feature-length documentary in the section "Berlinale Special": "National Bird" explores the drone program of the US military through the testimonies of three whistleblowers. Following more screenings at festivals, including the Tribeca Film Festival, New York and the San Francisco International Film Festival, the film was released in Germany in May 2017.