Oscar Teleki
History, writing, and the life behind the films.
I am the writer and filmmaker behind House of History. Much of my work is built around reading, writing, research, and turning historical material into films.
Introduction
Hi, I'm Oscar Teleki.
House of History grew out of two long-running interests: history and politics. What has always drawn me in is not only the scale of major events, but the fact that real history so often feels stranger, darker, and more compelling than fiction.
Some subjects call for a broad, sweeping treatment. Others are small or lesser-known episodes that reveal something larger beneath the surface. Both belong here.
Background
A way of working shaped by study and curiosity.
I studied History and International Relations at Leiden University, where I completed two degrees, but the deeper foundation of this work has always been private reading, writing, and a lasting habit of trying to understand how events unfold and why they matter.
Over time, that became more than an interest. It became the structure of my working life.
Writing
The films begin long before the animation.
Although House of History is often recognized for maps, visuals, and animation, the real beginning of each documentary is reading, structure, and prose.
A great deal of the work lies in taking dense historical material and turning it into something coherent enough to narrate, clear enough to visualize, and strong enough to hold together as a film. Writing is central to that process. So is interpretation, judgment, and deciding what deserves emphasis and what does not.
Personal rhythm
A quieter life around the next film.
My life around the work is fairly quiet. I live with my wife and our German Shepherd, Atlas, in a quiet rural setting, and much of the rhythm of daily life is built around the next documentary: reading, outlining, writing, revising, animating, and slowly turning difficult material into something watchable.
Why this work
Why House of History matters to me.
What matters most to me is the attempt to do history justice, not only by being accurate, but by presenting it with enough care, structure, and atmosphere that people can actually feel its weight.
History, when treated seriously, rarely feels dry to me. More often it feels larger, stranger, and more dramatic than anything invented. That is part of what keeps drawing me back to it, and part of why I keep building these films.