Ines Johnson-Spain is an independent German/Togolese filmmaker based in Berlin.
She studied Scienes of Religions at Freie Universität Berlin (FU) and was a guest student for Fine Arts and Painting at University of Arts Berlin.

She worked for many years as a scenic painter and in various positions of the art departments of national and international filmproductions. (e.g. Peter Greenaway The Tulse Luper Suitcases, Anders Thomas Jensen Men and Chicken, Lana Wachowsky Sense8, Andrej Swjaginzew Die Verbannung). Johnson-Spain teaches scenic painting at Film University Babelsberg.

Since 2002 she develops and realizes her own documentary film projects. Her work focuses on intimate portraits that explore the notion of self and affiliation. More recently she directed the film „L‘Esprit de Madjid“, about a young gay man from Togo who is a follower of Voudou and relates to himself through his spirits.

The autobiographical film „Becoming Black“ is her first feature length film. Ines Johnson-Spain has been awarded different grants like the Gerd-Ruge Stipendium and was a recipient of the Berlin State Council on Video Artist Grant several times. Her films have been screened at prestigious international film festivals and in galleries and exhibitions.

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