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- Director
- Writer
- Producer
Jean-Pierre Jeunet is a self-taught director who was very quickly interested by cinema, with a predilection for a fantastic cinema where form is as important as the subject. Thus he started directing TV commercials and video clips (such as Julien Clerc in 1984). At the same time he met designer/drawer Marc Caro with whom he made two short animation movies: L'évasion (1978) and Le manège (1979), the latter winning a César for the best short movie. After these two successful movies Jeunet and Caro spent more than one year together by making every detail (scenario, costumes, production design) of their third short movie: The Bunker of the Last Gunshots (1981). This movie combined sci-fi and heroic-fantasy in a visually delirious story of the rising paranoia among soldiers trapped underground. With that movie they garnered several festival prizes in France. (This movie also marked their first collaboration with Gilles Adrien who later wrote the story of their two feature movies with them). After that Jeunet directed two other short movies without the help of Caro: Pas de repos pour Billy Brakko (1983), then Foutaises (1989) with Dominique Pinon who became another regular collaborator of Jeunet. All Jeunet's short movies won a lot of awards in France but also overseas and he won a second César with Foutaises (1989).
In 1991, Jeunet and Caro took their first steps in a feature movie: Delicatessen (1991). It was such a success that it won 4 Césars including the awards for the best new director(s) and the best scenario. For this movie Jeunet and Caro divided responsibilities with the former guiding the actors and the latter coordinating the artistic elements. And Jeunet showed again his liking to have Dominique Pinon, of course, but also Rufus, Jean-Claude Dreyfus and Ticky Holgado who appeared again in Jeunet's next movies, or Maurice Lamy who already had a little role in Foutaises (1989). The success of Delicatessen (1991) even surprised Jeunet and Caro themselves but they took advantage of that in order to finally make their almost 10 year-old project! This project took more than 4 more years to be carried out but the movie turned out enormous: The City of Lost Children (1995) was a black tale and was so innovative at this period that they needed to create new software for the special effects (mostly made by Pitof). Jeunet and Caro kept the same responsibilities as in Delicatessen (1991) and the movie also combined different international skills: US actor Ron Perlman, Chilean-born actor Daniel Emilfork, Iranian cinematographer Darius Khondji (who was already in the crew of Delicatessen (1991)), Americo-Italian composer Angelo Badalamenti and French fashion-designer Jean-Paul Gaultier for the costumes. While the film was supposed to be suitable for children, some considered it "dark", to which Jeunet and Caro replied that it was no more "dark" than Pinocchio (1940) or Bambi (1942).
But these critics didn't stop the movie from being successful and when the movie gained them further attention, it was only a matter of time before Hollywood called them. Thus in 1997, Jeunet left France to make a temporary career in the USA for the fourth installment of the 'Alien' series: Alien: Resurrection (1997). Marc Caro followed him just as a design supervisor but Jeunet brought with him a little army' of his usual collaborators (mostly French): actors Dominique Pinon and Ron Perlman, but also Pitof, Darius Khondji or editor Hervé Schneid, and for the first time Alain Carsoux who was responsible of the special effects of Jeunet's next film. In 2000, after two collaborations with Caro and one in the US, Jeunet came back to France in order to make a more personal movie, even if Guillaume Laurant wrote the story with him. Thus he used a lot of different details he wrote everywhere during his life (and also recycled things he'd already done, e.g. in Foutaises (1989)) and shot his story mostly in the Parisian suburb of Montmartre where he lives. Then the result was Amélie (2001) starring Audrey Tautou and Mathieu Kassovitz. With this movie Jeunet made the biggest worldwide success of French cinema history. A real magical potion, which won innumerable awards in the whole world including 4 Césars (therefore Jeunet won his fifth and sixth Césars!).
Jeunet eventually decided to adapt Sébastien Japrisot's book A Very Long Engagement (2004) for which he called Audrey Tautou and Dominique Pinon again, but also many other famous French actors and Jodie Foster. It had one of the most important budgets in French film history and eventually had a good international success and many nominations and awards.- Actress
- Director
- Writer
Fanny Ardant was the youngest of five children born to a cavalry officer and his wife. She was raised in Monte Carlo where she was educated at a convent school. A voracious reader, she discovered Proust when she was 15, and felt as though his writings were for her.
When she was 17 her father died, and the shock of his loss never left her. Shortly before his death Ardant began acting on stage. However, following her father's death she followed his advice and went to university in Aix-en-Provence where she read Political Science. Upon graduating, she took a job working for the French embassy in London; she was sacked from this, for poor timekeeping and being dishevelled. The latter was attributed to the social whirl that she enjoyed in London.
Ardant continued working odd jobs in London before deciding, almost on a whim, to go to drama school. She returned to France for her studies, and before long began acting on stage and then on television. At the age of 31 she was contacted by Francois Truffaut who had spotted her in a television drama and wanted to cast her in his film The Woman Next Door (1981).
While working together Ardant and Truffaut fell in love, and in 1983 she gave birth to their daughter Josephine. Truffaut died a year later from a brain tumour.- Suliane Brahim was born on 1 April 1978 in Chartres, Eure-et-Loir, France. She is an actress, known for The Swarm (2020), Black Spot (2017) and The Specials (2019).
- Actor
- Music Department
- Soundtrack
Born in Saumur, France on March 4,1955, Dominique Pinon studied literature at the Faculty of Arts in Poitiers after which he moved to Paris and attended the Cours Simon School of Dramatic Arts. He made his first cinematic appearance in Arthur Joffé's 1980 short film La Découverte.
A versatile and gifted actor, he has produced an impressive body of work in film, television and on stage. He is also an accomplished voice-over actor. With over 100 film and short credits, multiple roles in television and over 40 performances in stage theater (garnering him the Molière Award for Best Actor in 2004), he has acted alongside notables Maggie Smith, Sigourney Weaver, Winona Ryder, Audrey Tatou, Gaspard Ulliel and many others. Pinon has the ability to engage an audience and brings to all his roles a relatability that resonates across cultures and genres.
Pinon's first feature film appearance was in Jean-Jacques Beineix's 1981 classic thriller Diva. He went on to work closely with director Jean-Pierre Jeunet, appearing in many of his films including Delicatessen (1991), Alien: Resurrection (1997) and Amélie, (2001). He has worked with many world-renowned directors. Pinon has played numerous roles on television in France and Europe. He appeared as the fan favorite "Master Raymond" in the internationally popular "Outlander" series (2016).
In 2014 he was made an Officer in the Ordre des Arts et des Lettres, a title given to those who have made a significant contribution to the enrichment of the French cultural inheritance.- Linda Hardy was born on 11 October 1973 in Nantes, Loire-Atlantique, France. She is an actress, known for Immortal (2004), The Love Punch (2013) and The Philanthropist (2009).
- Director
- Writer
- Actor
Jacques Demy was born on 5 June 1931 in Pontchâteau, Loire-Atlantique, France. He was a director and writer, known for The Umbrellas of Cherbourg (1964), The Young Girls of Rochefort (1967) and A Room in Town (1982). He was married to Agnès Varda. He died on 27 October 1990 in Paris, France.- Actress
- Producer
- Director
Lydie Denier was raised in Martinique and attended school at the Lycee Shoelcher in Fort de France, Martinique. She became a model at 14 years old. Her big break through as an actress was when she played the role of Jane in the TV series Tarzán (1991) from 1991 till 1993. Her TV debut was on General Hospital (1963) back in 1989 playing the role of Yasmine Bernoudi. Lydie is also an accomplished artist. She paints acrylic on canvas and her work has been sold both in Europe and America. She is also a writer and a producer. Her film company is Pathway Pictures in Los Angeles.- Additional Crew
- Director
- Actor
Patrice Chéreau was born on 2 November 1944 in Lézigné, Maine-et-Loire, France. He was a director and actor, known for Intimacy (2001), The Last of the Mohicans (1992) and Queen Margot (1994). He died on 7 October 2013 in Clichy, Hauts-de-Seine, France.- Actor
- Writer
- Director
Sensitive, boyishly handsome, dark-haired Gallic lead and character actor Daniel Gelin did not have an easy personal life but was warmly embraced as a talented star who appeared to fine advantage for such legendary directors as Max Ophüls, Louis Malle, Jean Cocteau, Alfred Hitchcock, and Claude Lelouch.
Born Daniel Yves Alfred Gelin in Angers, France, on May 19, 1921, he left home at age 16 to take dramatic arts classes and trained at the Cours Simon in Paris, later studying at the Paris Conservatoire with Louis Jouvet his mentor. He made his first film appearance in Miquette (1940) and for several years played extra or bit parts in French films.
His rebellious bohemian nature served him well in films, if not his private life. Adept at both light comedy and heavy drama, Gelin moved into leading roles in 1949 and went on to mesmerize audiences in such films as Rendezvous in July (1949), Edward and Caroline (1951), Dirty Hands (1951), Le Plaisir (1952), Rue de l'Estrapade (1953), Young Love (1951), Napoleon (1955) (title role), The Man Who Knew Too Much (1956), Testament of Orpheus (1960) and many more.
Numerous starring/co-starring roles in primarily French films followed, a healthy mixture of farce and drama. These included Shadows of Adultery (1961), El niño y el muro (1965), Line of Demarcation (1966), À belles dents (1966), Witness Out of Hell (1966), La trêve (1968), Hallucinations sadiques (1969), La servante (1970), Far from Dallas (1972), Diálogos de exiliados (1975), L'honorable société (1978) and The Children (1985). His final films would be in Les ténors (1994), Des feux mal éteints (1994), Fugueuses (1995) and Les Bidochon (1996). Gelin's last few years were spent on TV with projects including roles on Chercheurs d'or (1996), Les marmottes (1998) and Madame le proviseur (1994).
Despite his enviable resume (150 films), It's generally considered that Gelin professional career was compromised by a turbulent, unhappy life off screen. Gelin lived an emotionally up-and-down rollercoaster life pocked with stormy relationships, severe depression and suicide attempts. A lengthy battle with alcohol and drugs quickly hardened his initially boyish features. One child son, Pascal, died tragically in 1957 at the age of 14 months when he accidentally swallowed pills. Another son, actor/producer Xavier Gélin, lost his battle with cancer in 1999.
Gelin was married three times, including his first to actress Danièle Delorme. He had six children in all. One daughter, actress Maria Schneider was the product of his liaison with French model Christine Marie Schneider, whom he never married. Another daughter was actress Fiona Gélin. Gélin was a writer as well, and penned a number of poetry poems, memoirs and even a manual on gardening. He died in Paris on November 29, 2002, at the age 81 of kidney failure.- Actor
- Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Christophe Paou was born on 25 February 1969 in Blois, Loir-et-Cher, France. He is an actor and assistant director, known for Stranger by the Lake (2013), The Chef (2012) and Happy End (2009).- Manal Issa was born on 9 March 1992 in Angers, Maine-et-Loire, France. She is an actress, known for The Swimmers (2022), Parisienne (2015) and The Sea Ahead (2021).
- Victor Meutelet was born on 10 November 1998 in Mainvilliers, Eure-et-Loir, France. He is an actor, known for Eyewitness (2018), Culte and Les Rascals (2022).
- Actor
- Director
- Writer
Robin Renucci was born on 11 July 1956 in Le Creusot, Saône-et-Loire, France. He is an actor and director, known for The Dreamers (2003), Masks (1987) and Un village français (2009).- Claude Perron was born on 23 January 1966 in Nantes, Loire-Atlantique, Pays-de-la-Loire, France. She is an actress, known for Belgravia: The Next Chapter (2024), Big Bug (2022) and Workingirls (2012).
- Writer
- Additional Crew
Jules Gabriel Verne (1828-1905) was one of the most famous French novelists of all time. His major work is the "Extraordinary Journeys", a series of more than sixty adventure novels including "Journey to the Center of the Earth", "Around the World in 80 Days", "20.000 Leagues under the Seas" and "The Mysterious Island" which had multiple cinematographic adaptations. Nicknamed "The father of science fiction", he is the second most translated author in the world after Agatha Christie.- Eriq Ebouaney was born on 3 October 1967 in Angers, Maine-et-Loire, France. He is an actor, known for 3 Days to Kill (2014), Kingdom of Heaven (2005) and Transporter 3 (2008).
- Actor
- Writer
- Producer
Jacques Villeret was born on 6 February 1951 in Tours, Indre-et-Loire, France. He was an actor and writer, known for Le Dîner de Cons (1998), Robert et Robert (1978) and Malevil (1981). He was married to Irina Tarassov. He died on 28 January 2005 in Evreux, Eure, France.- Actress
- Music Department
Catherine Jourdan was born on 12 October 1948 in Azay-le-Rideau, Indre-et-Loire, France. She was an actress, known for The Samurai (1967), The Leatherstocking Tales (1969) and Vortex (1976). She died on 18 February 2011 in Paris, France.- Director
- Writer
- Actress
Catherine Corsini was born on 18 May 1956 in Dreux, Eure-et-Loir, France. She is a director and writer, known for The Divide (2021), Summertime (2015) and Three Worlds (2012).- Actor
- Producer
- Writer
Yves Robert was born on 21 June 1920 in Saumur, Maine-et-Loire, France. He was an actor and producer, known for The Tall Blond Man with One Black Shoe (1972), War of the Buttons (1962) and Les petites magiciennes (1986). He was married to Danièle Delorme. He died on 10 May 2002 in Paris, France.- Though remembered as an Italian pulp cinema icon of the 1970s, Luc Merenda was actually born and raised in Nogent-le-Roi, Paris, France, with Italian ancestry through his paternal grandfather. A thrill-seeking, multi-disciplinary athlete in his youth (his hobbies include savate, motorcycle racing, and skydiving), Merenda entered into the film industry at the age of 27 after being spotted at an audition while working as a model. He was one of the top leading men of the poliziotteschi genre, gritty urban crime dramas featuring dirty cops and even dirtier criminals. His career slowed down in the 1980s with the decline of poliziottescho, appearing mostly on television, before retiring to his native France to own and operate an antiques and modern art gallery.
- Costume Designer
- Costume and Wardrobe Department
Coco Chanel was born on 19 August 1883 in Saumur, Maine-et-Loire, France. She was a costume designer, known for The Rules of the Game (1939), Tonight or Never (1931) and The Greeks Had a Word for Them (1932). She died on 10 January 1971 in Paris, France.- Actor
- Writer
- Soundtrack
Jean Carmet was born on 25 April 1920 in Tours, Indre-et-Loire, France. He was an actor and writer, known for Les Misérables (1982), Bouvard et Pecuchet (1990) and The Tall Blond Man with One Black Shoe (1972). He was married to Raymonde Machet. He died on 20 April 1994 in Sèvres, Hauts-de-Seine, France.- Actor
- Writer
- Director
Emmanuel Salinger was born on 6 May 1964 in Blois, Loir-et-Cher, France. He is an actor and writer, known for The Sentinel (1992), Forget Me (1994) and Blind Alley (1989).- Location Management
- Production Manager
- Additional Crew
Fabien Courage was born on 5 March 1972 in Saint-Etienne, Loire, France. He was a production manager, known for Anthony Zimmer (2005), Payoff (2003) and Time of the Wolf (2003). He died on 26 January 2023 in Nice, Alpes-Maritimes, France.