Lydia's journey in the film industry began in 1986, when she interned on a documentary about incest and child sexual abuse, Breaking Silence, during her college years. Upon graduation, she continued to work on documentaries, including Stories of Change and the Academy Award-winning Women: for America, for the World.
Throughout her career, Lydia has consistently worked on a documentary every year or two, often juggling this with earning a living in the production, camera, and electric departments. Her impressive portfolio includes directing, producing, and writing various documentaries, such as They're Just Kids, a 26-minute educational film showcasing the positive impact of children with disabilities; A Legacy Revealed, a 40-minute historical documentary; Infiniti, a five-minute behind-the-scenes video; and Bill Lansing: A Tribute, a 20-minute biography.
In addition to her documentary work, Lydia has also been involved in various television projects, including being the Senior Producer on CNN's Soldiers of Peace: A Children's Crusade; Co-Producer and 2nd Unit DP on the CNN documentary The Mystery of the Arctic Rose; 2nd unit DP on the PBS show Stand Up; American Producer for Chilean TV's The Route of the Beringia; and DP for Anthony Hopkins Teaches, among others.
In 2008, Lydia embarked on her first feature-length documentary, Walking the Camino: Six Ways to Santiago, which became a global hit, airing on national television and receiving a successful theatrical release in nine different countries. The documentary received a 90% Rotten Tomatoes rating and was the #12 documentary in theaters in the United States and Canada in 2014, as well as the #5 documentary in Australia and New Zealand in 2015.
Throughout 2018 and 2019, Walking the Camino aired approximately 2000 times on hundreds of PBS stations nationwide, reaching 1.2 million viewers and counting. In addition to her work on documentaries, Lydia has also worked as a camera assistant and operator on major motion pictures, top music videos, and countless commercials.
