Another notable obituary a few weeks ago reported the death of legendary film director Mark Rydell who died of natural causes at the Motion Picture & Television Country House in Woodland Hills, California, on August 13, 2026, at 97.

His death is a great loss for the American film industry, as many Hollywood stars flocked to work with him over the years. He directed Katharine Hepburn and Henry Fonda in their Oscar-winning performances (“On Golden Pond,” 1981). Five other actors in his films were nominated for an Oscar: Rupert Crosse (“The Reivers,” 1969); Marsha Mason (“Cinderella Liberty,” 1973; her first of four noms); Bette Midler (“The Rose,” 1979; “For the Boys,” 1991); Fredric Forrest (“The Rose,”), and Sissy Spacek (“The River,” 1984).

As a longtime actor who first appeared on Broadway and on television in 1952, he worked with James Dean and Steve McQueen, among others. Yet he preferred to direct, if somewhat sporadically, as it turned out. With the help of his friend Sydney Pollack, he then helmed episodes of “The Virginian” (1963), “Ben Casey” (1963-1964), “I Spy” (1965), “The Long, Hot Summer” (1965-1966), “The Fugitive” (1966), and “Gunsmoke” (1964-1966), among others.

He became a renowned actor’s director and then made eleven feature films that earned more than twenty Oscar nominations. His directorial film debut was “The Fox” (1969), warmly received by arthouse audiences, followed by “The Reivers” (1969), a heartwarming and nostalgic trip down memory lane starring Steve McQueen; “The Cowboys” (1972) with John Wayne whose character was killed on-screen—forty minutes before the end of the movie—and two films starring James Caan, the romantic drama “Cinderella Liberty” (1972) and the period comedy “Harry and Walter Go to New York” (1976) with an all-star cast of Elliott Gould, James Caan, Diane Keaton and Michael Caine, before lobbying hard to get Bette Midler to play the leading role in her film debut “The Rose” (1979).

Mark Rydell only made a few more pictures. “On Golden Pond” (1981) with Katharine Hepburn, Henry Fonda and his daughter Jane Fonda, was his most successful one, followed by the heartland drama “The River” (1984) with Mel Gibson in his first U.S. role; “For the Boys” (1991), a musical comedy-drama that reunited Rydell with James Caan and Bette Midler; the marital drama “Intersection” (1994, a remake of the French film “Les choses de la vie” from 1970 starring Romy Schneider), with Richard Gere, Sharon Stone and Lolita Davidovich; and the crime drama “Even Money” (2006) starring Kim Basinger, Ray Liotta and Forest Whitaker. The film focuses on three strangers who are addicted to gambling and how their lives come to be intertwined.

A substantial human drama, that was Mark Rydell’s niche, with dramatic interaction between people. Kind of like Sydney Pollack, who told me in 1997, ‘I like to do character-driven stories about people and relationships.’ So, if you were looking for explosions, violence, car chases, or special effects, you had to go elsewhere; Mark Rydell’s films and his characters were all very down-to-earth—and so was he, as I found out in the Summer of 1978, when he was shooting “The Rose.”

In July of that year, I spent a few weeks in Los Angeles to meet actors and film directors for interviews. I also went to the publicity departments of the major studios to pick up press material and press kits of their upcoming films. When I visited 20th Century Fox—where I also got a private tour of the back lot, which was very quiet, with no film or TV crews at work or anything like that—I met Fox’s press agent, Joel Colen. I asked him, ‘It seems you’re not shooting anything at the studio right now, are you?’ ‘Not at the studio, but next Friday evening, we’re shooting the final scene of “The Rose,” directed by Mark Rydell and with Bette Midler and Alan Bates. Would you like to come?’

That Friday, July 14—I always had a little notebook with me that I used as my diary, and I still have it—I went down to the Veterans Memorial Stadium in Long Beach where the final scene for “The Rose” was to be filmed late in the evening. In that scene, Bette Midler, playing a self-destructive female rock star, and Alan Bates as her manager arrive at the stadium by helicopter; they get out, he takes her to the stage where she sings one song before her character collapses and dies.

When I arrived at the stadium in Long Beach around 05:30 PM—it was a long drive on a Friday afternoon, coming from Hollywood—I asked security to see Joel Colen, and that was my entry ticket to the main event. Around 08:00 PM, the musicians were all ready. They began playing and rehearsing the song “Camille” (song heard in the YouTube clip below), which they used to introduce The Rose on stage. By 09:15 PM, the helicopter scene was filmed, with the helicopter flying low above a crowd of about 2,000 people. It lands on the football field, Bette Midler and Alan Bates get out and walk towards the stage.

Bette Midler and Alan Bates arrive at Long Beach’s Veterans Memorial Stadium in the final scene of “The Rose”

Mark Rydell tried a couple of different versions for the audience to welcome the character of Rose, from screaming and applauding to shouting ‘Sex, drugs, rock and roll.’ The fireworks, with a huge rose as one of its highlights, were done at the same time.

During the shoot, I sat in the audience as an extra—and got paid for it—and watched the helicopter scene, which was done a couple of times. Around 11:15 PM, Bette Midler sang her song and finally collapsed on stage. That scene also took multiple takes, and after one of the takes when she fell down on stage, I heard Mark Rydell shout, ‘Great fall!’

Bette Midler as Rose in Mark Rydell’s rock musical “The Rose,” released in 1979

I stayed in the audience until 00:30 AM and then walked down to the front of the stage to take pictures while Bette Midler did her scene again. After they finished shooting, I went backstage and met Alan Bates and Mark Rydell. I know, it all looks so simple and even hard to believe, but that’s what it was like back then. Everybody was very accessible and very gracious. I got an interview with Alan Bates almost right away; we didn’t only talk about “The Rose,” but also about another American film he did that year (Paul Mazursky’s “An Unmarried Woman,” co-starring Jill Clayburgh), and his career in Great Britain, where his body of work included films like John Schlesinger’s “Far From the Madding Crowd” (1967) and Joseph Losey’s “The Go-Between” (1971), both with Jullie Christie.

Mark Rydell gave me the phone number of his office at Fox to make an appointment for an interview the following week. I also hoped to talk to Bette Midler. I mean, they all had finished the scene, they were all still there, so it wouldn’t hurt to ask, would it? So I checked with her manager and “The Rose” producer Aaron Russo if she was available. He told me to wait there, and about an hour later, there she was. She was in high spirits, and we talked for about twenty minutes.

When she toured Europe a few months later, she also gave a concert in Antwerp, Belgium, which I attended. I knew what hotel she was staying at, so in the afternoon, I was in the hotel lobby, hoping to meet Aaron Russo again. He was with her all the time and took care of every practical or technical matter. When I saw him entering the lobby, I walked up to him and talked to him briefly. I asked if I could say hello to her after the concert; he was very kind and even remembered me, and told me it was okay to wait for her backstage. And guess what: after the concert, when she came down the stairs from her dressing room, ready to leave the theater and go out for a late dinner, she also recognized me and we talked and laughed for a few minutes.

“The Rose” (1979, trailer)

But, back to Long Beach in July 1978. The closing scene was filmed on Friday, July 14. A week later, on Friday, July 21, the wrap party took place at 20th Century Fox’s stage 6, where I was invited. I entered the studio on Pico Boulevard, told security I was a guest from Belgium who was invited to the wrap party, and he told me how to get to stage 6. There was plenty of food and drinks for everyone, and I talked briefly to Alan Bates and Mark Rydell, who reminded me, ‘We’ll meet next week. Call my secretary, and she’ll set up the interview.’

And she did. On Tuesday, July 25, I had to be at his office at 11:45 AM. Joel Oliansky’s office was next to his; he had made “The Competition” (1980) starring Richard Dreyfuss, Amy Irving, and Lee Remick. Mark Rydell was late, but I didn’t mind. I had the luxury of being welcomed by all those wonderful and talented people who allowed me some of their time. I was a nobody, a staff writer for Cinema Magazine, a Flemish film monthly that nobody had ever heard of. And yet, there I was.

An hour later, Mark Rydell arrived at his office. ‘Ah! There you are!’ We entered his office, I took my oversized cassette tape recorder out of my bag, and for more than thirty minutes we talked about his work as an actor and a film director.

The cassette tape of that interview is nearly fifty years old now; it hasn’t disintegrated completely, but the sound quality is very poor. I still have the interview as it was published in this Flemish film magazine, but that’s in Dutch, and I’d like to have Mark Rydell’s original words when quoting him. So I took my time to get through the tape vigorously, and, fortunately, I was able to reproduce most of it.

After we finished the interview, we went outside his office to take a few pictures in front of his Mercedes, in the company of his son and actor Christopher (b. 1963), who had appeared in “Cinderella Liberty” and “Harry and Walter Go to New York” (1976).

Mr. Rydell, you were born in New York and you grew up there. What was your artistic training like?

I was born in New York in 1934, and during the first half of the 1950s, I studied at the Actors’ Studio in New York with Elia Kazan and Lee Strasberg. I later met some of my fellow students on set, like Marlon Brando, James Dean, Rod Steiger… I know them all from that time. Afterward, I worked with Sanford Meisner and spent some time at the Neighborhood Playhouse. Then I started working for television. CBS offered me a leading role in a new series, “As the World Turns.” For six years [1956-1962], we filmed it three times a week. That always took place in the afternoon. In the evenings, I directed on Broadway. One of those plays, “Roots” [1961], was very successful; it was about an English family in the northern United States. The play had nothing to do with the TV series [1976] that became so popular.

Did you work on any other TV series in New York?

No, it was thanks to Sidney Pollack—who later became my business partner—that I came to Hollywood. We were both at the Neighborhood Playhouse. John Frankenheimer had brought Pollack into the studios and arranged for him to direct a two-part episode of “Ben Casey” [1962]. Sydney Pollack, however, wanted to focus on the technical aspects of directing, so he needed someone to work with the actors, and he asked me if I’d like to be his assistant. Of course, I agreed right away, and the producer, Matthew Rapf—who went on to produce numerous other TV series—thought my work was good enough to keep me on as an assistant for several episodes. Six months later, he gave me my first script for “Ben Casey,” which I was allowed to direct myself.

So that’s when things really took off?

Well, it didn’t go that fast; I was offered scripts for other shows like “Gunsmoke” and “I Spy,” and of course I accepted them right away.

Can you tell us a little about “I Spy”?

Originally, it was an eight-episode series. If it were successful, there would be more. I directed only three episodes. The series brought some freshness to American television, thanks to the charisma of lead actors Robert Culp and Bill Cosby. When the series got very successful, they became a little bit cocky, but that was quite understandable: they had much more talent than the scripts required of them.

“I Spy” (1965-1968, intro)

What is, in your opinion, the difference between directing a TV series and directing movies?

In television, the director has no power. The producer is the key figure, and in most cases, he stays with the series and its regular cast until it’s canceled. Directors come and go, but you can learn your craft there. When I was still working in television, I had some say as a director, but now that’s just impossible. Now you have to think about the production managers at the TV networks, the advertising agents for the commercials, and so on. Then you have the tight schedules and the terrible time limits. When making a TV series, you have to shoot at least ten pages a day; that immediately rules out a high-quality program, unless you can work with very good actors on a specific scene. These days, television is considered a medium whose goal is to produce empty and uninspiring content. Films can be the exact opposite: the director is largely in control and can do whatever he wants. There’s much more room for art. After I began directing movies, I only directed one more TV show—the pilot episode for the TV series “Family” [1976]. Mike Nichols wrote the screenplay, and he asked me if I wanted to direct it. I told him I didn’t want to work in television anymore, but he insisted that I at least read it. In the end, it struck me as a show that could cast television in a different light because it was a simple fictional story that looked authentic. It dealt with the problems of an average American family, and it was significantly better than “Father Knows Best” and all those other absurd soap operas.

How did you make the transition from television to film?

When you’re a well-known TV director, many producers are eager to offer you a film contract because they know they can get you for next to nothing. It was no different for me: I was offered my first screenplays, but I was very selective about what I accepted because, for a first-time film director, the first film is extremely important. “The Fox” became my first film, and I thought I could really make something of it. It ended up taking me two years and costing a lot of money. But the film made a fortune; everyone got rich off it—except me, because I’d only been hired as a staff member. But I don’t complain because my next film, “The Reivers” with Steve McQueen, was a huge success. John Huston was originally supposed to direct the film, but he dropped out and I was able to replace him.

You’re known as a film director, but you also produced “The Cowboys” and “Cinderella Liberty,” and you played an important part in Robert Altman’s “The Long Goodbye” [1973]. Do you ever plan to do all of that in a single film?

In my moments of megalomania, I’ve thought about it [laughs], but I’m not quite sure how to do it. There’s this little story about an English actor who played the gravedigger in the play “Hamlet” for years. They asked him once, ‘What is “Hamlet” about?’ And he said, ‘Well, there’s this gravedigger…’ He approached the play from his own personal perspective, with his role in mind. That’s what an actor should do. A director must do the opposite: he must bring the actors together and approach each one from the perspective of their role. Some directors act in their own films, but I don’t understand how they manage it.

Which of your films do you think is the best?

It’s not elegant to say, but I think they’re all good. I have wonderful memories of every film; they’re all a part of my life, and I stand with every one of them. I always approach each film thinking it could be my last. That’s my message to the world [laughs].

Are there particular actors or actresses that you like to work with?

No, not at all; for me, the only thing that matters is being able to work with good actors and actresses. John Wayne was fantastic, Marsha Mason was magnificent, Bruce Dern, Bette Midler, Steve McQueen—they were all exceptional to work with. All actors are different as individuals, which means they have to be approached in different ways, and I love that. So far, I worked almost exclusively with very good and talented people. That’s one of the advantages of my job; I have the opportunity to work with the best people you can find, from actors to screenwriters, from set designers to musicians…

Speaking of musicians, why did you hire Belgian harmonica player Toots Tielemans for the soundtrack of “Cinderella Liberty”?

John Williams and I needed to find someone who could play the harmonica exceptionally well. Toots was a good friend of mine, so I called him and asked if he’d be interested in collaborating on the film’s score. He’s a true virtuoso who should be protected, just like Bette Midler. They’re both wonderful performers.

You worked with John Wayne, one of the biggest stars ever, but you’ve also cast Marsha Mason for the leading role of “Cinderella Liberty” when she was still unknown. Wasn’t that a career risk?

No, not at all, and that happened quite by chance. Paul Mazursky had just made “Blume in Love” [1973] in which Marsha played a small role. When I saw the film, I was amazed to see how talented she was, and I wanted her for “Cinderella Liberty.” I contacted Mazursky and asked him where I could find her. He told me she was a member of the American Conservatory Theater in San Francisco. So I went to San Francisco to see her at the theater where she was performing; she played Nora in “A Doll’s House” at the time. I was very impressed by her performance and went backstage after the show to speak with her. I introduced myself as Mark Rydell from 20th Century Fox and asked if she was interested in the leading role in my next film, “Cinderella Liberty,” opposite James Caan. I’ll never forget her first reaction [laughs]. She looked at me as if I were crazy and simply said, ‘Okay, send me the script, and we’ll see.’ She apparently thought I wanted something else, but, well, the rest is history. The studio thought it was absurd because they wanted a different, well-known actress for that role. I told them that I would make this movie only if Marsha played the lead. Once they realized she could act, I got full autonomy. A week after the film was released, I received a telegram from Fox saying that no other actress could have played that part better than Marsha.

Is that what you want to achieve with your films? Discover new talent, try something else, broaden your horizons?

Absolutely. For example, “The Revers” was an adventure set at the beginning of this century and explored how people in that small Mississippi town experienced it; in “Harry and Walter Go To New York,” the focus was on the lives of vaudeville performers. Before I started working on “The Rose,” I read a lot of books. I studied 1969 thoroughly; it was a tough time with Cambodia, mass murders, Nixon, and so on. I had to really immerse myself in it all again. It was like a forced history lesson [laughs].

Do you ever plan to make a film in Europe?

I’d love to. There are many European professionals I’d love to work with. Sven Nykvist, Ingmar Bergman’s cinematographer, for example. When you work in a foreign country, there’s always a risk that things go wrong, and then you have to make sure you’re back in charge. I would love to see if I can express my ideas in other places the way I can here.

How do you feel about the trend of making sequels?

I think it’s cheap entertainment. “Jaws 2” [1978] is making a fortune, but that’s the purest form of film exploitation and has little to do with cinema as such. “The Godfather, Part II” [1974] was, in my opinion, the best sequel ever made.

What do you do in your free time?

I read a lot and play the piano. I’ve always loved jazz. I also work out a lot to stay in shape. I think being active encourages more activity. When I finish a movie, I feel great. At the end of a hard day, I have more energy than I did at the start. It’s when I stop… [makes a funny face and laughs].

Are you interested in politics?

Of course. Artists are guided by their feelings most of their life, so why not when it comes to politics, art, lifestyle, and so on? You might find yourself swimming against the current, but that’s actually the role of an artist. According to some people, “Cinderella Liberty” suggested that a prostitute can also be a role model. If that’s how I see it, I’m not going to change or hide my opinion for anyone. It’s very important to me that I can express my ideas. I’d rather prefer to lead than to follow.

Are there any filmmakers working today that you admire?

Steven Spielberg. Even though he’s still so young, he’s a miracle guy. He knows what he’s doing and he doesn’t make a mistake.

20th Century Fox, Century City
July 25, 1978

FILMS

CRIME IN THE STREETS (1956) DIR Don Siegel PROD Vincent M. Fennelly SCR Reginald Rose (also story) CAM Sam Leavitt ED Richard C. Meyer MUS Franz Waxman CAST James Whitmore, John Cassavetes, Sal Mineo, Mark Rydell (Lou Malckin), Virginia Gregg, Peter J. Votrian, Will Kuluva, Malcolm Atterbury, Denise Alexander, Dan Terranova

THE FOX (1967) DIR Mark Rydell PROD Raymond Stross SCR Lewis John Carlino, Howard Koch (novella “The Fox” [1922] by D. H. Lawrence) CAM William A. Fraker ED Thomas Stanford MUS Lalo Schifrin CAST Sandy Dennis, Keir Dullea, Anne Heywood, Glynne Morris

THE REIVERS, U.K. title THE YELLOW WINTON FLYER (1969) DIR Mark Rydell PROD Irving Ravetch SCR Irving Ravetch, Harriet Frank Jr. (novel “The Reivers, A Reminiscence” [1962] by William Faulkner) CAM Richard Moore ED Thomas Stanford MUS John Williams CAST Steve McQueen, Sharon Farrell, Will Geer, Michael Constantine, Rupert Crosse, Mitch Vogel, Ruth White, Clifton James, Diane Ladd, Billy Green Bush, Burgess Meredith (voice only)

THE COWBOYS (1972) DIR – PROD Mark Rydell SCR William Dale Jennings, Irving Ravetch, Harriet Frank Jr. (novel “The Cowboys” [1971] by William Dale Jennings) CAM Robert Surtees ED Neil Travis, Robert Swink MUS John Williams CAST John Wayne, Roscoe Lee Browne, Bruce Dern, Colleen Dewhurst, Alfred Barker Jr., Nicolas Beauvy, Robert Carradine, Steve Benedict, Slim Pickens, Richard Farnsworth

CINDERELLA LIBERTY (1973) DIR – PROD Mark Rydell SCR Daryl Ponicsan (also novel “Cinderella Liberty” [1973]) CAM Vilmos Zsigmond ED Donn Cambern, Patrick Kennedy MUS John Williams CAST James Caan, Marsha Mason, Eli Wallach, Kirk Calloway, Burt Young, Bruno Kirby, Allyn Ann McLerie, Dabney Coleman, Allan Arbus, Jon Korkes, Sally Kirkland, Mark Rydell (Gutteral Mischief), Christopher Rydell

THE LONG GOODBYE (1973) DIR Robert Altman PROD Jerry Bick SCR Leigh Brackett (novel ‘The Long Goodbye’ [1953] by Raymond Chandler) CAM Vilmos Zsigmond ED Lou Lombardo MUS John Williams CAST Elliott Gould, Nina van Pallandt, Sterling Hayden, Mark Rydell (Marty Augustine), Henry Gibson, David Arkin, Jim Bouton, Warren Berlinger, Jo Ann Brody, Steve Coit, Rutanya Alda, David Carradine, Arnold Schwarzenegger

HARRY AND WALTER GO TO NEW YORK (1976) DIR Mark Rydell PROD Don Devlin, Harry Gittes SCR John Byrum, Robert Kaufman (story by John Byrum, Don Devlin) CAM László Kovács ED David Bretherton, Don Guidice MUS David Shire CAST James Caan, Elliott Gould, Michael Caine, Diane Keaton, Charles Durning, Lesley Ann Warren, Val Avery, Jack Gilford, Dennis Dugan, Carol Kane, Kathryn Grody, David Proval, Michael Conrad, Burt Young

THE ROSE (1979) DIR Mark Rydell PROD Aaron Russo, Marvin Worth SCR Bill Kerby, Bo Goldman (story by Bill Kerby) CAM Vilmos Zsigmond ED Carroll Timothy O’Meara, Robert L. Wolfe CAST Bette Midler, Alan Bates, Frederic Forrest, Harry Dean Stanton, Barry Primus, David Keith, Sandra McCabe, Will Hare, Rudy Bond

ON GOLDEN POND (1981) DIR Mark Rydell PROD Bruce Gilbert SCR Ernest Thompson (also play “On Golden Pond” [1979]) CAM Billy Williams ED Robert L. Wolfe MUS Dave Grusin CAST Katharine Hepburn, Henry Fonda, Jane Fonda, Doug McKeon, Dabney Coleman, William Lanteau, Christopher Rydell, Troy Garity

THE RIVER (1984) DIR Mark Rydell PROD Edward Lewis, Robert Cortes SCR Robert Dillon, Julian Barry (story by Robert Dillon) CAM Vilmos Zsigmond ED Sidney Levin MUS John Williams CAST Sissy Spacek, Mel Gibson, Scott Glenn, Billy Green Bush, Don Hood, James Tolkan, Shane Bailey, Becky Jo Lynch, Bob W. Douglas, Amy Rydell, Barry Primus, Andy Stahl, Lisa Sloan, Larry D. Ferrell

PUNCHLINE (1988) DIR – SCR David Seltzer PROD Daniel Melnick, Michael Rachmil CAM Reynaldo Villalobos ED Bruce Green MUS Charles Gross CAST Sally Field, Tom Hanks, John Goodman, Mark Rydell (Romeo), Kim Greist, Paul Mazursky, Pam Matteson, George McGrath, Taylor Negron, Barry Neikrug, Damon Wayans

HAVANA (1990) DIR – PROD Sydney Pollack SCR Judith Rascoe, David Rayfiel (story by Judith Rascoe) CAM Owen Roizman ED William Steinkamp, Fredric Steinkamp MUS Dave Grusin CAST Robert Redford, Lena Olin, Alan Arkin, Tomas Milian, Tony Plana, Daniel Davis, Betsy Brantley, Richard Farnsworth, Mark Rydell (Meyer Lansky), Raul Julia

FOR THE BOYS (1991) DIR Mark Rydell PROD Bette Midler, Margaret South, Bonnie Bruckheimer SCR Neal Jimenez, Lindy Laub, Marshall Brickman (story by Neal Jimenez, Lindy Laub) CAM Stephen Goldblatt MUS Dave Grusin ED Jerry Greenberg, Jere Huggins CAST Bette Midler, James Caan, George Segal, Patrick O’Neal, Christopher Rydell, Arye Gross, Norman Fell, Rosemary Murphy, Bud Yorkin, Billy Bob Thorton

INTERSECTION (1994) DIR Mark Rydell PROD Mark Rydell, Bud Yorkin SCR Marshall Brickman, David Rayfiel (screenplay LES CHOSES DE LA VIE [1970] by Paul Guimard, Claude Sautet, Jean-Loup Dabadie; novel “Les choses de la vie” [1967] by Paul Guimard) CAM Vilmos Zsigmond ED Mark Warner MUS James Newton Howard CAST Richard Gere, Sharon Stone, Lolita Davidovich, Martin Landau, David Selby, Jennifer Morrison, Ron White, Matthew Walker

A MAN IS MOSTLY WATER (2000) DIR – SCR Fred Parnes PROD Fred Parnes, Libbie Chase CAM D. Alan Newman ED Kate Ahmed MUS Skip Heller CAST Fred Parnes, Christopher Rydell, Mark Curry, Paulina Mielech, Linda Pine, Heather Roop, Anton Yelchin, Bill Pullman, Lou Rawls, Mark Rydell (Distributor)

HOLLYWOOD ENDING (2002) DIR – SCR Woody Allen PROD Letty Aronson CAM Wedigo von Schultzendorff ED Alisa Lepselter CAST Woody Allen, Téa Leoni, Bob Dorian, Ivan Martin, Gregg Edelman, George Hamilton, Treat Williams, Woody Allen, Debra Messing, Neal Huff, Mark Rydell (Al)

EVEN MONEY (2006) DIR Mark Rydell PROD Mark Rydell, Danny DeVito, David S. Greathouse SCR Robert Tannen CAM Robbie Greenberg ED Hughes Winborne MUS Dave Grusin CAST Kim Basinger, Nick Cannon, Danny DeVito, Kelsey Grammer, Jay Mohr, Tim Roth, Forest Whitaker, Ray Liotta, Christopher Rydell, Mark Rydell (Ivan)

CHICANERY (2017) DIR – PROD – SCR Charles Dennis CAM Michael Rangeloff ED Andee Hodgin MUS Maxwell Sterling CAST Brent Huff, Michael Laskin, Patty McCormack, Kate Vernon, Loren Lester, Neil Dickson, Ross Benjamin, Rachelle Carson, Kenneth Welsh, Mark Rydell (Jack Sobel)

SENIOR ENTOURAGE (2021) DIR Brian Connors PROD David A. Lockhart ED Giovanni Moriconi CAST Ed Asner, Helen Reddy, Charles Robinson, Marion Ross, Mark Rydell (Mark), Jamie Lee Curtis, David A. Lockhart, Brian Connors, Dahlia Waingort Guigui, Ian Fisher, Martin Guigui, Kathrine Kohl, Sitara Attaie, Amber Martinez

TV MOVIES

CRIME OF THE CENTURY (1996) DIR Mark Rydell PROD Mike Moder TELEPLAY William Nicholson (book “The Airman and the Carpenter: The Lindbergh Kidnapping and the Framing of Richard Hauptmann” [1985] by Ludovic Kennedy) CAM Toyomichi Kurita ED Antony Gibbs MUS John Frizzell CAST Stephen Rea, Isabella Rossellini, J. T. Walsh, Michael Moriarty, Allen Garfield, John Harkins, Barry Primus, Bert Remsen

JAMES DEAN (2001) DIR Mark Rydell PROD George W. Perkins SCR Israel Horovitz CAM Robbie Greenberg ED Antony Gibbs MUS John Frizzell CAST James Franco, Michael Moriarty, Valentina Cervi, Enrico Colantoni, Edward Herrmann, Joanne Linville, John Pleshette, Barry Primus, Amy Rydell, Mark Rydell (Jack L. Warner), Christopher Lee, Alexander Rydell, Christopher Rydell

Intimacy coordinators received their first on-screen credit with HBO’s “The Deuce” (2017) starring Maggie Gyllenhaal, who said at the time that when she did sex scenes, ‘you just figured out how to deal with it.’ Natalie Portman told her one day, ‘Whenever there’s a fight scene, or someone grabs your neck, there’s always a stunt coordinator and a fight coordinator. Why is there never anyone for sex scenes?’ On any set with animals, there is also an animal welfare coordinator.

While many film directors, producers, and actors did their best when they had a risqué or otherwise intimate shoot, it was often like, ‘Okay, the sex scene is coming up, so take your clothes off and let’s do this.’ The actors had to find out how they’d do that scene, with the crew standing around and watching them.

Claire Warden, who has worked on several Broadway plays, revivals, and musicals as an intimacy coordinator since 2017, and later switched to television and film, is one of the leading intimacy coordinators in the industry. Born in Guernsey, one of the Channel Islands, west of Normandy, France, she’s an actress, fight director, and intimacy coordinator. Her work is to get a better performance by making the actors feel safe enough to be open and vulnerable. Consequently, words such as ‘consent’ and ‘closed set’ are now standard vocabulary on a film and television set.

Some stars have said they don’t need an intimacy coordinator, including Gwyneth Paltrow, Mikey Madison, Michael Caine, Michael Douglas, or Sean Bean; the latter told Variety on August 8, 2022, that intimacy coordinators ‘spoil the spontaneity’ of shooting a sex scene. ‘I think the natural way lovers behave would be ruined by someone bringing it right down to a technical exercise,’ he added.

Kate Winslet, on the other hand, told The New York Times Magazine on March 3, 2024, that she would have benefited from an intimacy coordinator every single time she had to do a love scene, or be partially naked, or even a kissing scene. ‘It would have been nice to have had someone in my corner because I always had to stand up for myself.’

Intimacy coordinators work with actors to coordinate scenes that involve sex and nudity in the same way they’d coordinate a fight scene or dance scene; they work with actors and the production team to ensure that intimate scenes are carried out safely, respectfully, and consensually. They choreograph intimate scenes, advocate for performers’ rights, and facilitate open communication with everyone involved.

Ms. Warden and her team created the description of an IC’s role for SAG-AFTRA’s February 2024 guidelines Standards and Protocols for the Use of Intimacy Coordinators, referring to intimacy coordinators as ‘an advocate, a liaison between actors and production, and a movement coach and/or choreographer in regards to nudity and simulated sex and other intimate and hyper-exposed scenes.’

That makes Ms. Warden, also the Director of Advanced Training at Intimacy Director and Coordinators (IDC)—a professional team and a global leader in training and certifying intimacy coordinators and intimacy directors for film, television, and theater—part of the collaboration team advising SAG-AFTRA on their effort to standardize, codify and implement guidelines for on-set intimacy coordinators.

Now a New York resident, Ms. Warden was Broadway’s first intimacy director when she worked on “Frankie and Johnny in the Clair de Lune” (2019) starring Michael Shannon and Audra McDonald. That same year, she was one of Variety’s ‘Ten Broadway Players to Watch.’ The list of up-and-coming stars of Broadway included two directors, two actresses, two producers, two playwrights, one choreographer, and, with Ms. Warden, one intimacy coordinator.

In 2020, she was awarded a special Desk Drama Award (often referred to as ‘The Golden Globes of Theater’) ‘for her pioneering work as an intimate choreographer and her leadership in the rapidly emerging movement of intimacy direction.’ Her other Broadway plays or musicals include “Slave Play” (2021-2022), “Company” (2021-2022), Arthur Miller’s “Death of a Salesman” (2022-2023), and “Othello” (2025), starring Denzel Washington and Jake Gyllenhaal.

Her TV shows include “Gossip Girl” (2021); “Dickinson” (2021); “And Just Like That…” (2023) starring Sarah Jessica Parker; “Three Women” (2023) with Shailene Woodley; and the 8-part limited series “Dying for Sex” (2025), starring the insanely talented and five-time Oscar-nominee Michelle Williams. She also worked on two feature films: Steven Spielberg’s “West Side Story” (2021), and “A Journal for Jordan” (2021), directed by Denzel Washington.

The following interview with Ms. Warden was conducted via Zoom. She explained her work and working methods in detail.

Ms. Warden, you were an actress before you became an intimacy coordinator. Is that a logical step for you?

I think it is becoming more of a regular path now. When I did it, it was really because intimacy coordination didn’t exist. So I’m part of the team that created it. I think that, as an actor, I was seeing what was happening in the industry. There was a need for support and protocols, and a different approach because I was also a fight choreographer—I had that kind of choreographic understanding. So I think, from there, having been in the industry and understanding the need, and then getting connected to the people who also helped create it, a lot of my acting became part of what we put into creating the discipline. We have actors that come to train now as intimacy coordinators, although it’s more people that are either in the fight world, or directors, stage managers, assistant directors, people like that.

So I suppose it’s also an advantage for you that you have the experience of a stage and screen actress, since you have a real understanding of what actors are going through?

I think so. I know what it feels like to do that. I also have a honed instinct for telling acting stories and physical storytelling, understanding dramaturgy and cameras, and how you do that. I think that helps me to align both with the actors and the directors, and to know what they’re trying to do. As I add my work to it, it doesn’t make it harder or go against that.

How do you work with your actors? I mean, when there’s a sex scene or a scene with nudity scheduled, and you’re going to rehearse it, or you’re going to shoot it, how do you do it? Who is the first one you talk to?

Well, it takes a lot of preparation before we get to shooting it. I first start talking to the director and get their ideas, their wants, their requests, and what they’d like to see in the scene. I then talk individually to each of the actors involved to take those requests, and then see how they sit with the consent levels. That’s the advocacy part of the role; if what’s been asked is outside of the consent levels of the actor, then I am part of upholding that and I go back to the director to have a conversation like, ‘We can see this, we can’t see that, so let’s figure out how we’re going to film this by honoring the actor’s consent levels.’
I talk to other people as well; I talk to the wardrobe team a lot. Once we know if an actor is going to do any nudity or what’s going to be seen, we get all the wardrobe and the special equipment ready. I’m talking to our first assistant director, who runs the set so that we can be ready for what we call a ‘closed set protocol.’ Whenever we shoot nudity or simulated sex, we close the set down, we ask all the people that are not essential to shooting the scene to leave the set, and we close down monitors so that only the people that are actively working on the scene get access to it.
I talk to our production team to get what’s called riders, which are the kind of extra contracts that the actors sign, having agreed to nudity or simulated sex. Sometimes I’m talking with props. Sometimes I’m talking with the director of photography if we’re looking at very particular frames or scenes. So it’s a lot of liaising work to make sure that all the information is with the right departments. When we get to shoot it, everyone knows what’s expected, everyone knows what’s going to happen, and then we can just go ahead and shoot in the way that it’s expected.

When you’re shooting a scene, are you standing or sitting next to the director?

Usually, I’m very close to the director, yes. I’m wherever the director is watching their monitor, so I can be really close to seeing what they’re seeing. I’m available for them when they say, ‘Oh, I want a little bit more of that,’ or ‘That didn’t quite work. Let’s try it again.’ And sometimes they’ll talk directly to the actors, and I’m part of that. Sometimes they’ll want me to give notes to the actors, but I’m always between the director and the actors; I’m there with the director and watch it with them, so I’m seeing what they’re seeing. I’m always available for the actors to go in between takes, and make sure it’s all working for them, make any adjustments we need to make, etc.

Since you work with so many people on set and collaborate with various departments, I suppose you’re also a kind of negotiator.

I think of it more as a facilitator than a negotiator because each department has different needs, and I figure out what those needs are, and how it fits in or doesn’t fit in with what we need to do to uphold the actor’s consent. Or figure out a solution for everybody, depending on what the scene needs, what the actors want, and what the protocols are. So there’s a lot of diplomacy in it, a lot of facilitating and organizing of many people’s needs.

John Schlesinger [1926-2003], a very acclaimed and accomplished film director from the 1960s through the 1990s, made “Darling” with Julie Christie in 1965. There’s a scene in the film where the camera follows her down a series of corridors, and she does a sort of striptease until she ends up naked in front of the mirror in her bedroom. The day they were supposed to shoot the scene, she said to him, ‘That’s not like me. I would never do that.’ And he said, ‘Julie, you’re not playing you. You’re playing this character.’ In the end, he shot the scene; it was all done in very good taste, and you didn’t see anything. But I can understand the need for an intimacy coordinator since she was reluctant to do it.

Yes, and that story is really interesting because there’s two aspects of this. There’s what the actor wants or doesn’t want seen on screen. Sometimes they don’t want the world to be able to see it for the rest of time because once it’s on film, that’s forever. Someone somewhere can see it, so maybe they don’t want the world for the rest of time to see that part of their body. What’s also interesting in terms of that story of Julie, is this: does this really fit the character or the story? I think what intimacy coordination has been able to do—now that we’re talking about nudity and simulated sex scenes—we’re storytellers as well, we’re part of the creative team.
What it’s been able to do is open up the creative considerations and the storytelling aspects. Is this actually true to our characters and to our stories? During the 1990s, especially, a film had to be sold, and if you hadn’t seen any breasts after forty-two minutes, ‘Get some in,’ you know. That was a lot of the storytelling that was happening, and a lot of that kind of objectifying male gaze dominated cinema.
So I think there are two considerations of what really enhances the storytelling and the information we have about the character, and then what the actors want to do, because I understand Julie. If it’s a really naturalistic film and we see this character at home when she goes from the bedroom to the kitchen to get a snack, most people don’t do a sexist sultry striptease. If there is another character involved, or she knows she’s being watched, then that will color what the character does. I think now we’ve opened up the depth and the nuance of storytelling around sex, intimacy, and nudity, so that we can be as detailed in that as we are in the rest of the film or any other scenes.

What I find very interesting about you and your career is that you’re originally from the Channel Islands, and a few decades later, you’re working with Steven Spielberg [“West Side Story,” 2021].

Yes, I know. It blows my mind too [laughs].

I mean, Spielberg is like God. How did that happen? How did that come about?

I often have to pinch myself and be like, ‘Wait a minute. I live in New York City. I’m one of the top ICs in this town and close to the world, and what’s happening?’ I think when I worked with Steven, they needed an intimacy coordinator. I was one of the first intimacy coordinators in the business, along with Alicia Rodis. So I had some experience by then; with another colleague, Teniece Divya Johnson, we worked on that show, and for the Anita scene—which was the kind of sexual assault scene—I had experience in creating violence as well. I’m used to working on those scenes, so I have an expertise to bring. And bless Steven; he’s such a wonderful, I mean, really wonderful man and a wonderful director, and he wanted to take care of this very young cast.
So yes, I think it’s funny; the Channel Islands are such a small place in terms of exposure and experience. I grew up doing community theater, but there’s no professional work there, so I knew I had to leave. But they’re islands of great beauty, and there’s something about being surrounded by the sea that way; it’s a very powerful and rough sea around the islands, but also, there’s this beautiful calm as well. You have these big craggy rocks that are always in the seascape. I think there’s just something about that; I think it has always infused my soul so I can be in and among environments of great power and sometimes danger, and work with them—not against them—and you have limitless opportunities and potential if you’re brave enough to go for it. I think that has informed the way I live my life and the way I act, but also, everybody was looking around, and someone had to do something about it. With a couple of other people, we decided to just do that, and we said, ‘Let’s push change through.’ We kept going, and we made it work.

You are a pioneer in your line of work, aren’t you?

Yes, I think there was a lot of both my professional experience and my life experience that came together in order for me to contribute significantly in building it. I spend a lot of time focusing on working with actors and how to equip them to find resilience. A general purpose to stand up against oppression and injustice has just always been part of me; I think all those things came together to allow me to be a person who could lead this movement.

Let’s say that this profession now exists about ten years, or close to ten years. Has it changed a lot in that short period?

Oh yes, amazingly. I would say even in the last two years, I’ve noticed how different it is.

How so?

At the beginning, we started launching it to the industry throughout 2016 and 2017, when there was a lot of resistance to it, a lot of misunderstanding of what we were trying to do. There were a lot of pushbacks, and so it was an enormous fight against resistance and mostly advocacy, and a lot of trying to get people to shift and bend a little bit to support actors. Actors were also kind of in shock and not even sure of their own consent levels; no one had ever asked them, ‘What’s okay with you and what’s not?’ So when we were guiding actors to figure that out, it was a big milestone when HBO mandated intimacy coordinators on all their shows [in 2018]. That was a big statement from the industry side that said, ‘Okay, we accept this.’ It made a lot of other people understand what intimacy coordination can bring. But I would say that two years ago, most of the time when I began a conversation with a production company or with an actor, my first question was always, ‘Have you worked with an intimacy coordinator before?’ The answer was almost always, ‘No, this is the first time.’
Now, I think on my last two or three shows, everybody worked with an intimacy coordinator before, so there’s an understanding of this now. There’s a different approach to it now; there’s still some learning to do, but for the most part, productions now bring in an intimacy coordinator because they know it makes everybody’s life easier. I’m looking ahead because I’m still one of the leaders, and think, ‘What’s next? Where do we have to go next?’ Now it’s established, and we have a union contract over here which is like history making; no one had a new bargaining unit for over forty years. The last one was for the stunt coordinators.
So now that it is accepted and legitimized, what I see as the next step is for those that interact with the intimacy coordinators—the producers, the director, the actors, the DP—to then have a little bit more education and understanding of what their role in upholding a consent-based approach looks like, and how—rather than sitting and waiting for the intimacy coordinator to just make magic and make everybody do good—how do I fold that kind of thinking into my practice as a director, or into my practice as an actor? How does production hold everybody educated and accountable, rather than just the intimacy coordinator?
Intimacy coordinators are now becoming part of the main creative team if there’s a lot of intimacy in a show. I tend to work on shows where there’s a lot of intimacy; there are still some shows with one or two intimate scenes, and they’re a little easier, but now they come to me when they’ve got shows where every episode has at least three scenes. So we got this creative team, with the showrunner, the director, the DP, and me. We’re talking about how we’re gonna create this across the whole show or the whole movie. It shifted a lot. Thank goodness.

So now an intimacy coordinator is part of a film or television crew just like, for example, a cinematographer or a sound technician?

Yes. We are now. In America, we are very much part of the crew. We just unionized; we joined the SAG-AFTRA [formed in 2012 by the merger of the Screen Actors Guild and the American Federation of Television and Radio Artists], which is the union for actors, choreographers, and stunt coordinators. We’re not in the DGA [Directors Guild], which is the director’s union, or the IATSE [International Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employees], which is for the other crew units. There’s a little difference because in England, for example, intimacy coordinators are part of what’s called BECTU [Broadcasting, Entertainment, Communication, and Theatre Union], the crew union where all the crew members are part of. In Australia, they’re not yet unionized, but they’re hoping to unionize with the actors. So yes, we are now understood and treated as crew members.

Did you also collaborate on SAG-AFTRA’s Standards and Protocols for the Use of Intimacy Coordinators?

Yes. That was a long process. But it was very helpful that my colleague Alicia [Rodis] and I had a number of meetings with some of the executives at SAG-AFTRA—the executive director, the New York executive director, and the president. We got to talk to them because they said, ‘All right. We see you’re doing this. Talk to us about it. What is it that you do?’ After we had those conversations, they were very supportive because what we were doing was protecting their members. Their members are the actors, and we were creating things for their members, so they were very on board with us. We formed this group of working intimacy coordinators and some SAG-AFTRA staff members to look at where the gaps were in the protocols and guidelines. We then filled those and created an approach that made it official and clear for actors to follow. Then we revised it a little bit, we released it again, and then we released a follow-up. As they continue to negotiate their contracts for their actors, we give advice as to what we want to put in that contract for them.

Is there a difference for you when you work with young or older actors, and the way they respond?

What’s interesting is that the younger actors have grown up in a time or finished their training when this conversation had already started. So they are used to this, and they expect this kind of support now. They’re very open to intimacy coordination, but they’re also a little less confident sometimes; they haven’t quite found their way of doing it, so they may need a little more support as well. Older actors who built their career way before intimacy coordinators existed, or before they had this conversation, needed a little adjustment, and established actors are like, ‘I know, I’ve spent my whole life protecting myself, so I know how to do that.’ It’s a conversation and working together to see how I can offer support to them, and take some of that load off without interfering in the way they want to act in their process. So they have an adjustment to make because it’s a new way of doing something that they’ve figured out for themselves because they had to. Some experienced actors are like, ‘Oh, thank God you’re here! Let’s go, you tell me everything we do, and we do it.’

As you already mentioned, during the 1980s and 1990s, there were quite a few films with sex scenes when nudity was not necessary at all.

Yes, that happened a lot back then. That was a hard time for actors because they had no protection; it was expected, and there was no consideration of what it meant for them. It was unnecessary as well. You know, there’s nothing wrong with the human body and showing it if your actors agree and if it serves the story. For me, as a creative and a storyteller, that’s always my interest: how do we tell the best story possible that is as true as we can get it? That’s where a lot of my kind of storytelling and dramaturgy comes from. I love to look at the story we’re telling, and then, let’s figure out how we commit to that story within the boundaries of our actors.

We already talked about Steven Spielberg. You also worked with Denzel Washington on “A Journal for Jordan” [2021], which he directed. What was he like to work with?

He’s a very different kind of director. He hadn’t worked with an intimacy coordinator before, so it took him some time to be open to it, to accept it, and to make adjustments, which he did eventually. When he saw it working, he said, ’Oh, I see how you just made that easier. Okay, I think I get it now.’ He’s very much an actor’s director, so he just wants to be in with the actors. It’s all about finding ways to make space for the actors to have other support as they need it, which we managed to do. I also worked with Denzel on a theater project, “Othello.”

Working with actors on stage or on screen, is the same approach for you?

The foundations and the principles are the same, but it is a very different craft, I think, because when you’re creating something in film, you’ve got a lot more people, you’ve got the camera right in. You have a lot more control over what’s seen because of the camera; you only have to do it for that scene, and then you’re done. Whereas in theater, you have to create the choreography that is the same every single show—maybe for months, depending on how long the run is—and that works from all over the theater, depending on where the audience is. So it’s a different kind of skill, a different craft in creating the choreography and in holding the space.

Do you work differently with your actors then?

No, I don’t think with the actors. It’s the same approach, and I work with them the same, but in theater it’s often a very linear process. We all start in the same place; we build the show together, and then we go to previews. In film, we’re jumping all over the place; we’re doing this scene from that part, and then we’re going back because we haven’t shot that bit yet. So that’s more of a challenge to help them to keep that storytelling arc of intimacy going throughout the movie or throughout the TV show. And the environments feel very different to work in, so there’s a different response, a different amount of emotional and space-holding support that I give to them because working in those environments feels very different.

Are you currently working on a new project?

A couple of weeks ago, I finished a movie for Netflix, and I’m in final talks for a TV series. Hopefully, we can get that started at the end of August.

Zoom interview
June 11, 2026

FILMS

WEST SIDE STORY (2021) DIR Steven Spielberg PROD Steven Spielberg, Kevin McCollum, Kristie Macosco Krieger SCR Tony Kushner (book “West Side Story” [1957] by Arthur Laurents) CAM Janusz Kaminski ED Michael Kahn, Sarah Broshar MUS Leonard Bernstein INTIMACY COORDINATOR Claire Warden CAST Ansel Elgort, Rachel Zegler, Ariana DeBose, David Alvarez, Rita Moreno, Brian d’Arcy James, Corey Stoll

A JOURNAL FOR JORDAN (2021) DIR Denzel Washington PROD Denzel Washington, Michael B. Jordan, Todd Black, Steve Tisch, Jason Blumenthal SCR Virgil Williams (memoir “A Journal for Jordan: A Story of Love and Honor” [2008] by Dana Canedy) CAM Maryse Alberti ED Hughes Winborne MUS Marcelo Zarvos INTIMACY COORDINATOR Claire Warden CAST Michael B. Jordan, Chanté Adams, Jalon Christian, Robert Wisdom, Tamara Tunie, Jasmine Batchelor

TV MOVIE

THE DARK TOWER (2020) DIR Stephen Hopkins EXEC PROD Stephen Hopkins, Stephen King, Glen Mazzara; Mark Winemaker SCR (created by Glen Mazzara; novel “The Dark Tower” [2004] by Stephen King) CAM Peter Levy ED Natham Gunn INTIMACY COORDINATOR Claire Warden Bear McCreary CAST Sam Strike, Jasper Pääkkönen, Terence Maynard, Michael Rooker, Abraham Popoola, Jerome Flynn

TV SERIES / MINI SERIES

LOOKING FOR ALASKA (2019; intimacy consultant and intimacy coordinator), 2 episodes
MRS. FLETCHER (2019; intimacy coordinator), 7 episodes
HUNTERS (2020; intimacy coordinator), 1 episode
BILLIONS (2020; intimacy coordinator), 2 episodes
YOUR HONOR (2020; intimacy coordinator), 2 episodes
HOW TO MAKE LOVE TO A BLACK WOMAN (2020; intimacy coordinator), 1 episode
GOSSIP GIRL (2021; intimacy coordinator), 12 episodes
DICKINSON (2021; intimacy coordinator), 8 episodes
WECRASHED (2022; intimacy coordinator), 1 episode
AND JUST LIKE THAT… (2023; intimacy coordinator), 5 episodes
HARLAN COBEN’S SHELTER (2023; intimacy coordinator), 1 episode
THREE WOMEN (2023; intimacy coordinator), 10 episodes
DYING FOR SEX (2025; intimacy coordinator), 8 episodes
FURIOUS (2026; intimacy coordinator), 8 episodes
UNACCUSTOMED EARTH (2026; intimacy coordinator), 8 episodes

BROADWAY PLAYS / MUSICALS / REVIVALS

FRANKIE AND JOHNNY IN THE CLAIR DE LUNE (2019; intimacy and fight director)
SLAVE PLAY (2019-2020; intimacy and fight director)
LINDA VISTA (2019; intimacy consultant)
THE INHERITANCE (2019-2020; intimacy choreographer)
JAGGED LITTLE PILL (2019-2021; intimacy director)
WEST SIDE STORY (2020; intimacy director)
WAITRESS (2021; intimacy director)
SLAVE PLAY (2021-2022; intimacy and fight director)
COMPANY (2021-2022; intimacy director)
DEATH OF A SALESMAN (2022-2023; intimacy and fight director)
NEW YORK, NEW YORK (2023; fight direction)
THE NOTEBOOK (2024; intimacy director)
ROMEO + JULIET (2024-2025; intimacy director)
OTHELLO (2025; intimacy director)

They embarked on a bold, artisitic experiment. Over a period of seven months, they created “In-I,” an intense performance that they would stage over a hundred times around the world.

Now, almost two decades later, Juliette Binoche returns to that journey and their intense stage collaboration with the documentary “In-I in Motion,” which focuses on their boundary-pushing performances, and is assembled from studio rehearsal footage and a live recording of the finished stage production.

When they embarked on this journey, she was not a professional dancer, and Akram Khan had zero acting experience. Here, the challenge for the actress was to move, and for the dancer to speak.

In the past months, “In-I in Motion” was screened at several film festivals, and now, at 127 minutes—reduced from a 156-minute cut that was screened at a handful of festivals—it’s being released in various territories.

On June 17, Juliette Binoche introduced the film at BOZAR in Brussels, Belgium, during a Q&A, after a screening of “In-I in Motion.” Although originally announced as an English-language event, the Q&A was conducted in French. A few of her quotes from the Q&A are included in this post.

Robert Redford was the first; he pushed her to make this film after seeing “In-I” in New York. After the show, when she was about to go to her dressing room, he told her, ‘You have to make a film out of this.’ After about 120 shows around the world, she asked her sister Marion Staelens, who is also an actress, director and photographer, if she would be interested in shooting the last seven shows in Paris. She had also filmed them when they were rehearsing, so there was a lot of footage which was very helpful to understand and show what they had been through.

Officially, “In-I in Motion” is Juliette Binoche’s directorial debut, and it arrives as something unexpected—an intimate vérité documentary that peels back layers not just of performance, but of self-revelation. The film traces Binoche’s late-2000s plunge into an unfamiliar physical language. At a point in her career when critics had already canonized her performances, she chose vulnerability instead of triumph when she partnered with Akram Khan to create “In-I,” a dance-theater performance composed of vignettes exploring love in all its forms: infatuation, lust, banality, longing. Then she set aside her materials and waited nearly twenty years before returning to them through the lens.

A central theme of “In-I in Motion” is the relationship between body and emotion. Throughout the documentary, movement becomes a language through which the performers express desire, conflict, vulnerability, and reconciliation.

The documentary balances intimacy with scope as scenes alternate between sweat-soaked rehearsal rooms and empty stages, and quiet moments reflecting alone against public appearances carrying audiences across various continents.

It is very unusual for established performers to document themselves this way—mid-collision with new art forms. Most films featuring dancers capture polish; “In-I in Motion” honors friction—all the stumbling, failure, and exhaustion that precedes mastery.

Perhaps most poignantly, the documentary reframes what legacy means: those long hours spent falling down, learning rhythm, trusting another body enough to let them lead. For Binoche, artistry proved iterative rather than fixed—always becoming, never finished.

After seeing “In-I in Motion,” I’m sure audiences will understand motion itself differently. Movement isn’t merely displacement through space but continuous reinvention. And Binoche’s journey reminds us that sometimes the boldest act possible is simply showing up somewhere where you’ve never stood before, trembling openly, and willing to start over again.

“In-I in Motion” captures the intense rehearsal process as Binoche, best known for her acclaimed performances in cinema, enters the physically demanding world of contemporary dance. Unlike professional dancers, she must rely on emotional honesty rather than technical perfection. Khan guides her through movement exercises that allow her to communicate feelings that words alone cannot express. Their collaboration demonstrates that artistic expression is not limited by discipline, but flourishes through experimentation and mutual respect.

Visually, “In-I in Motion” reflects the elegance and intimacy of its subject. The cinematography alternates between close-up rehearsal footage and carefully composed performance sequences, creating a sense of immediacy while maintaining artistic beauty. Minimalistic staging directs attention to the performers’ bodies and emotions, reinforcing the idea that movement itself is the primary narrative force.

Ultimately, “In-I in Motion” is more than a documentary about a dance production. It is an insightful examination that reveals the emotional and physical challenges behind its creative process. The film encourages viewers to appreciate art as an ongoing journey rather than a finished product.

The film’s release will be restricted to the arthouse circuit, which has widely regarded Juliette Binoche as one of its defining actresses of the past four decades. After all, she built her reputation by working with many of the world’s most celebrated auteur directors such as Claire Denis, André Téchiné, and Leos Carax in independent cinema, rather than focusing on mainstream commercial cinema. Her career combines French, European, and international independent films with occasional Hollywood productions, even though she was—and remained—highly in demand in the U.S.

Some of her English-language films are “The Unforgettable Lightness of Being” (1988), “The English Patient” (1996, which earned her an Academy Award), “Chocolat” (2000), and “Dan in Real Life” (2007). But she also turned down multiple prestigious projects, including Steven Spielberg’s “Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade” (1989, the third installment in the Indiana Jones film series), “Schindler’s List” (1993), and “Jurassic Park” (1993).

In 2023, Binoche met two financiers and a producer who asked her, ‘Is there a project that you would like to do?’ She said, ‘Yes, I have this thing, and if you’re interested, here it is.’

‘As an artist, you have to put yourself into places where you have never been before,’ she said in Brussels. ‘That means you have to go out of your comfort zone. You can reinvent yourself, but you also need to go into the unknown; it takes a lot of courage. A project like this is not a journey with a lot of red carpets and awards.’

‘We are creatures, but we are also creators,’ she concluded. ‘And if I can do it, then everybody can.’

“In-I In Motion” (2025, trailer)

She is the daughter of Italian filmmaker Dario Argento (b. 1940), renowned for his influence on modern horror and slasher movies, after a long career working in the Italian giallo film genre that often contains elements of slasher, thriller, psychological and supernatural horror, psychological thriller, and sexploitation. Her mother is Italian television and film actress and screenwriter Daria Nicolodi (1950-2020). Growing up in a creative and unconventional environment shaped her artistic sensibilities from a young age.

With Graham Guit’s “Plus fort que le diable” (a.k.a. “Stronger Than the Devil”) as one of her latest features, Ms. Argento began acting at age nine in Sergio Citti’s television miniseries “Sogni e Bisogni” (1984); in Italian films she quickly developed a reputation for portraying complex, often troubled characters. One of her early breakthrough roles came in “Perdiamoci di vista” (1994, a.k.a. “Let’s Not Keep In Touch”), directed by Carlo Verdone, which earned her critical recognition in Italy. She later gained international attention for various international films she did, including for portraying Charlotte of Sauve in “La reine Margot” (1994, a.k.a. “Queen Margot”), directed by Patrice Chéreau.

Throughout the late 1990s and early 2000s, Ms. Argento appeared in a variety of European and American films. She starred in “La sindrome di Stendhal” (1966, a.k.a. “The Stendhal Syndrome”), directed by her father—their second of six films together—and later crossed over into Hollywood with roles in films such as the blockbuster “xXx” (2002, worldwide gross $277 million). In this action epic, a salute to the Bond franchise, she played a former KGB named Yelena opposite Vin Diesel.

In “Last Days” (2005), Gus Van Sant’s fictionalized account of the last days of a musician, loosely based on Kurt Cobain, she played one of the musician’s roommates. Despite working in mainstream productions from time to time, she maintained a strong connection to independent and experimental cinema.

In addition to acting, Ms. Argento established herself as a filmmaker. Her directorial debut, the Italian drama “Scarlet Diva” (2000), was a semi-autobiographical film that explored the struggles of a young actress navigating fame, exploitation, and personal turmoil. The film premiered at the Cannes Film Festival and reflected Argento’s bold, confessional storytelling style. In the U.S. she later directed the drama “The Heart Is Deceitful Above All Things” (2004), adapted from the novel by J. T. LeRoy. The film received a limited release in North America.

She has also worked in music, appeared in music videos, collaborated with various artists and performed as a singer. Her artistic identity often blends cinema, fashion, and underground culture, contributing to her status as a distinctive figure in European art circles.

Later, she became one of the prominent voices in the global #MeToo movement after publicly accusing Hollywood producer Harvey Weinstein of sexual assault. Her allegations were among the first high-profile claims that helped expose widespread abuse in the film industry. She delivered a powerful speech at the 2018 Cannes Film Festival, condemning industry silence and complicity. Her activism brought both support and controversy, placing her at the center of public debates about accountability and power dynamics in entertainment.

Asia Argento’s speech at the 2018 Cannes Film Festival

Her career reflects her commitment to artistic risk-taking and personal expression. Whether acting in provocative dramas, directing intimate independent films, or speaking out against injustice, she is an independent voice in international cinema.

Last April, she was one of the guests at the latest Brussels International Fantastic Film Festival to promote her latest film “Plus fort que le diable,” written and directed by French filmmaker Graham Guit.

In “Plus fort que le diable,” the life of Joseph and his girlfriend is comfortable, and they follow a predictable daily routine. Everything is meticulously planned and calculated. One day, Joseph unexpectedly runs into Valentin, his biological father. Valentin is the opposite of his son: he’s confused, broke, drunk, and unpredictable. Their reunion takes an unexpected turn when Valentin’s old acquaintances JP and Mila (character played by Ms. Argento) arrive, stirring up complications.

“Plus fort que le diable” (2025, French-language trailer without subtitles)

The following conversation with Ms. Argento was conducted in French at Palais 10 in Brussels, home of the BIFFF.

Ms. Argento, were you familiar with Graham Guit’s work before you collaborated with him on this film? What drew you to the role of Mila? Was it because she was a strong, determined woman?

I wasn’t familiar with Graham’s work, unfortunately. In fact, the role was originally written for a man, and the character’s name was Milo. When I read the script, I knew there was another actor who was supposed to play the role. After I had read the script, I begged to play the part. He agreed and didn’t change a thing, except for the name: it became Mila. And, yes, I loved that character’s madness. I loved the whole script. It’s crazy, just like me. I feel right at home in this world of people who aren’t normal. All I did was gain some extra weight and build some muscles; I wanted to be believable physically. So that’s it, basically, and I loved the experience. It’s great to promote the film here at the BIFFF because here you have one of the best audiences for a film like this. When I saw that the Festival would screen the film, I thought, ‘I absolutely have to come and see the film with the audience here because this is the best audience for a black comedy.’ I don’t even know how to describe the genre of this film.

It’s a very dark comedy with plenty of gory, bloody scenes, isn’t it? Do you think it accurately reflects the level of violence found in our contemporary society?

Horror cinema—take George A. Romero’s films, for example [in 2005, they made “Land of the Dead”]—always reflects society, politics, and the things we don’t like. The genre is like a four-walled space where we move around and do whatever we want. We have more freedom within the confines of a genre film, I think, more than in auteur cinema, for example. We can better convey through metaphors—like this film—what we’re experiencing in the news.

Is it a film that’s not very politically correct?

That’s what I love about it. That’s what I’ve always loved.

Things are often very edgy in your films. Why are you so interested in things that might shock people, like in trashy stuff? Is it because of your father’s legacy of giallo films?

Yes, that twisted sense of humor, I always loved that. It makes me laugh. And with normal comedy, I have a hard time laughing. Comedy never makes me laugh. But with this one, I find myself in something I recognize. That’s who I am. I don’t know if it’s because of my father’s films, or just because of a twisted part of my soul.

What criteria do you use to accept a role? Is it the character, the script, maybe the director?

All of that. All of that, and sometimes the money too. It’s important, more so today than before.

I always imagine that when you’re at home, you read the scripts that you receive, and you think, ‘That doesn’t interest me,’ ‘This one, we’ll see,’ or ‘That one, definitely.’ Is that how you choose your roles?

Yes, and I pay a lot of attention to the dialogue. I know right away if it’s something I believe in, if I can say it and be believable. I did a few comedies in Italy, but I often struggled with them because I didn’t talk like that in real life. I can bring my intellect and the expertise from my work to the table, which I’ve been doing for forty-one years. But at the same time, it doesn’t always come naturally to me—especially when I’m doing comedy. Because I don’t get it; it doesn’t make me laugh. So I don’t know how to make people laugh with something that isn’t part of me. That’s why the dialogue is so crucial, especially the way it is written, because then I know whether I believe it or not.

Looking at your career, you managed to combine a high-profile international career with horror films, B movies, and other niche genres. Does it say something relevant about your relationship with cinema?

You know, it’s not just how I experience cinema; it’s also how cinema experiences me. The projects come to me, people ask me to make a film. It’s not me who decides to shoot in America, France, or Belgium—I’ve also shot here with a female director. People ask me for a film; then I read the script and see if it interests me. And with “Plus fort que le diable,” I absolutely insisted on doing it; I really wanted to, I even prayed for it. It was very important for me to make this film because I wanted to do something that made me laugh.

Of all the filmmakers you worked with so far, who had the biggest influence on you and on the way you’ve approached your craft?

Definitely Abel Ferrara because we made a few films together [“New Rose Hotel,” 1998; “Go Go Tales,” 2007; “Padre Pio,” 2022]. He even shaped the way I look at cinema, the way I look at my work, the way I do my work. Since then, I knew better what to look for, or how to do it. In a way, he ruined my career because I did some very extreme things. Especially the movie “Go Go Tales” where I kissed a dog; that was even worse than #MeToo for my career. It was like a nail in my coffin. But, in any case, that was my journey, and I’m proud to have followed my urge to break taboos. Somebody had to do it; I guess it was my destiny.

You also appeared in six films directed by your father. Is this family legacy something that shaped you, or something you’ve ultimately tried to break free from?

Both. It’s a push-and-pull. Especially when I was younger, I wanted to assert myself… ‘But wait, I’m not just the daughter, I’m Asia!’ And then, it became even more extreme than genre cinema. But his films, that’s my DNA, too. After all, he’s my father, and I’m very proud.

Do you think society has become less tolerant?

Society… the dominance of American puritanism has influenced us; we’ve been contaminated, and then the #MeToo movement didn’t help either. It’s a shame because, for me, #MeToo is about women’s freedom, and women’s freedom isn’t about ‘Don’t touch, don’t look.’ It’s a different dimension, something entirely different. Puritanism has really damaged cinema, I think it’s even damaging the stories we tell. But perhaps only in genre—which is deeply cherished by a very loyal audience that loves those films—it is still possible to make those films. While in auteur cinema, everything has become tame, quiet, and boring.

About twenty years ago, you shot a few films in the United States. At the time, I thought you were going to become an American actress with an American career.

Yes, it’s strange. Because I went to live there to make my film as a director [“The Heart Is Deceitful Above All Things,” 2004]. There are moments in life when you have two paths: you can either go this way or that way. And my agent there really wanted me to do another comedy, and some other movies. He said, ‘We’ll make a million, two million, and then you can make your film.’ I said that I had been an actress since I was nine, and now I was twenty-six or twenty-seven, and I said to myself, ‘No, I didn’t build my whole career just to come here and become a fool like the people I hate.’ Okay, some films were successful, and I had other successes already in Italy and France. But I didn’t want to be some kind of visitor or an alien, like the people I saw over there. So I decided to take the path I already knew, to make auteur cinema, extreme cinema, and make my own film over there. I did a film with Dennis Hopper [“The Keeper,” 2004]. That wasn’t a good movie, but, for me, it was an incredible experience because it was just him and me. So I learned a lot. I also worked with Gus Van Sant [“Last Days,” 2005]. I went over there to try new things; then, shortly after I finished my film, I left. Hollywood wasn’t for me because you had to wear those clothes, that jewelry, style your hair a certain way, live in a house like that, and hang out with people like that. It just didn’t work for me.

Instead you’ve collaborated extensively with people in France. What does France mean to you in terms of your career? Has it influenced the way you make films, or the way you work in general?

It didn’t affect my approach to filmmaking. I made different kinds of films in France than I did in Italy. But it helped me a lot because in Italy, they didn’t know how to categorize me. I was too strange, too different from typical Italian actresses: there was the beauty, there was the intellectual, and then there was me. I wasn’t one or the other; I was something different. But in France, I was more accepted, more normal—people were more fascinated by me, they weren’t afraid. I had opportunities—including in this film—to do the work that I loved. I got to play characters that didn’t exist in Italy.

So far, “Incompresa” [a.k.a. “Misunderstood,” 2014] was your last feature film as a director. Would you like to direct another film?

No, although I tried. I wrote two projects. But in Italy, it’s impossible because it’s even worse than in America. It’s all about marketing. ‘That’s too extreme, we can’t do that!’ So, no, it’s not possible for me. And I don’t have the strength I had when I was younger, when I really fought to tell my story. Now I think that it’s better to be an actress. And it is.

Brussels International Fantastic Film Festival
April 4, 2026

FILMS

DÈMONI 2… L’INCUBO RITORNA, a.k.a. DEMONS 2: THE NIGHTMARE IS BACK (1986) DIR Lamberto Bava PROD Dario Argento SCR Dario Argento, Lamberto Bava, Franco Ferrini, Dardano Sachetti CAM Gianlorenzo Battaglia ED Piero Bozza, Franco Fraticelli MUS Simon Boswell CAST David Knight, Nancy Brilli, Coralina Cataldi-Tassoni, Bobby Rhodes, Asia Argento (Ingrid Haller), Virginia Bryant, Anita Bartolucci, Lamberto Bava

ZOO (1988) DIR Cristina Comencini PROD Gianni Federici SCR Cristina Comencini, Francesca Melandri (story by Cristina Comencini) CAM Alfio Contini, Giuseppe Lanci ED Nino Baragli MUS Marco Werba CAST Asia Argento (Martina), Marco Parente, Daniel Olbrychski, Valentina Maschetti, Louis Ducreux, Victor Poletti, Eleonora Pariante, Andrea Gnecco

LA CHIESA, a.k.a. THE CHURCH (1989) DIR Michele Soavi PROD Dario Argento, Mario Cecchi Gori, Vittorio Cecchi Gori SCR Dario Argento, Michele Soavi, Franco Ferrini (story by Dario Argento, Franco Ferrini) CAM Renato Tafuri ED Franco Fraticelli MUS Philip Glass, Fabio Pignatelli, Keith Emerson, Goblin CAST Tomas Arani, Feodor Chaliapin Jr., Hugh Quarshie, Barbara Cupisti, Antonella Vitale, Asia Argento (Lotte), Giovanni Lombardo Radice, Michele Soavi

PALOMBELLA ROSSA, a.k.a. RED WOOD PIGEON (1989) DIR Nanni Moretti PROD Nanni Moretti, Nella Banfi, Angelo Barbagello SCR Nanni Moretti (also story) CAM Giuseppe Lanci ED Mirco Garrone MUS Nicola Piovani CAST Nanni Moretti, Silvio Orlando, Mariella Valentini, Alfonso Santagata, Claudio Morganti, Asia Argento (Valentina), Eugenio Masciari, Mario Patanè, Antonio Petrocelli

LE AMICHE DEL CUORE, a.k.a. CLOSE FRIENDS (1992) DIR Michele Placido PROD Giovanni Di Clemente SCR Michele Placido, Roberto Nobile, Angelo Pasquini (story by Angelo Pasquini; idea from Michele Placido) CAM Giuseppe Lanci ED Ruggero Mastroianni MUS Nicola Piovani CAST Asia Argento (Simona), Carlotta Natoli, Claudia Pandolfi, Michele Placido, Enrico Lo Verso, Laura Trotter, Orchidea De Santis, Ivano De Matteo, Simonetta Stefanelli, Franco Interlenghi

TRAUMA (1993) DIR – PROD Dario Argento SCR Dario Argento, T.E.D. Klein (story by Dario Argento, Gianni Romoli, Franco Ferrini) CAM Raffaele Mertes ED Dario Argento, Bennett Goldberg MUS Pino Donaggio, Andrea Bandel CAST Christopher Rydell, Asia Argento (Aura Petrescu), Piper Laurie, Frederic Forrest, Laura Johnson, Dominique Serrand, James Russo, Ira Belgrade, Brad Dourif, Fiore Argento

CONDANNATO A NOZZE, a.k.a. DIARY OF A MAN CONDEMNED TO MARRIAGE (1993) DIR Giuseppe Piccioni PROD Gaetano Daniele, Mario Cecchi Gori, Vittorio Cecchi Gori SCR Giuseppe Piccioni, Franco Bernini, Fabrizio Bettelli CAM Roberto Meddi ED Esmeralda Calabria MUS Antonio Di Pofi CAST Sergio Rubini, Margherita Buy, Valeria Bruni Tedeschi, Patriza Piccinini, Enzo Cannavale, Asia Argento (Olivia)

PERDIAMOCI DI VISTA, a.k.a. LET’S NOT KEEP IN TOUCH (1994) DIR Carlo Verdone PROD Vittorio Cecchi Gori SCR Carlo Verdone, Francesca Marciano CAM Danilo Desideri ED Antonio Siciliano MUS Fabio Liberatori CAST Carlo Verdone, Asia Argento (Arianna Zorzi), Aldo Maccione, Anita Bartolucci, Luis Molteni, Roberto Sbaratto, Néstor Garay, Mariangela Giordano

LA REINE MARGOT, a.k.a. QUEEN MARGOT (1994) DIR Patrice Chéreau PROD Claude Berri SCR Patrice Chéreau, Danièle Thompson (novel “La Reine Margot” [1845] by Alexandre Dumas) CAM Philippe Rousselot ED Hélène Viard, François Gédigier MUS Goran Bregovic CAST Isabelle Adjani, Daniel Auteuil, Jean-Hughes Anglade, Vincent Perez, Virna Lisi, Dominique Blanc, Pascal Greggory, Claudio Amendola, Miguel Bosé, Asia Argento (Charlotte of Sauve), Jean-Claude Brialy, Julien Rassam, Johan Leysen, Barbet Schroeder

DE GENERAZIONE, a.k.a. DEGENERATION (1994) DIR Asia Argento (segment PROSPETTIVE) PROD Antonio Azzalini, Mauro Calevi SCR Asia Argento (segment PROSPETTIVE) ED Federico Maria Maneschi CAST Paolo Bellizzomi, Mario De Candia, Asia Argento (Alessia/Se Stessa/Lorna)

LA SINDROME DI STENDHAL, a.k.a. THE STENDHAL SYNDROME (1996) DIR Dario Argento PROD Dario Argento, Giuseppe Colombo SCR Dario Argento (story by Dario Argento, Franco Ferrini; novel “La sindrome di Stendhal” [1989] by Graziella Margherini) CAM Giuseppe Rotunno ED Angelo Nicolini MUS Ennio Morricone CAST Asia Argento (Det. Anna Manni), Thomas Kretschmann, Marco Leonardi, Luigi Diberti, Julien Lambroschini, John Quentin, Paolo Bonacelli

IL CIELO È SEMPRE PIÙ BLU, a.k.a. BITS AND PIECES (1996) DIR Antonello Grimaldi PROD Maurizio Totti, Domenico Procacci SCR Daniele Cesarano, Paolo Marchesini CAM Allesandro Pesci ED Angelo Nicolini MUS Enzo Favata CAST Asia Argento (Cousin), Luca Barbareschi, Margherita Buy, Roberto Citran, Enrico Lo Verso, Ivano Marescotti, Dario Argento, Monica Bellucci

COMPAGNA DI VIAGGIO, a.k.a. TRAVELING COMPANION (1996) DIR Peter Del Monte PROD Enzo Porcelli SCR Peter Del Monte (story by Peter Del Monte, Mario Fortunato) CAM Giuseppe Lanci ED Simona Paggi MUS Dario Lucantoni CAST Asia Argento (Cora), Michel Piccoli, Lino Capolicchi, Silvia Cohen, Max Malatesta, Pier Francesco Poggi, Tarcisio Branca, Antonio Calia

VIOLA BACIA TUTTI, a.k.a. VIOLA KISSES EVERYBODY (1998) DIR Giovanni Veronesi PROD Vittorio Cecchi Gori SCR Giovanni Veronesi, Rocco Papaleo CAM Fabio Cianchetti ED Cecilia Zanuso MUS Aldo De Svalzi, Pivio CAST Asia Argento (Viola), Massimo Ceccherini, Valerio Mastandrea, Rocco Papaleo, Daria Nicolodi, Daniela Poggi, Enzo Robutti, Massimo Salvianti, Franco Califano

NEW ROSE HOTEL (1998) DIR Abel Ferrara PROD Edward R. Pressman SCR Abel Ferrara, Christ Zois CAM Kim Kelsch ED Jim Mol, Anthony Redman MUS Schoolly D CAST Christopher Walken, Willem Dafoe, Asia Argento (Sandii), Annabella Sciorra, John Lurie, Kimmy Suzuki, Miou, Yoshitaka Amano, Gretchen Mol, Phil Neilson, Ryûichi Sakamoto

B. MONKEY (1998) DIR Michael Radford PROD Stephen Woolley, Colin Vaines SCR Michael Radford, Chloe King, Michael Thomas (novel “B. Monkey” [1992] by Andrew Davies) CAM Ashley Rowe ED Joëlle Hache MUS Luis Bacalov, Jennie Muskett CAST Asia Argento (Beatrice), Jared Harris, Rupert Everett, Jonathan Rhys Meyers, Julie T. Wallace, Ian Hart, Tim Woodward, Bryan Pringle, Clare Higgins

IL FANTASMA DELL’OPERA, a.k.a. THE PHANTOM OF THE OPERA (1998) DIR Dario Argento PROD Giuseppe Colombo SCR Dario Argento, Gérard Brach (novel “Le fantôme de l’opéra” [1910] by Gaston Leroux) CAM Ronnie Taylor ED Anna Rosa Napoli MUS Ennio Morricone CAST Julian Sands, Asia Argento (Christine Daaé), Andrea Di Stefano, Nadia Rinaldi, Coralina Cataldi-Tassoni, István Bubik, Lucia Guzzardi, Aldo Massasso, Zoltan Barabas

SCARLET DIVA (2000) DIR – SCR Asia Argento PROD Dario Argento, Claudio Argento, Stefano Curti CAM Frederic Fasano ED Anna Rosa Napoli, Scott Marchfeld, Kahlid Mills MUS John Hughes CAST Asia Argento (Anna Battista), Jean Shepard, Herbert Fritsch, Gianluca Arcopinto, Joe Coleman, Francesca d’Aloja, Vera Gemma, Justinian Kfoury, Daria Nicolodi, Schoolly D

LES MORSURES DE L’AUBE, a.k.a. LOVE BITES (2001) DIR Antoine de Caunes PROD Patrick Godeau, Richard Grandpierre SCR Laurent Chalumeau (novel “Les morsures de l’aube” [1992] by Tonino Benacquista) CAM Pierre Aïm ED Joële Van Effenterre CAST Guillaume Canet, Asia Argento (Violaine Charlier), Gérard Lanvin, Gilbert Melki, José Garcia, Vincent Perez, Jean-Marie Winling, Orazio Massaro, Frédéric Pellegeay, James Arch, Corinne Debonnière

LA SIRÈNE ROUGE, a.k.a. RED SIREN (2002) DIR Olivier Metagon PROD Simon Arnal, Carole Scotta SCR Olivier Metagon, Robert Conrath, Alain Berliner, Norman Spinrad (novel “La sirène rouge” [1993] by Maurice G. Dantec) CAM Denis Rouden ED Stéphanie Gaurier MUS Nicolas Bikialo CAST Asia Argento (Anita), Jean-Marc Barr, Frances Barber, Andrew Tiernan, Alexandra Negrão, Edouard Montoute, Vernon Dobtcheff, Johan Leysen

XXX (2002) DIR Rob Cohen PROD Neal H. Moritz SCR Rich Wilkes CAM Dean Semler ED Chris Lebenzon MUS Randy Edelman CAST Vin Diesel, Asia Argento (Yelena), Martin Scokas, Samuel L. Jackson, Michael Roof, Richy Müller, Werner Daehn, Petr Jákl, Jan Filipenský, Tom Everett, Danny Trejo, Rich Wilkes, Rob Cohen

GINOSTRA (2002) DIR – SCR Manuel Pradal PROD Jean-François Fonlupt CAM Maurizio Calvesi ED Valérie Deseine MUS Carlo Crivelli CAST Harvey Keitel, Andie MacDowell, Francesca Neri, Stefano Dionisi, Harry Dean Stanton, Mattia De Martino, Asia Argento (The Nun), Luigi Maria Burruano, Angela Goodwin, Veronica Lazar

THE HEART IS DECEITFUL ABOVE ALL THINGS (2004) DIR Asia Argento PROD Alain de la Mata, Chris Hanley, Roberta Hanley, Brian Young SCR Asia Argento, Allessandro Magania (book with ten related short stories by Laura Albert [J.T. LeRoy]) CAM Eric Alan Edwards ED Jim Mol MUS Billy Corgan, Marco Castoldi, Kim Gordon [Sonic Youth] CAST Asia Argento (Sarah), Jimmy Bennett, Peter Fonda, Ben Foster, Marilyn Manson, Ornella Muti, Kip Pardue, Michael Pitt, Jeremy Renner, John Robinson, Dylan Cole Sprouse

THE KEEPER (2004) DIR Paul Lynch PROD Juliet Jones, Jamie Brown SCR Gerald Sanford CAM Curtis Petersen ED Julian Rodd MUS Sacha Puttnam CAST Dennis Hopper, Asia Argento (Gina), Helen Shaver, Lochlyn Munro, Charles Frederick, Alex Zahara, Alejandro Abellan, Fred Keating, Philip Granger

LAST DAYS (2005) DIR – SCR – ED Gus Van Sant PROD Dany Wolf CAM Harris Savides MUS Rodrigo Lopresti CAST Michael Pitt, Lukas Haas, Asia Argento (Asia), Scott Patrick Green, Nicole Vicius, Ricky Jay, Ryan Orion, Harmony Korine, Kim Gordon, Rodrigo Lopresti, Thadeus A. Thomas, Gus Van Sant

LAND OF THE DEAD (2005) DIR – SCR George A. Romero PROD Peter Grunwald, Bernie Goldman, Mark Canton CAM Reinhold Heil, Johnny Klimek ED Miroslaw Baszak MUS Michael Doherty CAST Simon Baker, John Leguizamo, Dennis Hopper, Asia Argento (Slack), Robert Joy, Eugene Clark, Joanne Boland, Tony Nappo, Jennifer Baxter, Boyd Banks, Jasmin Geljo, Simon Pegg, Edgar Wright

LIVE FRIDAY! DIE FRIDAY! (2006, animated) DIR – SCR John Roecker PROD Tim Armstrong ED Dean Gonzales MUS Tim Armstrong, Roddy Bottum CAST (voice only) Asia Argento (Habigail Folger), Tim Armstrong, Travis Barker, Tré Cool, Mike Dirnt, John Doe, Lars Fredericksen, Davey Havok, Kelly Osbourne

MARIE ANTOINETTE (2006) DIR Sofia Coppola PROD Sofia Coppola, Ross Katz SCR Sofia Coppola (book “Marie Antoinette: The Journey” [2001] by Antonia Fraser) CAM Lance Acord ED Sarah Flack MUS Dustin O’Halloran CAST Kirsten Dunst, Jason Schwartzman, Judy Davis, Rip Torn, Rose Byrne, Asia Argento (Comtesse du Barry), Molly Shannon, Shirley Henderson, Danny Huston, Steve Coogan, Marianne Faithful, Aurore Clément, Katrine Boorman

TRANSYLVANIA (2007) DIR – SCR Tony Gatlif ASSOC PROD Vadim Glowna, Raymond Tarabay CAM Céline Bozon ED Monique Dartonne MUS Tony Gatlif, Delphine Mantoulet CAST Asia Argento (Zingarina), Amira Casar, Birol Ünel, Alexandra Beaujard, Marco Castoldi, Bea Palya, Marina Boldizsac, Rares Budileanu, Nicolae Cristache, Florin Estefan, Gabor, Simion Lupu, Cornel Reileanu

BOARDING GATE (2007) DIR – SCR Olivier Assayas PROD François Margolin CAM Yorick Le Saux ED Luc Barnier CAST Asia Argento (Sandra), Michael Madsen, Kelly Lin, Carl Ng, Kim Gordon, Alex Descas, Joana Preiss, Sau-Ming Tsang, Bing Hei Chim, Kim Lee Wing, Ricky Chun-Tong Wong

GO GO TALES (2007) DIR Abel Ferrara EXEC PROD Massimo Cortesi, Enrico Coletti SCR CAM Fabio Cianchetti ED Fabio Nunziata MUS Francis Kuipers CAST Asia Argento (Monroe), Ricardo Scamarcio, Willem Dafoe, Stefania Rocco, Matthew Modine, Bob Hoskins, Sylvia Miles, Roy Dotrice, Joe Cortese, Burt Young, Bianca Balti, Shanyn Leigh, Lou Doillon

UNE VIEILLE MAÎTRESSE, a.k.a. THE LAST MISTRESS (2007) DIR Catherine Breillat PROD Jean-François Lepetit SCR (novel “Une vieille maîtresse” [1851] by Jules-Amédée Barbey d’Aurevilly; adaptation by Catherine Breillat) CAM Giorgos Arvanitis ED Pascale Chavance CAST Asia Argento (Vellini), Fu’ad Aït Aattou, Roxane Mesquida, Claude Sarraute, Yolande Moreau, Michel Lonsdale, Anne Parillaud, Jean-Philippe Tesse, Léa Seydoux

LA TERZA MADRE, a.k.a. THE MOTHER OF TEARS – THE THIRD MOTHER and MATER LACHRYMARUM – THE THIRD MOTHER (2007) DIR Dario Argento PROD Dario Argento, Claudio Argento, Marina Berlusconi, Giulia Marletta SCR Dario Argento, Jace Anderson, Adam Gierasch (story by Dario Argento; book “Susperia de Profundis” [1845] by Thomas de Quincey) CAM Frederic Fasano ED Walter Fasano MUS Claudio Simonetti CAST Asia Argento (Sarah Mandy), Christian Solimeno, Adam James, Udo Kier, Moran Atias, Valeria Cavalli, Philippe Leroy, Daria Nicolodi, Coralina Cataldi-Tassoni

DE LA GUERE, a.k.a. ON WAR (2008) DIR – SCR – MUS Bertrand Bonello PROD Bertrand Bonello, Kristina Larsen CAM Josée Deshaines ED Fabrice Rouaud CAST Mathieu Almaric, Asia Argento (Uma), Guillaume Depardieu, Clotilde Hesme, Léa Seydoux, Elina Löwensohn, Laurent Delbecque, Aurore Clément, Laurent Lukas, Michel Piccoli, Audrey Bonnet, Julie Gasnier, Vincent Macaigne

DIAMANT 13 (2009) DIR Gilles Béhat PROD Charles Gillibert, Marin Karmitz, Nathanaël Karmitz, Patrick Quinet, Claude Waringo SCR Gilles Béhat (adaptation by Olivier Marchal; novel “L’Étage des morts” by Hugues Pagan) CAM Bernard Malaisy ED Thierry Faber MUS Frédéric Verscheval CAST Gérard Depardieu, Olivier Marchal, Asia Argento (Calhoune), Anne Coesens, Aïssa Maïga, Catherine Marchal, Erick Deshors, Frédéric Frenay, Jean-François Wolff, Patrick Hastert

CAVALLI, a.k.a. HORSES (2011) DIR Michele Rho PROD Gianluca Arcopinto, Marco Ledda, Emanuele Nespeca SCR Michele Rho, Francesco Ghiaccio (short story by Pietro Grossi) CAM Andrea Locatelli ED Luca Benedetti MUS Nicola Tescari CAST Vinicio Marchioni, Michele Alhaique, Giulia Michelini, Duccio Camerini, Antonella Attili, Fausto Maria Sciarappa, Pippo Delbono, Marco Iermano, Asia Argento (Madre)

ISOLE (2011) DIR Stefanio Chiantini PROD Selvaggia Sada SCR Stefano Chiantini, Giuliano Miniati CAM Vladan Radovic ED Luca Benedetti MUS Piernicola Di Muro CAST Asia Argento (Martina), Giorgio Colangeli, Ivan Franek, Anna Ferruzzo, Pascal Zullino, Paolo Briguglia, Alessandro Tiberi, Vincenzo Crivello

BACIATO DELLA FORTUNA (2011) DIR Paolo Costella PROD Rita Rusic SCR Paolo Costella, Vincenzo Salemme, Gianluca Bomprezzi, Massimiliano Bruno (play “Fiore di ictus” by Vincenzo Salemme) CAM Enrico Lucidi ED Patrizio Marone MUS Pasquale Catalano CAST Vincenzo Salemme, Asia Argento (Betty), Nicole Grimaudo, Dario Bandiera, Alessandro Gassman, Giuseppe Giacobazzi

GLI SFIORATI, a.k.a. DRIFTERS (2011) DIR Matteo Rovere PROD Domenico Procacci SCR Matteo Rovere, Laura Paolucci, Francesco Piccoli (novel “Gli sfiorati” [1990] by Sandro Veronesi) CAM Vladan Radovic ED Giogio Franchini MUS Andrea Farri CAST Andrea Bosca, Miriam Giovanelli, Michele Riondino, Massimo Popolizio, Aitana Sanchez Guon, Asia Argento (Beatrice Plana), Claudio Santamaria

DRACULA 3D, a.k.a. ARGENTO’S DRACULA 3-D (2012) DIR Dario Argento PROD Giovanni Paolucci, Roberto Di Girolamo SCR Dario Argento, Enrique Cerezo, Stefano Piani, Antonio Tentori (book “Dracula” [1897] by Bram Stoker) CAM Luciano Tovoli ED Daniele Campelli, Marshall Harvey MUS Claudio Simonetti CAST Thomas Kretschmann, Marta Gastini, Asia Argento (Lucy Kisslinger), Unax Ugalde, Miriam Giovanelli, Rutger Hauer, Maria Cristina Heller, Augsto Zucchi, Franco Ravera, Francesco Rossini

DO NOT DISTURB (2012) DIR Yvan Attal PROD Mikaël Abecassis SCR Yvan Attal, Olivier Lécot (screenplay HUMPDAY [2009] by Lynn Shelton) CAM Thomas Hardmeier ED Jennifer Augé CAST François Cluzet, Yvan Attal, Laetitia Casta, Charlotte Gainsbourg, Asia Argento (Monica), Joey Starr, Bruno Guillot, Léon Vitale, Samuel Johde

CADENCES OBSTINÉES, a.k.a. OBSESSIVE RHYTHMS (2013) DIR – SCR Fanny Ardant PROD Paulo Branco CAM André Szankowski ED Julia Grégory MUS Jean-Michel Bernard CAST Asia Argento (Margo), Nuno Lopez, Gérard Depardieu, Franco Nero, Ricardo Pereira, Tudor Istodor, Johan Leysen, Laura Soveral, Mika, André Gomes, Marcello Urgeghe, Philippe Leroux

SHONGRAM (2014) DIR – PROD – SCR Munsur Ali CAM Lorenzo Levrini ED Richard Gordon-Colebrooke MUS Armeen Musa, Mogol Miah CAST Anupam Kehr, Asia Argento (Sarah), Azaam Reza, Arman Parvez Murad, Dilruba Yasmeen Ruhee, Ananta Hira, Steve Hope Wynne, Naj Modak, Subrata Barua, Raffaella Coleman, Max Pepper

INCOMPRESA, a.k.a. MISUNDERSTOOD (2014) DIR Asia Argento PROD Mario Gianani, Maurice Kantor, Lorenzo Mieli SCR Asia Argento, Barbara Alberti CAM Nicola Pecorini ED Filippo Barbieri CAST Giulia Salerno, Charlotte Gainsbourg, Gabriel Garko, Carolina Poccioni, Anna Lou Castoldi, Alice Pea, Andrea Pittorino, Riccardo Russo, Sofia Patron

ALIEN CRYSTAL PALACE (2017) DIR Arielle Dombasle PROD Vincent Roget, Mathieu Bompoint SCR Arielle Dombasle, Nicolas Ker, Florian Bernas CAM Vojta Janyska, Élie Girard ED Coralie Rubio MUS Nicolas Villebrun, Nicolas Ker CAST Arielle Dombasle, Nicolas Ker, Michel Fau, Asia Argento (Sybille), Joséphine de la Baume, Joanna Preiss, Théo Hakola, Zoë Le Ber, Julian De Gainza, Christian Louboutin, Thaddaeus Ropac, Jean-Pierre Léaud

THE EXECUTRIX (2020) DIR – PROD Michele Civetta SCR Michele Civetta, Joseph Schuman CAM Nicola Pecorini ED Trish Fuller MUS Daniel Hunt, Barði Jóhannson CAST Asia Argento (Isidora), Jonathan Caoette, Monica Guerritore, Claudia Salerno, Ninetto Davoli, Franco Nero, Rade Serbedzija, Simone Wasserman

SANS SOLEIL (2021) DIR Banu Akseki PROD Cassandre Warnauts, Jean-Yves Roubin SCR Banu Akseki, Freddy Molanda CAM Olivier Boonjong ED Nicolas Rumpl CAST Louka Minnella, Asia Argento (Léa), Sandrine Blancke, Joe Decroisson, Constantine Attia, Jean-Benoît Ugeux, Antoine Mathieu, Marie-Jeanne Maldague, Amber Kemp

OCCHIALI NERI, a.k.a. DARK GLASSES (2022) DIR Dario Argento PROD Conchita Airoldi, Vincent Maraval, Laurentina Guidotti, Brahim Chioua SCR Dario Argento, Franco Ferrini CAM Matteo Cocco ED Flora Volpelière MUS Arnaud Rebotini CAST Ilenia Pastorelli, Asia Argento (Rita), Andrea Gherpelli, Mario Pirrello, Maria Rosaria Russo, Gennaro Iaccarino, Andrea Zhang, Paola Sambo

VERA (2022) DIR – PROD Tizza Covi, Rainer Frimmel SCR Tizza Covi CAM Rainer Frimmel ED Tizza Covi MUS Florian Benzer, Michael Pogo Kreiner CAST Vera Gemma, Daniel De Palma, Sebastian Dascalu, Annamaria Ciancamerla, Walter Saabel, Giuliana Gemma, Gennaro Lillio, Asia Argento (Asia), Alessandra Di Sanzo

PADRE PIO (2022) DIR Abel Ferrara PROD Filipp Kreuzer, Diana Phillips SCR Abel Ferrara, Maurizio Braucci CAM Alessandro Abate ED Leonardo Daniel Bianchi MUS Joe Delia CAST Shia LaBeouf, Cristina Chiriac, Marco Leonardi, Asia Argento (Tall Man), Vincenzo Crea, Luca Lionelli, Salvatore Ruocco, Brando Pacitto, Stella Mastrantonio, Federico Majorana, Anna Ferrara

SEULE: LES DOSSIERS SILVERCLOUD, a.k.a. LET HER KILL YOU (2023) DIR Jérôme Dassier PROD Ruth Walburger, Alain Benguigui SCR Jérôme Dassier, Didier Rouget CAM Greg Pedat ED Christophe Pinel MUS Nathaniel Méchaly CAST Asia Argento (Anna), Jeanne Balibar, Joseph Rezwin, Kim Sukwi, Paolo Tarabusi, Konstantin Shishkin, Wanja Sharshunov

SCHIRKOA: IN LIES WE TRUST (2024, animated) DIR – SCR Ishan Shukla PROD Ishan Shukla, Bich-Quân Tran CAM Antik Kumar MUS Sneha Khanwalkar CAST (voice only) Asia Argento (Mermaid), Golshifteh Farahani, Gaspar Noé, Anurag Kashyap, Shekhar Kapur, Karan Johar, Lav Diaz, Soko, Tibu Fortes, Piyush Mishra

ROMEO È GIULIETTA, a.k.a. ROMEO IS JULIET (2024) DIR Giovanni Veronesi PROD Fabrizio Donvito, Daniel Campos Pavoncelli, Marco Cohen, Benedetto Habib SCR Giovanni Veronesi, Pilar Fogliati, Giancarlo Lombardi [Nicola Baldoni] (story by Giovanni Veronesi, Pietro Valsecchi) CAM Giovanni Canevari ED Patrizio Marone MUS Andrea Guerra CAST Sergio Castellitto, Pilar Fogliati, Margherita Buy, Geppi Cucciari, Maurizio Lombardi, Serena De Ferrari, Domenico Diele, Alessandro Haber, Asia Argento (Asia Argento)

JOUR DE COLÈRE, a.k.a. INTERSTATE (2024) DIR Jean Luc Herbulot PROD Hicham Benkirane, Christophe Mazodier, Jean-Jacques Neira SCR Anthony Jaswinski CAM Hugo Brilmaker ED Raphael Lubczanski MUS Pierre Nesi CAST Joey Starr, Asia Argento (Anna), Michele Riondino, Joaquim Fossi, Michaël Aboteboul, Bérengère McNeese, Camille Pistone, Nlandu Lubansu, Lucile Ronveaux

LES REINES DU DRAME, a.k.a. QUEENS OF DRAMA (2024) DIR Alexis Langlois PROD Laetitia Gonzales, Yaël Fogiel, Inèz Daïen Dasi SCR Alexis Langlois, Thomas Colineau, Carlotta Coco (original idea by Alexis Langlois) CAM Marine Atlan ED Alexis Langlois, Gabriel Gonzalez MUS Piere Desprats CAST Louiza Aura, Gio Ventura, Alma Jodorowsky, Nana Benamer, Dustin Muchuvitz, Raya Martigny, Thomas Poitevin, Asia Argento (Magalie Charmer),

SELON JOY (2024) DIR Camille Lugan PROD Saïd Hamich SCR Camille Lugan, Salvatore Lista CAM Victor Zébo ED Grégoire Pontécaille MUS Rémi Boubal CAST Sonia Bonny, Volodymyr Zhdanov, Raphaël Thiéry, Asia Argento (Mater), Damien Chapelle, Grégoire Colin, Julien Drion, Pierre Le Baleur, Wabinlé Nabié, Sultan Ulutas

FATTI VEDERE, a.k.a. GET HELP (2025) DIR Tiziano Russo PROD Roberto Proia SCR Roberto Proia, Giulio Carrieri CAM Vito Frangione MUS Alessandro Bencini, Martina Catalfamo CAST Asia Argento (Benedetta Fabiani), Matilde Gioli, Francesco Centorame, Pierpaolo Spollon, Gaia Benassi, Luigi Cesolini, Barbara Enrichi, Selene Gandini, Yaser Mohamed, Luigi Pedranzini

PLUS FORTS QUE LE DIABLE, a.k.a. STRONGER THAN THE DEVIL (2025) DIR – SCR Graham Guit PROD Manuel Molina, Amos Rozenberg CAM Sylvestre Vannoorenberghe ED Alexandre Hadam, Julia Huteau-Mouglalis MUS Samuel Potin CAST Melvil Poupaud, Asia Argento (Mila), Maline Vacth, Nahuel Pérez Biscayart, Raïka Hazanavicius, Julie Chen, Harpo Guit, Maxi Delmelle, Chaida Chady Suku Suku, Heidi Johansson, Klara Vigalondo

QUI STAREMO BENISSIMO (2025) DIR Renato Giordano PROD Lorenzo Malafarina CAM Daniele Poli ED Francesco Garrone CAST Asia Argento (René), Dana Giuliano, Floriana Gentile, Antonio Medugno, Valerio Santoro

A MOTHER FOR AN HOUR (2026) DIR Giga Aglazde PROD Kristy Bell, Ben Charles Edwards CAM Konstantin Esadze CAST Asia Argento (Daria), Laure Whitmore, Frances Barber, Geoff Bell, Tamer Hassan, David Brooks, Dean Brunton, Ciaran Dow Jones, Jennifer Lane

TV MOVIE

MILADY (2004) DIR Josée Dayan PROD Josée Dayan, Jean-Luc Azoulay TELEPLAY Caherine Clément (novel “Les trois mousquetaires” [1844] by Alexandre Dumas, père) CAM Ennio Guarnieri ED Fred Béraud-Dufour MUS Bruno Coulais CAST Arielle Dombasle, Florent Pagny, Martin Lamotte, Julie Depardieu, Nicole Courcel, Asia Argento (Sally La Chèvre), Christopher Buchholz, Guillaume Depardieu

TV MINISERIES

SOGNI E BISOGNI (1985) DIR Sergio Citti PROD Achille Manzotti TELEPLAY Sergio Citti, David Grieco CAM Luciano Tovoli, Giuseppe Tinelli ED Ugo De Rossi MUS Francesco De Masi CAST Giulietta Masina, Héctor Alteria, Jacques Dufilho, Franco Citti, Paul Brekenridge, Carlo Verdone, Ninetto Davilo, Andréa Ferréol, Ugo Tognazzi, Asia Argento (Gloria), Marilù Tolo

LES MISÉRABLES (2000) DIR Josée Dayan PROD Gérard Depardieu, Jean-Pierre Guérin TELEPLAY Didier Decoin (novel “Les misérables” [1862] by Victor Hugo) CAM Willy Stassen ED Marie-Josèphe Yoyette MUS Jean-Claude Petit CAST Gérard Depardieu, John Malkovich, Jeanne Moreau, Charlotte Gainsbourg, Virginie Ledoyen, Christian Clavier, Asia Argento (Éponine Thénardier), Michel Duchaussoy, Guillaume Depardieu

RODOLFO VALENTINO – LA LEGGENDA (2013) DIR Alessio Inturri PROD Alberto Tarallo, Matteo Sapio TELEPLAY Paola Pascolini, Giuseppe Bandalucco, Antonio Consentini, Franca de Angelis, Emanuela Del Monaco CAM Massimo Intoppa MUS Savio Ricardi CAST Gabriel Garko, Giuliano de Sio, Ángela Molina, Orso Maria Guerrini, Dalila Di Lazzaro, Yari Gugliucci, Asia Argento (Natacha Rambova)

Born Virna Pieralisi or Virna Lisa Pieralisi—depending on the source—on November 8, 1936, in the coastal town of Ancona, Italy, she was discovered as a teenager. Because of her striking classical beauty and natural screen presence—marked by luminous blue eyes and elegant features—she quickly drew attention. At 17, she played the female lead in her screen debut “…e Naopile canta!” (1953, a.k.a. “Naples Sings!”), and immediately found steady work in Italian cinema, appearing in comedies, melodramas, and the popular peplum genre.

Her looks also enabled her to promote a toothpaste brand on television with a slogan that would become popular among Italians: ‘Con quella bocca può dire ciò che vuole’ (‘With that mouth, she can say whatever she wants’).

Her early career was marked by charm and a light comedic touch, and she became a familiar face in Italian cinema, where she was often cast as a glamorous leading lady. During the late 1950s and early 1960s, she worked with notable Italian directors and actors, establishing herself as a major star in her home country. Unlike many actresses who were confined to decorative parts, she was able to show her natural screen presence, strong acting ability, and intelligence.

She played the leading female lead in Sergio Corbucci’s sword-and-sandal epic “Romolo e Remo” (1961, a.k.a. “Duel of the Titans”) opposite Steve Reeves and Gordon Scott; the film brought her international attention, and she was offered the role of Tatiana Romanova in the second James Bond movie, “From Russia With Love” (1963). She turned down the offer to play a Bond girl which ended up being played by another Italian actress, Daniela Bianchi.

After she appeared opposite Alain Delon in “La tulipe noire” (1965, a.k.a. “The Black Tulip”), and in Mario Monicelli’s Italian comedy “Casanova ’70” (1965), another international hit which also received an Oscar nomination for its screenplay, she decided to try her luck in Hollywood.

She followed in the footsteps of other Italian actors of the time, when Hollywood studios were looking for the next Marilyn Monroe who had died in August 1962 at age 36. Virna Lisi was one of the several attractive actresses who could capture the public’s imagination. The New York Times first mentioned her and her upcoming Hollywood career on January 31, 1965, when they interviewed Italian director and screenwriter Mario Monicelli for his latest film, “Casanova ’70”; he was accompanied by his leading actors Marcello Mastroianni and Virna Lisi, ‘the beautiful, blonde, temporarily re-imported Italian export to Hollywood.’

In 1965, she made her American film debut and starred with Jack Lemmon and English character actor and comedian Terry-Thomas in Richard Quine’s tongue-in-cheek romantic comedy “How to Murder Your Wife.” Lemmon played a character named Stanley Ford, a successful, commitment‑shy New York cartoonist who leads a happy-go-lucky bachelor life until, at a party, he witnesses the comely Virna Lisi bursting out of a large cake in a bikini. When he wakes up the next morning to find her in bed with him, he discovers that he married her in a drunken stupor, and their relationship goes downhill from there. Much of the film’s farce hinges on the cultural/language gap and the couple’s mismatched dynamic, with Lisi as the glamorous, and mostly non‑English‑speaking beauty who becomes Ford’s accidental wife.

“How to Murder Your Wife” was the sixth and final film Richard Quine and Jack Lemmon made together, after “My Sister Eileen” (1955), “Operation Mad Ball” (1957), “Bell, Book and Candle” (1958), “It Happened to Jane” (1959), and “The Notorious Landlady” (1962). The screenplay was written by George Axelrod, who also wrote Richard Quine’s previous lightweight comedy, “Paris When It Sizzles” (1964), starring William Holden and Audrey Hepburn.

Originally, Axelrod—who also produced the film—had envisioned Marilyn Monroe for the part that Virna Lisi ended up playing, but the actress had died in August 1962, and Axelrod was determined to remake Lisi as the new Monroe. Previously, he had already written “Bus Stop” (1956) for Monroe, as well as “Breakfast at Tiffany’s” (1961) which Monroe turned down and the part of Holly Golightly went to Audrey Hepburn.

When Turner Classic Movies reflected on “How to Murder Your Wife” in a June 25, 2005, article, they wrote, ‘The filming of “How to Murder Your Wife” was as manic and unpredictable as Ford’s exploits in the movie. […] Far more dangerous was an incident involving his gorgeous co-star, Virna Lisi. Lemmon once walked into Lisi’s dressing room by mistake, only to find her standing stark naked in front of a full-length mirror. Lisi’s husband, who was sitting in the corner, leaped up and lunged toward Lemmon. ‘I shot out the door like a bird…I don’t know what [the husband] thought, but I wasn’t about to stick around and find out,’ Lemmon later said.’

‘Virna was a very nice girl. […] I soon discovered that she was one fine actress. It was marvelous working with her,’ Jack Lemmon said in Don Widener’s biography “Lemmon” (1975).

In a 1965 interview for The New York Sunday News, she said, ‘My husband was not very happy about my career. Like most Italians, Franco [Pesci] is a very jealous man. Thank God! After we married he tried hard to take me away from all this movie business. Eventually, he relented.’

Jack Donohue’s action-adventure film “Assault on a Queen” (1966), about a big heist of H.M.S. Queen Mary’s vault, teamed her with Frank Sinatra in his second heist movie in the 1960s—the first one being “Ocean’s Eleven” (1960) that brought an ensemble cast of five Rat Pack members together. Variety reviewed “Assault on a Queen” on June 22, 1966; the film was praised for its box office potential and wrote that ‘Sinatra and Miss Lisi are very good in roles that make few demands on their acting ability.’

At the same time, she continued to make films in Europe. She played the lead role in Pietro Germi’s “Signore & Signori” (1966, a.k.a. “The Birds, The Bees and The Italians”); the film shared the Grand Prix with Claude Lelouch’s “Un homme et une femme” at the 1966 Cannes Film Festival. In 2008, “Signore & Signori” was included on the Italian Ministry’s of Cultural Heritage’s one hundred Italian films to be saved, a list of a hundred films that ‘have changed the collective memory of the country between 1942 and 1978.’

Back in the U.S., she then appeared in Norman Panama’s tepid comedy “Not With My Wife, You Don’t!” (1966) as an Italian nurse during the Korean War who falls in love with two United States Air Force pilots, Tony Curtis and George C Scott. The film followed the standard storyline of the seven “road movies” popularized by Bob Hope, Bing Crosby and Dorothy Lamour—most of them made in the 1940s. Variety wrote in its September 21, 1966 film review that “Not With My Wife, You Don’t!” was ‘an outstanding romantic comedy,’ and that ‘zesty scripting, fine performances, solid direction and strong production values sustain hilarity throughout. […] Miss Lisi, who could not just stand there, and get a full measure of attention to her own looks, complemented by another snazzy Edith Head wardrobe, interacts neatly with her male stars.’

In his autobiography “American Prince: A Memoir” (2008), Tony Curtis wrote, ‘Virna [Lisi] was a very good actress, and a beautiful woman, very aristocratic. I liked her a lot.’ Regarding his tendency to fall for his leading ladies, he added, ‘Virna kept me at arm’s length. She was married, I don’t know how happily, but that didn’t matter. She wasn’t going to fall in love with me, or run away with me for a weekend. Not only did I admire her for that, but in this case it made it a lot easier to get the picture made. I didn’t have to stay up until four in the morning waiting up for her. At the end of a day of shooting, I would go home, and she would do the same.’

Although these roles increased her international fame, Lisi grew dissatisfied with being typecast as a glamorous blonde. Consequently, she turned down the leading role in Roger Vadim’s “Barbarella” (1968) which went to Jane Fonda. Virna Lisi said, ‘I said that I wanted to play something, a role, a real part.’ She later added, ‘Maybe I’ve made some wrong choices in my career, but I don’t think that was one of them.’ Several roles emphasized her looks over substance, and her refusal to conform to Hollywood’s expectations demonstrated both courage and integrity. It certainly cut short her American career.

Choosing artistic fulfillment over celebrity status, Lisi returned to her native Italy, but she didn’t abandon English-language roles or American films at all. She appeared in several international co-productions—also in English—and one of them was Stanley Kramer’s “The Secret of Santa Vittoria” (1969), about an Italian wine-producing village that conceals from the Germans a million bottles of wine in an old Roman cave in the aftermath of the fall of Mussolini. Despite Lisi’s virtuoso performance of Caterina Malatesta—an educated and elegant woman unlike any other in town—both she and the film were overwhelmed by the top-billed Academy Award winners Anthony Quinn and Anna Magnani as the village’s combative mayor and his rancorous wife.

In his autobiography “It’s a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World: A Life in Hollywood” (1997), Stanley Kramer wrote, ‘When we finished shooting [“The Secret of Santa Vittoria”] in a mountaintop Italian town named Anticoli Corrado, I brought the picture back and showed it to the United Artists executives in Hollywood. After the final scene, they stood up and applauded. They thought they had a runaway hit on their hands, but as I feared, they had nothing even close. […] The final product didn’t spark the public’s imagination.’

Still—guess again—Variety wrote in its October 1, 1969, review that the film ‘comes near being a dramatic knockout, so tempered with humor and understanding that it also becomes an idyll of war and Italian peasantry. […] As an aristocrat who returns to her home as the war wanes, Virna Lisi, previously seen by American audiences mostly in more frothy roles and as a stunning blonde, turns to drama here as a dark brunet. She demonstrates convincingly she is a talented actress.’

That same year, she co-starred with William Holden in the French-Italian father-son drama “L’Arbre de Noël” (a.k.a. “The Christmas Tree”), directed by Terence Young, and set in the French countryside. In this French-language film, Holden plays a French-American millionaire, Virna Lisi—stunning as always—is his wife, and Brook Fuller portrays the ten-year-old son who is doomed to die within a matter of months after being victim of radio-active fallout from an atom explosion. “Il Morandini: Dizionario dei film 2001,” a dictionary that includes over 17,000 films released in Italy from 1913 until 2000, described “The Christmas Tree” as ‘the most tear-jerking film of the 1960s.’

Also in 1969, she played a cameo in Mel Stuart’s “If It’s Tuesday, This Must Be Belgium,” a romantic comedy filmed on location in England, the Netherlands, Belgium, Germany, Switzerland and Italy.

In the British comedy “The Statue” (1971), she played the wife of David Niven. John Cleese and Graham Chapman appear in early career roles as the Niven character’s psychiatrist and a newsreader, respectively; they were two of the six founding members of the British surreal comedy group Mony Python. Unfortunately, “The Statue” is one of only five films that renowned American film critic Roger Ebert ever walked out on. Lisi said afterwards that David Niven was ‘the co-star with whom I felt most at ease.’

In Edward Dmytryk’s “Bluebeard” (1972), Richard Burton played the title role. The legendary and overly talented Welsh-born actor, noted for his mellifluous baritone voice, among others, was supported by a cast of international beauties—Virna Lisi, Raquel Welch, Karin Schubert, Nathalie Delon, Sybil Danning, Marilù Tolo and Agostina Belli—as his previous wives who have died in mysterious circumstances. ‘Richard Burton was often drunk when he arrived at the studio in the morning and always drunk when he left in the afternoon. […] But the leading ladies (except Miss Lisi) were still falling in love with him,’ Edward Dmytryk wrote in his autobiography “It’s a Hell of a Life But Not a Bad Living: A Memoir” (1978).

Her final English-language film was Henri Verneuil’s “Night Flight from Moscow” (1973, originally titled “Le serpent,” a.k.a. “The Serpent”), a Cold War spy thriller starring a very cosmopolitan cast: Yul Brynner was Russian, Henry Fonda was an American, Sir Dirk Bogarde was an Englishman, Philippe Noiret was French, and Virna Lisi was Italian.

Throughout the 1970s, 1980s, and 1990s, Virna Lisi worked steadily in Italian and European cinema and television. She collaborated with respected directors and appeared in a wide range of genres. Accolades were bestowed upon her for her powerful performance as Friedrich Nietzsche’s neurotic and hysterical sister in Liliana Cavani’s controversial “Al di là del bene e del male” (1977, a.k.a. “Beyond Good and Evil”), and Luigi Comencini’s “Buon Natale, Buon anno” (1989, a.k.a. “Merry Christmas… Happy New Year”)—just to name a few.

But her most successful role was yet to come, and it could hardly have been further removed from any Hollywood casting of her as a frivolous blonde. As Catherine de’ Medici in Patrice Chéreau’s costume drama and international co-production “La Reine Margot” (1994, a.k.a. “Queen Margot”), based on the 1845 novel by Alexandre Dumas, and set in Reformation France, she forces her daughter Marguerite de Valois (played by Isabelle Adjani) to marry the Protestant Henry of Navarre (Daniel Auteuil), and she schemes to bring about the notorious Saint Bartholomew’s Day Massacre of Protestants in 1572.

The Los Angeles Times reviewed the film on December 14, 1994, and wrote, ‘Ms. Lisi, unrecognizable from her Hollywood days in ‘60s films like “How to Murder Your Wife” and “Assault on a Queen,” gives a terrific dragon-lady performance. […] Lisi has a harsh raspy voice without a shade of lilt or sensuality. Her dark rage is almost comic in its magisterial meanness but Lisi doesn’t camp it up.’

At the Cannes Film Festival, her performance earned her the Best Actress Award. She later said, ‘I heard Clint Eastwood announce my name on the stage, it was a shock. My God! This was just a small part. My son, who was sitting next to me, whispered and told me not to cry. I got up there and cried as if I were a little starlet. It was very stupid, but, then, it had taken me thirty-five years to get there.’ Her performance in “La Reine Margot” also won her a César, France’s highest film honor and the French equivalent of the Oscar, for Best Supporting Actress.

Her award-laden performance led to a resurgence in her career, as it reintroduced her to a new generation and confirmed her status as a serious dramatic actress. It became one of the most significant performances of her career.

Virna Lisi’s later films include “Va’ dove ti porta il cuore” (1996, a.k.a. “Follow Your Heart”), directed by Cristina Comencini, daughter of Luigi Comencini, with Lisi playing a grandmother who is dying of cancer. Her performance earned her a David di Donatello Award nomination for Best Actress. This industry-voted award is considered the Italian equivalent of the Academy Award in the U.S.; Virna Lisi won four—for Best Actress in “La cicala” (1980, a.k.a. “The Cricket”), for Best Supporting Actress in “Sapore di mare” (1983, a.k.a. “Time For Loving”), and two Special David Awards (1996 and 2009).

After “Va’ dove ti porta il cuore,” Virna Lisi collaborated again with Christina Comencini for “Il più bel giorno della mia vita” (2002, a.k.a. “The Best Day of My Life”), a warm and involving film about a dysfunctional Italian family, seen through the eyes of Chiara, a young girl about to receive her first communion, and who documents her family on video. Virna Lisi played the grandmother who doesn’t know how to hold the family together.

In her later years, she did a lot of television work; her final screen role was in another Christina Comencini film, “Latin Lover” (2015), a comedy-drama released posthumously, with Lisi playing the Italian widow of a fictional and internationally known film star. Lisi was already very ill from cancer during production and died shortly after; the film is dedicated to her in the end credit.

Two Italian biographies that focus on her life and career have been published so far; they are “Virna Lisi: Un’attrice per bene” (2019), written by Sergio Toffetti and Alberto La Monica, and “Virna Lisi: Diva e antidiva” (2023), authored by Bruno di Marino.

Beyond her professional life, Lisi was known for her discretion and her family life; she maintained a relatively private personal life and avoided scandal. She married Franco Pesci in 1960, and the two were married for fifty-three years, until his death in 2013. They had one son, Corrado. She was devoted to her family, and often put her career on hold to spend time with them. ‘I have always been faithful to my husband because I love him deeply. He is my life,’ she once said. ‘My son is my greatest joy. He is very intelligent and sensitive. He has inherited his father’s artistic talent.’

When she was asked if success had changed her, she replied, ‘I take these things very coolly, so I don’t believe in letting any kind of praise go to one’s head. In a career, as in life, we can be way up one day and down the next. It doesn’t pay to permit such things to affect one’s outlook.’

Virna Lisi was diagnosed with lung cancer in 2013, and she died on December 18, 2014, at her home in Rome at age 78.

In 2022, a documentary titled “Virna Lisi: La donna che rinunciò a Hollywood” (a.k.a. “Virna Lisi: The Woman Who Gave Up Hollywood”) was released. It was written and directed by Fabrizio Corallo, using documents from archives and previously unreleased interviews. Keeping in mind her slogan, ‘With that mouth she can say whatever she wants,’ Virna Lisi did always say and do what she wanted, paving her way largely with her talent, often choosing to make herself look older, uglier and to take on difficult roles.

The Fondazione Virna Lisi—Virna Lisi Foundation—was founded in memory of her work and her legacy. The website remembers her with these words, ‘Throughout her life one of her core values was altruism. She always acted with reserve and discretion, funding scholarships for children in the developing world and making herself available for every charitable initiative. Beyond her singular talent, she was above all a mother and a wife, with an extraordinary capacity to love and always putting family first. She was married for over 50 years and her greatest joy was her son and her three grandchildren. Dedication, professionalism and love for her audience were the cornerstones of her life. She passed away in 2014, surrounded by friends and family, with her last script on her bedside table.’

On November 8, 2017, The Hollywood Reporter stated that Monica Bellucci was honored in Rome with the Virna Lisi Award. She was the third recipient of the Fondazione Cinema per Roma’s Virna Lisi Award, which honors an actress who has made an impact in Italian and global cinema. When she accepted the award, she said, ‘It means a lot because Virna Lisi is an actress that I respect very much. She is an Italian international icon. For me, she represents an aspiration, for her talent, of course, her intelligence, her beauty and her elegance. So I’m really honored and moved that I’m receiving this prize.’

Virna Lisi’s Hollywood career was over after three films, but she will always be remembered as the Italian actress who abandoned a promising Hollywood career to avoid typecasting and pursue more challenging roles in Europe. And in the end, she captivated audiences on both sides of the Atlantic. Like European contemporaries such as Gina Lollobrigida, Ursula Andress, Sophia Loren, Romy Schneider, Elke Sommer, Senta Berger, Claudia Cardinale, Capucine, Elsa Martinelli, Monica Vitti, Pier Angeli, and her twin sister Marisa Pavan, she proved that she could do much more than just look beautiful on the screen.

FILMS

… E NAPOLI CANTA!, a.k.a. NAPLES SINGS! (1953) DIR Armando Grottini PROD Antonio Ferrigno SCR Rodolfo Morelli (story by Antonio Ferrigno) CAM Sergio Pesce ED Jolanda Benvenuti MUS Franco Langella CAST Giacomo Rondinella, Virna Lisi (Maria Mariani), Beniamino Maggio, Germana Paolieri, Tecla Scarano, Guglielmo Inglese, Carla Boni, Mario Abbate, Gabriele Vanorio

DESIDERIO ‘E SOLE (1954) DIR Giorgio Pastina PROD Fortunato Misiano SCR Giorgio Pastina, Franco Perroni (story by Giuliana Pazielli) CAM Giuseppe La Torre ED Jolanda Benvenuti MUS Carlo Innocenzi CAST Giacomo Rondinella, Virna Lisi (Laura Morera), Beniamino Maggio, Lionella Carell, John Kitzmiller, Dora Strebel, Giulio Calì, Enrico Glori

VIOLENZA SUL LAGO, a.k.a. VIOLENCE IN THE LAKE (1954) DIR Leonardo Cortese PROD Cesare Torri SCR Leonardo Cortese, Cesare Torri, Sabatino Cortese, Mario Monicelli, Baccio Agnoletti (story by Cesare Torri) CAM Domenica Scala ED Antonietta Zita MUS Carlo Innocenzi CAST Lia Amanda, Erno Crisa, Peter Trent, Carlo Hintermann, Virna Lisi (Laura), Patrizia Della Rovere, Giacomo Rondinella

LETTERA NAPOLETANA, a.k.a. NAPOLEON’S LETTER (1954) DIR Giorgio Pastina PROD Fortunate Misiano SCR Luigi Caquano (story by Luigi Cioffi) CAM Giuseppe La Torre ED Jolanda Benvenuti MUS Giuseppe La Torre CAST Giacomo Rondinella, Lianella Carell, Virna Lisi (Anna Esposito), Otello Toso, Beniamino Maggio, Natale Cirino, Ignazio Balsamo, Giulio Battiferri, Lia Orlandini, Pasquale De Filippo, Rina Franchetti, Domenico Serra

LA CORDA D’ACCACIO (1954) DIR Carlo Borghesio SCR Oreste Biancoli, Giuseppe Mangione, Giovanni Seyta CAM Vincenzo Seratrice ED Rolando Benedetti MUS CAST Brigitte Fossey, Fausto Tozzi, Xenia Valderi, Virna Lisi (Stella), Giampiero Scionmari, Olga Solbelli, Mimo Billi, Nando Bruno

PICCOLA SANTA (1954) DIR Roberto Bianchi Montero PROD Antonio Ferrigno SCR Roberto Bianchi Montero, Antonio Ferrigno, Ermanno Morena (idea by Antonio Ferrigno) CAM Guglielmo Garroni MUS Franco Langella CAST Virna Lisi (Maria), Rosario Borelli, Tina Lattanzi, Virgilio Riento, Rossana Rory, Nino Pavese, Gianna Antonini

IL CARDINALE LAMBERTINI, a.k.a. CARDINAL LAMBERTINI (1954) DIR Giorgio Pastina PROD Giuseppe Fatigati SCR Giorgio Pastina, Oreste Biancoli, Edoardo Anton (play “Il Cardinale Lambertini” [1905] by Alfredo Testoni) CAM Rodolfo Lombardi ED Renato Scandalo MUS Carlo Rustichelli CAST Gino Cervi, Nadia Gray, Arnoldo Foà, Carlo Romano, Sergio Tofano, Virna Lisi (Maria di Roccasibalda), Paolo Carlini, Tino Buazzelli, Ignazio Balsamo, Agnese Dubbini, Loris Gizzi

IL VETTURALE DEL MONCENISIO, a.k.a. THE COURIER OF MONCENISIO (1954) DIR Guido Brignone PROD Alberto Manca, Georges Combret SCR Guido Brignone, Liana Ferri, Ivo Perilli (novel “Jean le Coucher” [1852] by Jean Bouchardy) CAM Romolo Garroni ED Jolanda Benvenuti MUS Carlo Innocenzi CAST Roldano Lupi, Elisa Cegani, Virna Lisi (Jeanne Thibaud), Arnoldo Foà, Rosario Borelli, Eugenio Maggi, Georges Bréhart

ADDIO, NAPOLI!, a.k.a. GOODBYE NAPLES (1955) DIR Roberto Bianchi Montero PROD Antonio Ferrigno SCR Edoardo Anton, Mario Pellegrino, Ugo Guerra (story by Enzo Avitabile, Giuseppe Valentini) CAM Mario Nebiolo ED Mario Serandrei MUS Franco Langella CAST Tamara Lees, Andrea Checchi, Maria Grazia Francia, Giorgio De Lullo, Leopoldo Valentini, Charles Fawcett, Dante Maggio, Virna Lisi (Clara’s Friend [uncredited])

LUNA NOVA, a.k.a. NEW MOON (1955) DIR Luigi Capuano PROD Domenico Forges Davanzati SCR Luigi Capuano, Alfredo Giannetti, Vinicio Marinucci (story by Luigi Capuano) CAM Mario Albertelli ED Jolanda Benvenuti MUS Mario Nascimbene CAST Marc Lawrence, Barbara Shelley, Achille Togliani, Virna Lisi (Lucia), Eduardo Ciannelli, Beniamino Maggio, Turi Pandolfini, Leda Gloria

RIPUDIATA, a.k.a. DISOWNED (1955) DIR Giorgo Walter Chili SCR Giorgo Walter Chili, Federico Galli (story by Giorgo Walter Chili, Alfred Niblo) CAM Angelo Baistrocchi ED Rinaldo Montagnoni MUS Carlo Rustichelli CAST Hélène Remy, Alberto Farnese, Laura Nucci, John Douglas, Emma Baron, Memmo Carotenuto, Vittorio Duse, Loris Gizzi, Henri Vidon, Gianni Rizzo, Augusto Pennella, Virna Lisi

LO SCAPOLO, a.k.a. THE BACHELOR (1955) DIR Antonio Pietrangeli PROD Maurice Ergas SCR Antonio Pietrangeli, Ettore Scola, Sandro Continenza, Ruggero Maccari (story by Antonio Pietrangeli) CAM Gianni Di Venanzo ED Eraldo Da Roma MUS Angelo Frencesco Lavagnino CAST Alberto Sordi, Madeleine Fischer, Sandra Milo, Anna Maria Pancani, Nino Manfredi, María Asquerino, Fernando Fernán Gómez, Virna Lisi (extra [uncredited])

LA ROSSA (1955) DIR Luigi Capuano PROD Fortunato Misiano SCR Luigi Capuano, Mario Volpe (story by Luigi Cioffi) CAM Giuseppe La Torre ED Jolanda Benvenuti MUS Giuseppe Cioffi, Michele Cozzoli CAST Virna Lisi (Maria), Fulvia Franco, Franco Ricci, Aldo Bufi Landi, Dante Maggio, Giacomo Furia, Anna Arena, Natalie Cirino

LES HUSSARDS, a.k.a. CAVALRYMEN (1955) DIR Alex Joffé PROD Ignace Morgenstern SCR Jean Halain, Gabriel Arout (play “Les hussards” [1953] by Pierre-Aristride Bréal) CAM Jean Bourgoin ED Henri Rust MUS Georges Auric CAST Bernard Blier, Giovanni Ralli, Bourvil, Alberto Bonucci, Carlo Campanini, Giani Esposito, Virna Lisi (Elisa), Clelia Matania, Franco Pesce, Georges Wilson

LE DICIOTTENNI, a.k.a. EIGHTEEN YEAR OLDS (1955) DIR Mario Mattoli PROD Carlo Ponti, Dino De Laurentiis SCR Mario Mattoli, Ennio De Concini, Carlo Musso, Aldo De Benedetti CAM Marco Scarpelli ED Roberto Cinquini MUS Armando Trovajoli CAST Marisa Allasio, Virna Lisi (Maria Rovani), Anthony Steffen, Luisella Boni, Adriana Benetti, Helene Partello, Helene Fiona, Marina Pedoia, Angela Doni

VENDICATA! (1956) DIR Giuseppe Vari PROD Edoardo Brescia SCR Aldo Crudo CAM Sergio Pesce MUS Carlo Innocenzi CAST Milli Vitale, Alberto Farnese, Jula De Palma, Gino Buzzanca, Teddy Reno, Gino Latilla, Francesco Cavicchi, Beniamino Maggio, Carla Calò, Giulio Donnini, Virna Lisi, Erminio Spalla

LA DONNA DEL GIORNO, a.k.a. THE DOLL THAT TOOK THE TOWN (1957) DIR Francesco Maselli PROD Lorenzo Pegoraro SCR Franco Bemporad, Bianca Della Nogara Feltrinelli, Francesco Maselli, Ageo Savioli, Cesare Zavattini (story by Franco Bemporad) CAM Armando Nannuzzi ED Mario Serandrei MUS Mario Zafred CAST Virna Lisi (Liliana Attenni), Antonio Cifariello, Haya Harareet, Elisa Cegani, Vittorio Sanipoli, Serge Regianni, Franco Fabrizi, Marcello Giorda, Mario Carotenuto

IL CONTE DI MATERA (1958) DIR Luigi Capuano PROD Fortunato Misiano SCR Vincenzo Talarico (story by Raffaele Dettole) CAM Augusto Tiezzi ED Jolanda Benvenuti MUS Michele Cozzoli CAST Virna Lisi (Greta Tramontana di Casamaiora), Otello Toso, Paul Muller, Giacomo Rossi Stuart, Wandisa Guida, Aldo Bufi Landi, Nietta Zocchi, Armando Migliari, Erminio Spalla, Pietro De Vico, Elena Sedlak, Renato Chiantoni

TOTÒ, PEPPINO E LE FANATICHE, a.k.a. TOTO, PEPPINO AND THE FANTASTICS (1958) DIR Mario Mattoli PROD Renato Libassi, Isidoro Broggi SCR Furio Scarpelli, Steno, Agenore Incricci, Ruggero Maccari (story Furio Scarpelli, Agenore Incricci, Ruggero Maccari) CAM Anchise Brizzi ED Gisa Radicchi Levi MUS Michele Cozzoli CAST Totò, Peppino De Filippo, Johnny Dorelli, Alessandra Panaro, Mario Riva, Renato Carasone, Virna Lisi (Ragazza), Aroldo Tieri, Diana Dei

VITE PERDUTE, a.k.a. LOST SOULS (1959) DIR Adelchi Bianchi, Roberto Mauri PROD Federico Teti SCR Adelchi Bianchi, Gianni Putticini, Vittoriano Petrilli (story by Roberto Mauri) CAM Aldo Tonti ED Leo Catozzo MUS Bruno Canfora, Roberto Nicolosi CAST Virna Lisi (Anna), Jacques Sernas, Sandra Milo, Gabriele Tinti, John Kitzmiller, Annie Alberti, Marco Guglielmi, Roberto Mauri, Arturo Dominici

IL PADRONE DELLE FERRIERE (1959) DIR Anton Giulio Majano PROD Leo Cevenini, Vittorio Martino SCR Anton Giulio Majano (novel ‘Le Maître de forges” [1882] by Georges Ohnet) CAM Mario Montuori ED Nino Baragli MUS Angelo Francesco Lavagnino CAST Antonio Vilar, Virna Lisi (Claire de Beaulieu), Wandisa Guida, Dario Michaelis, Evi Mantagliati, Mario Girotti, Cathia Caro, Susanna Campos, Ivo Garrani, Warner Bentivegna, Terence Hill

IL MONDO DEI MIRACOLI, a.k.a. WORLD OF MIRACLES (1959) DIR Luigi Capuano PROD Fortunato Misiano SCR (story by Oscar Andriani) CAM Augusto Tiezzi ED Jolanda Benvenuti MUS Michele Cozzoli CAST Vittorio De Sica, Virna Lisi (Laura Damiani), Jacques Sernas, Marisa Merlini, Aldo Silvani, Elli Parvo, Kerima, Yvonne Sanson, Amedeo Nazzari, Andrea Checchi

CATERINA SFORZA, LA LEONESSA DI ROMAGNA (1959) DIR – SCR Giorgio Walter Chili CAM Angelo Baistrocchi ED Ettore Salvi MUS Carlo Rusticchelli CAST Virna Lisi (Caterina Sforza), Carlo Giuffrè, Sergio Fantoni, Pierre Cressoy, Rik Battaglia, Alberto Farnese, Cesare Fantoni, Cesare Donnini, Roy Ciccolini, Erno Crisa, Laura Nucci

UN MILITARE E MEZZO (1960) DIR Steno PROD Silvio Clementelli SCR Steno, Mario Amendola, Aldo Fabrizi, Vittorio Metz, Ruggero Maccari, Roberto Gianviti CAM Tino Santoni ED Mario Derandrei MUS Armando Trovajoli CAST Aldo Fabrizi, Renato Rascel, Virna Lisi (Anita Rossi), Robert Alda, Mario Girotti [Terence Hill], Vicky Ludovisi, Ruggero Macchi, Audrey McDonald

SUA ECCELLENZA SI FERMÒ A MANGIARE, a.k.a. HIS EXCELLENCY STAYED TO DINNER (1961) DIR Mario Mattoli PROD Isidoro Broggi, Renato Libassi SCR Roberto Gianviti, Vittorio Metz CAM Alvaro Mancori ED Gisa Radicchi Levi MUS Gianni Ferrio CAST Ugo Tognazzi, Virna Lisi (Silvia), Totò, Lauretta Masiero, Lia Zoppelli, Francesco Mulè, Vittorio Cognia, Pietro De Vico, Mario Stiletti, Nando Bruno

5 MARINES PER 100 RAGAZZE (1961) DIR Mario Mattoli PROD Antonio Colantuoni SCR Franco Castellano, Giuseppe Moccia (story by Franco Castellano, Giuseppe Moccia) CAM Riccardo Pallottini ED Roberto Cinquini MUS Gianni Ferrio CAST Virna Lisi (Grazia), Mario Carotenuto, Hélène Chanel, Little Tony, Vicky Lodivici, Vittorio Congia, Daniela Calvino, Paul Wynter, Raffaella Carrà, Sergio Raimondi

ROMOLO E REMO, a.k.a. DUEL OF THE TITANS (1961) DIR Sergio Corbucci PROD Alessandro Jacovoni, Tonino Cervi SCR Sergio Corbucci, Sergio Leone, Ennio De Concini, Luciano Martino, Duccio Tessari, Franco Rossetti (story by Sergio Corbucci, Luciano Martino) CAM Enzo Barboni ED Gabriele Varriale MUS Piero Piccioni CAST Steve Reeves, Gordon Scott, Virna Lisi (Julia), Franco Volpi, Laura Solari, Piero Lulli, José Greci, Gianni Musy, Jacques Sernas

EVA (1962) DIR Joseph Losey PROD Robert Hakim, Raymond Hakim SCR (novel “Eve” [1945] by James Hadley Chase; adaptation by Hugo Butler, Evan Jones) CAM Gianni Di Venanzo ED Franca Silvi, Reginald Beck MUS Michel Legrand CAST Jeanne Moreau, Stanley Baker, Virna Lisi (Francesca Ferrara), Giorgi Albertazzi, James Villiers, Riccardo Garrone, Lisa Gastoni, Checco Rissone, Enzo Fiermonte, Nona Medici, Roberto Paoletti, Vittorio De Sica, Joseph Losey

IL GIORNO PIÙ CORTO, a.k.a. THE SHORTEST DAY (1963) DIR Sergio Corbucci PROD Goffredo Lombardo SCR (dialogue by Bruno Corbucci, Sandro Continenza, Giorgio Arlorio, Giovanni Grimaldi; story by Sandro Continza) CAM Enzo Barboni ED Ruggero Mastroianni MUS Piero Piccioni CAST Ciccio Ingrassia, Franco Franchi, Gino Cervi, Totò, Annie Girardot, Ugo Tognazzi, Eduardo De Filippo, Peppino De Filippo, Aldo Fabrizi, Gabriele Ferzetti, Philippe Leroy, Romolo Valli, Anouk Aimée, Sylva Koscina, Virna Lisi (Naja), Jean-Paul Belmondo, Stewart Granger, Terence Hill, Walter Pidgeon, Gordon Scott, Jacques Sernas

LES BONNES CAUSES, a.k.a. DON’T TEMPT THE DEVIL (1963) DIR Christian-Jacque PROD Georges Cheyko SCR Christian-Jacque, Paul Andréota (novel “Les Bonnes Causes” [1960] by Jean Laborde) CAM Armand Thirard ED Jacques Desagneaux MUS Georges Garvarentz CAST Bourvil, Marina Vlady, Virna Lisi (Gina Bianchi), Pierre Brasseur, Umberto Orsini, Mony Dalmès, Jacques Monod, Jacques Mauclair, Jean-Loup Philippe

LA TULIPE NOIRE, a.k.a. THE BLACK TULIP (1964) DIR Christian-Jacque PROD Georges Cheyko SCR Christian-Jacque, Paul Andréota, Henri Jeanson (novel “La Tulipe Noire” [1850] by Alexandre Dumas) CAM Henri Decaë ED Jacques Desagneaux MUS Gérard Calvi CAST Alain Delon, Virna Lisi (Caroline ‘Caro’ Plantin), Dawn Adams, Akim Tamiroff, Adolfo Marsillach, Jorge Rigaud, Laura Valenzuela, Robert Manuel, Francis Blanche

CAPLON PREND DES RISQUES, a.k.a. COPLAN TAKES RISKS (1964) DIR Maurice Labro PROD François Chavane SCR Jean Marsan, Jean-Louis Roncoroni (novel “Étau sans pitié” [1956] by Paul Kenny) CAM Pierre Petit ED Germaine Artus MUS Georges Van Parys CAST Dominique Paturel, Virna Lisi (Ingrid Carlsen), Jacques Balutin, Roger Dutoit, Jacques Monod, André Valmy, Yves Arcanel

LE BAMBOLE, a.k.a. THE DOLLS and THE DOLL THAT TOOK THE TOWN and FOUR KINDS OF LOVE (1965) DIR Mauro Bolognini, Luigi Comencini, Dino Rosi [segment LA TELEFONATA], Franco Rossi PROD Gianni Hecht Lucari SCR Rodolfo Senego (also story, segment LA TELEFONATA] CAM Ennio Guarnieri [segment LA TELEFONATA] ED Roberto Cinquini [segment LA TELEFONATA] MUS Armando Trovajoli CAST [segment LA TELEFONATA] Nino Manfredi, Virna Lisi (Luisa), Alicia Brandet

HOW TO MURDER YOUR WIFE (1965) DIR Richard Quine PROD – SCR George Axelrod CAM Harry Stradling Sr. ED David Wages MUS Neal Hefti CAST Jack Lemmon, Virna Lisi (Mrs. Ford), Terry-Thomas, Eddie Mayehoff, Claire Trevor, Sidney Blackmer, Max Showalter, Jack Albertson, Mary Wickes, Barry Kelley

CASANOVA ’70 (1965) DIR Mario Monicelli PROD Carlo Ponti SCR Agenore Incrocci [Age], Furio Scarpelli [Scarpelli], Mario Monicelli, Suso Cecchi D’Amico, Tonino Guerra, Giorgio Salvioni (story by Agenore Incrocci [Age], Furio Scarpelli [Scarpelli], Mario Monicelli, Suso Cecchi D’Amico, Tonino Guerra, Giorgio Salvioni) CAM Aldo Tinto ED Adriana Novelli MUS Armando Trovajoli CAST Marcello Mastroianni, Virna Lisi (Gigliola), Marisa Mell, Enrico Maria Salerno, Liana Orfei, Guido Alberti, Michèle Mercier, Moira Orfei, Jolanda Modio, Margaret Lee, Marco Ferreri, Bernard Blier

LA DONNA DEL LAGO, a.k.a. THE POSSESSED (1965) DIR Luigi Bazzoni, Franco Rossellini PROD Manolo Bolognini SCR Luigi Bazzoni, Franco Rossellini, Giulio Questi (novel “La donna del lago” [1962] by Giovanni Comisso) CAM Leonida Barboni ED Nino Baragli MUS Renzo Rossellini CAST Peter Bladwin, Salvo Randone, Valentina Cortese, Pia Lindström, Philippe Leroy, Virna Lisi (Tilde)

UNA VERGINE PER IL PRINCIPE, a.k.a. A MAIDEN FOR A PRINCE (1965) DIR Pasquale Festa Campanile PROD Mario Cecchi Gori, Claude Ganz SCR Pasquale Festa Campanile (also story) CAM Roberto Gerardi ED Otello Colangeli, Ruggero Mastroianni MUS Luis bacalov CAST Vitorio Gassman, Virna Lisi (Giulia), Philippe Leroy, Vittorio Caprioli, Anna Maria Guarnieri, Maria Grazia Buccella, Tino Buazelli, Paola Borboni, Giusi Raspani Dandolo

OGGI, DOMANI, DOPODOMANI, a.k.a. KISS THE OTHER SHEIK (1965) DIR Eduardo De Filippo [segment L’ORA DI PUNTA], Marco Ferreri, Luciano Salce PROD Carlo Ponti SCR Eduardo De Filippo, Isabella Quarantotti ([segment L’ORA DI PUNTA]; based on the play “Pericolosamente”) CAM Mario Montouri [segment L’ORA DI PUNTA] ED Adriana Novelli [segment L’ORA DI PUNTA] MUS Nino Rota [segment L’ORA DI PUNTA] CAST [segment L’ORA DI PUNTA] Virna Lisi (Dorotea), Luciano Salce

MADE IN ITALY (1965) DIR Nanni Loy PROD Gianni Hecht Lucari SCR Nanni Loy, Ettore Scola, Ruggero Maccari (story by Nanni Loy, Ettore Scola, Ruggero Maccari) CAM Ennio Guarnieri ED Ruggero Mastroianni MUS Carlo Rustichelli CAST [segment 3 LA DONNA, EPISODE 1] Virna Lisi (Virginia), Giulio Bosetti

SIGNORE & SIGNORI, a.k.a. THE BIRDS, THE BEES AND THE ITALIANS (1966) DIR Pietro Germi PROD Pietro Germi, Robert Haggiag SCR Pietro Germi, Agenore Incrocci [Age], Furio Scarpelli [Scarpelli], Luciano Vincenzoni (story by Pietro Germi, Luciano Vincenzoni) CAM Aiace Parolin ED Sergio Montanari MUS Carlo Rustichelli CAST Virna Lisi (Milena Zulian), Gastone Moschin, Olga Villi, Alberto Lionello, Beba Loncar, Franco Fabrizi, Nora Ricci, Gigi Ballista, Gia Sandri, Quinto Parmeggiani, Moira Orfei

ASSAULT ON A QUEEN (1966) DIR Jack Donohue PROD William Goetz SCR Rod Serling (novel “Assault On a Queen” [1959] by Jack Finney) CAM William H. Daniels ED Archie Marshek MUS Duke Ellington CAST Frank Sinatra, Virna Lisi (Rosa Lucchesi), Richard Conte, Errol John, Alf Kjellin, Tony Franciosa, Murray Matheson, Reginald Denny, John Warburton, Lester Matthews, Val Avery

NOT WITH MY WIFE, YOU DON’T! (1966) DIR – PROD Norman Panama PROD SCR Norman Panama, Larry Gelbart, Peter Barnes (story by Norman Panama, Melvin Frank) CAM Charles Lang ED Aaron Stell MUS Johnny Williams CAST Tony Curtis, Virna Lisi (Julietta Parodi/Julie Ferris), George C. Scott, Carroll O’Connor, Richard Eastham, Eddie Ryder, George Tyne, Ann Doran

LA VINGT-CINQUIÈME HEURE, a.k.a. THE 25TH HOUR (1967) DIR Henri Verneuil PROD Carlo Ponti SCR Henri Verneuil, François Boyer, Wolf Mankowitz (novel “The 25th Hour” [1949] by C. Virgil Gheorghiu) CAM Andréas Winding ED Françoise Bonnot MUS Georges Delerue CAST Anthony Quinn, Virna Lisi (Suzanna Moritz), Grégoire Aslan, Michael Redgrave, Marcel Dalio, Jan Werich, Marius Goring, Alexander Knox, Serge Reggiani

LA RAGAZZA E IL GENERALE, a.k.a. THE GIRL AND THE GENERAL (1967) DIR Pasquale Festa Campanile PROD Carlo Ponti SCR Pasquale Festa Campanile, Luigi Malerba (story by Pasquale Festa Campanile, Massimo Franciosa) CAM Ennio Guarnieri ED Jolanda Benvenuti MUS Ennio Morricone CAST Rod Steiger, Virna Lisi (Ada), Umberto Orsini, Tony Gaggia, Marco Mariani, Jacques Herlin

LE DOLCI SIGNORE, a.k.a. ANYONE CAN PLAY (1967) DIR Luigi Zampa PROD Gianni Hecht Lucari SCR Ettore Scola, Stefano Strucchi, Ruggero Maccari CAM Ennio Guarnieri ED Nino Baragli MUS Armando Trovajoli CAST Ursula Andress, Virna Lisi (Luisa), Claudine Auger, Marisa Bell, Brett Halsey, Lando Buzzanca, Jean-Pierre Cassel, Vittorio Caprioli, Frank Wolff

ARABELLA (1967) DIR Mauro Bolognini PROD Maleno Malenotti SCR Giorgio Arlorio, Adriano Baracco, Brunello Rondi CAM Ennio Guarnieri ED Eraldo Da Roma MUS Ennio Morricone CAST Virna Lisi (Arabella), James Fox, Margaret Rutherford, Terry-Thomas, Paola Borboni, Giancarlo Giannini, Antonio Casagrande, Milena Vukotic, Esmeralda Ruspoli

TENDERLY, a.k.a. THE GIRL WHO COULDN’T SAY NO (1968) DIR Franco Brusati PROD Luciano Perugia SCR Franco Brusati, Ennio De Concini CAM Ennio Guarnieri ED Franco Arcalli MUS Riz Ortolani CAST Virna Lisi (Yolanda), George Segal, Lila Kedrova, Paola Pitagora, Akim Tamiroff, Luciano Mondolfo, Mario Brega, Vera Nandi, Riccardo Billi

MEGLIO VEDOVA, a.k.a. BETTER A WIDOW (1968) DIR Duccio Tessari PROD Turi Vasile SCR Duccio Tessari, Ennio De Concini, Adriana Baracco, Tudor Gates, Brian Gates (story by Ennio De Concini) CAM Ennio Guarnieri ED Maria Morra, Romano Trina MUS Carlo Rustichelli CAST Virna Lisi (Rosa Minniti), Peter McEnery, Gabriele Ferzetti, Jean Servais, Agnes Spaak, Nino Terzo, Carla Calò, Lando Buzzanca

THE SECRET OF SANTA VITTORIA (1969) DIR – PROD Stanley Kramer SCR William Rose, Ben Maddow (novel “The Secret of Santa Vittoria” [1966] by Robert Crichton) CAM Giuseppe Rotunno ED Earle Herdan, William A. Lyon MUS Ernest Gold CAST Anthony Quinn, Anna Magnani, Virna Lisi (Caterina), Hardy Kruger, Sergio Franchi, Renato Rascel, Giancarlo Giannini, Patrizia Valturri, Eduardo Ciannelli, Valentina Cortese

L’ARBRE DE NOËL, a.k.a. THE CHRISTMAS TREE (1969) DIR Terence Young PROD Robert Dorfmann SCR Terence Young (novel “L’Arbre de Noël” [1967] by Michel Bataille) CAM Henri Alekam ED Monique Bonnot, Johnny Dwyre MUS Georges Auric CAST William Holden, Virna Lisi (Catherine Graziani), Bourvil, Brook Fuller, Madeleine Damien, Mario Feliciani, Friedrich von Ledebur, Georges Douking, Michel Thomass, Maria Schneider

IF IT’S TUESDAY, THIS MUST BE BELGIUM (1969) DIR Mel Stuart PROD Stan Margulies SCR David Shaw (also story) CAM Vilis Lapenieks ED David Saxon MUS Walter Scharf CAST Ian McShane, Suzanne Pleshette, Vittorio De Sica, Murray Hamilton, Sandy Baron, Mario Carotenuto, Paul Esser, Pamela Britton, Norman Fell, Donovan, Catherine Spaak, Mildred Natwick, Senta Berger, Joan Collins, Robert Vaughn, John Cassavetes, Ben Gazzara, Patricia Routledge, Anita Ekberg, Elsa Martinelli, Virna Lisi (John’s Cousin in Rome)

LE TEMPS DES LOUPS, a.k.a. THE HEIST and CARBON COPY (1970) DIR Sergio Gobbi PROD Sergio Gobbi, Raymond Danon, Ralph Baum SCR Sergio Gobbi (adaptation by Sergio Gobbi, André Tabet, Georges Tabet) CAM Daniel Diot ED Gabriel Rongier MUS Georges Garvarentz CAST Robert Hossein, Charles Aznavour, Virna Lisi (Stella Menzoni), Albert Minski, Genevière Thénier, Monique Morisi, Henri Crémieux, Roger Coggio, Marcel Bozuffi

GIUOCHI PAARTICOLARI, a.k.a. THE VOYEUR (1970) DIR Franco Indovina PROD Franco Indovina, Turi Vasile SCR Franco Indovina, Tonino Guerra (story by Franco Indovina) CAM Arturo Zavattini ED Roberto Perpignani MUS Ennio Morricone CAST Marcello Mastroianni, Virna Lisi (Claude), Timothy Dalton, John Serret, Aram Stephan

THE STATUE (1971) DIR Rod Amateau PROD Anis Nohra SCR Alec Coppel, Denis Norden (play “Chip Chip Chip” [1966] by Alec Coppel) CAM Piero Portalupi ED Ernest Hosler MUS Riz Ortolani CAST David Niven, Virna Lisi (Rhonda Bolt), Robert Vaughn, Ann Bell, John Cleese, Tim Brooke-Taylor, Hugh Burden, Erik Chitty, Derek Francis, Graham Chapman

UN BEAU MONSTRE, a.k.a. LOVE ME STRANGELY (1971) DIR Sergio Gobbi PROD Sergio Gobbi, Ugo Santalucia SCR Sergio Gobbi (novel “Un beau monstre” [1968] by Dominique Fabre; adaptation by Sergio Gobbi) CAM Danet Diot ED Gabriel Rongier MUS Georges Garvarentz CAST Virna Lisi (Nathalie Revent), Helmut Berger, Charles Aznavour, Alain Noury, Marc Cassot, Françoise Brion, Edith Scob, Yves Brainville, Henri Crémieux, Robert Le Béal, Howard Vernon, Nicole Gobbi, Patrizia Aznavour

ROMA BENE, a.k.a. LOVE AND SEX IN ROME (1975) DIR Carlo Lizzani PROD Nino Crisman SCR Carlo Lizzani, Nicola Badalucco, Edith Bieber, Luciano Vincenzoni (story by Carlo Lizzani, Nicola Badalucco, Edith Bieber, Luciano Vincenzoni) CAM Giuseppe Ruzzolini ED Franco Fraticelli MUS Luis Bacalov CAST Virna Lisi (Silvia Santi), Nino Manfredi, Senta Berger, Irene Papas, Michèle Mercier, Umberto Orsini, Philippe Leroy, Gigi Ballista

LES GALETS D’ÉTRETAT, a.k.a. THE PEBBLES OF ÉTRETAT AND COBBLESTONES (1972) DIR Sergio Gobbi SCR Vahé Katcha (adaptation by Sergio Gobbi, Vahé Katcha) CAM Daniel Diot ED Gabriel Rongier MUS Georges Garvarentz CAST Virna Lisi (Alny), Maurice Ronet, Annie Corby, Juliette Mills, Christian Barbier, Amarande, Grégoire Aslan, Nicole Gobbi, Dominique Zardi

BLUEBEARD (1972) DIR Edward Dmytryk PROD Alexander Salkind SCR Edward Dmytryk, Maria Pia Fusco, Ennio De Concini (story by Edward Dmytryk, Maria Pia Fusco, Ennio De Concini) CAM Gábor Pogàny ED Jean Ravel MUS Ennio Morricone CAST Richard Burton, Raquel Welch, Virna Lisi (The Singer), Nathalie Delon, Marilù Tolo, Karin Schubert, Agostina Belli, Sybil Danning, Edward Meeks, Doka Bukova, Jean Lefebvre, Matthieu Carrière

LE SERPENT, a.k.a. NIGHT FLIGHT FROM MOSCOW (1972) DIR – PROD Henri Verneuil SCR Henri Verneuil, Gilles Perrault (novel “Le treizième suicidé” [1970] by Pierre Nord) CAM Claude Renoir ED Pierre Gillette MUS Ennio Morricone CAST Yul Brynner, Henry Fonda, Dirk Bogarde, Virna Lisi (Annabel Lee), Philippe Noiret, Michel Bouquet, Guy Tréjan, Elga Anderson, Farley Granger, Marie Dubois, Robert Alda

ZANNA BIANCA, a.k.a. WHITE FANG (1973) DIR Lucio Fulci SCR Roberto Gianviti, Guillaume Roux, Piero Regnoli, Thom Keyes, Guy Elmes, Harry Alan Towers [Peter Welbeck] (novel “White Fang” [1906] by Jack London; adaptation by Harry Alan Towers [Peter Welbeck]) CAM Erico Menczer ED Ornella Micheli MUS Carlo Rustichelli CAST Franco Nero, Virna Lisi (Sister Evangelina), Fernando Rey, John Steiner, Raimund Harmstorf, Rick Battaglia, Daniel Martin, Daniele Dublino, Maurice Poli

IL RITORNO DI ZANNA BIANCA, a.k.a. CHALLENGE TO WHITE FANG (1974) DIR Lucio Fulci SCR Lucio Fulci, Roberto Gianviti, Alberto Gianviti (story by Roberto Gianviti, Alberto Gianviti; characters created by Jack London) CAM Silvano Ippoliti ED Ornella Micheli MUS Carlo Rustichelli CAST Franco Nero, Virna Lisi (Sister Evangelina), John Steiner, Raimund Harmstorf, Yanti Somer, Werner Pochath, Hannelore Elsner, Renato De Carmine, Harry Carey Jr., Renato Cestiè

AL DI LÀ DEL BENE E DEL MALE, a.k.a. BEYOND GOOD AND EVIL (1977) DIR Liliana Cavani PROD Robert Gordon Edwards SCR Liliana Cavani, Italo Moscati, Franco Arcalli (story by Liliana Cavani) CAM Armando Nannuzzi ED Franco Arcalli MUS Daniele Paris CAST Dominque Sanda, Erland Josephson, Robert Powell, Virna Lisi (Elisabeth), Philippe Leroy, Carmen Scarpitta, Amedeo Amodio, Michael Degen, Nicoletta Machiavelli, Elisa Cegani

ERNESTO (1979) DIR Salvatore Samperi SCR Salvatore Samperi, Amedeo Pagani, Barbara Alberti (novel “Ernesto” [1975] by Umberto Saba) CAM Camillo Bazzoni ED Sergio Montanari MUS Carmelo A. Bernaola CAST Martin Halm, Michele Placido, Virna Lisi (Ernesto’s Mother), Turo Ferri, Lara Wendel, Conchita Velasco, Renato Salvatori, Gisela Hahn, Stefano Madia

BUGIE BIANCHE, a.k.a. VENETIAN LIES (1979) DIR Setfano Rolla PROD Asao Kumada SCR Stefano Rolla, Silvia Napolitano, Leros Pittoni CAM Mario Vulpiani ED Franco Fraticelli MUS Ennio Morricone CAST Max von Sydow, Virna Lisi (Luisa Herrighe), Ronnie Valente, Monica Paglicci, Annamaria Bramante, Carlo Russo, Bruno Miani, Roberto Milani

LA CICALA, a.k.a. THE CRICKET (1980) DIR Alberto Lattuada PROD Ibrahim Moussa SCR Alberto Lattuada, Franco Ferreri, Ashik Elahi (story by Natalie Prinetto, Marina Di Leo) CAM Danilo Desideri ED Sergio Montanari MUS Fred Bongusto CAST Anthony Franciosa, Virna Lisi (Wilma), Renato Salvatori, Clio Goldsmith, Barbara De Rossi, Michael Coby, Mario Maranzana, Riccardo Garrone, Imelde Marani

MISS RIGHT (1982) DIR Paul Williams PROD Ibrahim Moussa SCR William Tepper (story by William Tepper, Paul Williams) CAM Franco Di Giacomo ED Alessandro Lucidi MUS Michael Small CAST Karen Black, Margot Kidder, Virna Lisi (Anna), Marie-France Pisier, William Tepper, Clio Goldsmith, Dalila Di Lazzaro, Leo Gullotta, Michael Davis, Jeff Blynn, George Gennissia, Paul Williams, Jenny Agutter

SAPORE DI MARE, a.k.a. TIME FOR LOVING (1983) DIR Carlo Vanzina PROD Pio Angeletti, Adriano De Micheli SCR Carlo Vanzina, Enrico Vanzina CAM Giuseppe Maccari ED Raimondo Crociani MUS Mariano Perrella, Edoardo Vianello CAST Jerry Calà, Marina Suma, Christian De Sica, Angelo Cannavaccioli, Karina Huff, Isabella Ferrari, Gianni Ansaldi, Giorgio Fioro, Virna Lisi (Adriana Balestra), Ugo Bologna

AMARSI UN PO’…, a.k.a. TO LOVE A LITTLE (1984) DIR Carlo Vanzina PROD Mario Cecchi Gori, Vittorio Cecchi Gori SCR Carlo Vanzina, Enrico Vanzina CAM Claudio Cirillo ED Raimondo Crociani MUS Mario Lavezzi CAST Claudio Amendola, Tahnee Welch, Virna Lisi (Princess Maria Cellini), Mario Brega, Riccardo Garrone, Rossana Di Lorenzo, Paolo Baroni, Fabrizio Bracconeri, Nicoletta Elmi, Marco Urbinati

I LOVE N.Y. (1987) DIR – PROD – SCR Gianni Bozzacchi [Alan Smithee] CAM Danielle Nannuzzi ED Roberto Silvi MUS Bill Conti CAST Scott Baio, Kelly Van der Velden, Christopher Plummer, Jennifer O’Neill, Jerry Orbach, Virna Lisi (Anna Cotone), John Armstead, Lisanne Falk, Jusak Bernhard, Patti Kelly Beyer, Morgan Most

I RAGAZZI DI VIA PANISPERNA (1988) DIR Gianni Amelio SCR Gianni Amelio, Alessandro Sermoneta (story by Gianni Amelio, Vincenzo Cerami) CAM Tonino Nardi ED Roberto Perpignani MUS Riz Ortolani CAST Andrea Prodan, Ennio Fantastichini, Michele Melega, Alberto Gimignani, Giovanni Romani, Giorgio Dal Piaz, Laura Morante, Mario Adorf, Virna Lisi (Signora Majorana)

BUON NATALE… BUON ANNO, a.k.a. MERRY CHRISTMAS… HAPPY NEW YEAR (1989) DIR Luigi Comencini PROD Fabrio Cricuolo, Luigi Patrizi, Jacques Bar SCR Luigi Comencini, Christina Comencini, Raffaele Festa Campanile (novel “Buon Natale… Buon anno” [1986] by Raffaele Festa Campanile) CAM Armando Nannuzzi ED Sergio Buzi MUS Fiorenze Carpi CAST Virna Lisi (Elvira), Michel Serrault, Mattia Sbragia, Consuela Ferrara, Tiziani Pini, Nar Sene, Paolo Graziosi, Raffaele Di Mario

LA REINE MARGOT, a.k.a. QUEEN MARGOT (1994) DIR Patrice Chéreau PROD Claude Berri SCR Patrice Chéreau, Danièle Thompson (novel “La Reine Margot” [1845] by Alexandre Dumas) CAM Philippe Rousselot ED Hélène Viard, François Gédigier MUS Goran Bregovic CAST Isabelle Adjani, Daniel Auteuil, Jean-Hughes Anglade, Vincent Perez, Virna Lisi (Catherine de’ Medici), Dominique Blanc, Pascal Greggory, Claudio Amendola, Miguel Bose, Asia Argento, Julien Bassam, Thomas Kretschmann, Jean-Claude Brialy, Johan Leysen, Barbet Schroeder

VA’ DOVE TI PORTA IL CUORE, a.k.a. FOLLOW YOUR HEART (1996) DIR Cristina Comencini PROD Alessandro Parenzo SCR Cristina Comencini, Roberta Mazzoni (novel “Va’ dove ti porta il cuore” [1994] by Susanna Tamaro) CAM Roberto Forza ED Nino Baragli MUS Claudio Capponi, Alessio Vlad CAST Virna Lisi (Elderly Olga), Margherita Buy, Galatea Ranzi, Valentina Chico, Massimo Ghini, Tchéky Karyo, Francesca Bertolotti, Maria Grazia Bon, Luigi Diberti

IL PIÙ BEL GIORNO DELLA MIA VITA, a.k.a. THE BEST DAY OF MY LIFE (2002) DIR Cristina Comencini PROD Marco Chimenz, Giovanni Stabilini, Riccardo Tozzi SCR Cristina Comencini, Lucilla Schiaffino (story by Cristina Comencini) CAM Fabio Cianchetti ED Cecilia Zanuso MUS Franco Piersanti CAST Virna Lisi (Irene), Margherita Buy, Sandra Ceccarelli, Luigi Lo Cascio, Marco Baliani, Marco Quaglia, Jean-Hughes Anglade, Ricky Tognazzi

LATIN LOVER (2015) DIR Cristina Comencini PROD Lionello Cerri SCR Cristina Comencini, Giulia Calenda CAM Italo Petriccione ED Francesca Calvelli MUS Andrea Farri CAST Virna Lisi (Rita), Marisa Paredes, Angela Finoccchiaro, Valeria Bruni Tedeschi, Candela Peña, Pihla Viitala, Nadeah Miranda, Francesco Scianna, Neri Marcorè, Claudio Gioè, Lluís Homar

She was known for a persona that blended sleek European sophistication with a vulnerable and charming innocence, and a soft sensitivity. The Belgian-born Oscar winner at twenty-four later became a fashion and style icon—also an icon to beauty, elegance and dignity—and as a UNICEF Goodwill Ambassador in the 1980s and 1990s, she personally helped deliver aid to children in such disparate places as Ethiopia, Sudan, Guatemala, Venezuela, and Vietnam.

However, hundreds of millions of people all over the world know and adore her work, and remember her legendary performances in her iconic films. In William Wyler’s “Roman Holiday” (1953), she played a lonely young princess, and while trying to hide her true identity, she finds twenty-four hours of happiness in Rome with an American newspaperman, played by Gregory Peck. In another smash hit, “Sabrina” (1954), directed by Billy Wilder, she was a chauffeur’s daughter who, after recently returning from cooking school, attracts the attentions of the two heirs of the family fortune, played by Humphrey Bogart and William Holden. Later, Wilder made another sparkling romantic comedy with her, “Love in the Afternoon” (1957), co-starring Gary Cooper and Maurice Chevalier as her private-eye dad.

In Stanley Donen’s musical “Funny Face” (1957), she appeared opposite Fred Astaire, and played a bookstore clerk turned high-fashion model, and “My Fair Lady” (1964), directed by George Cukor, featured her as the Cockney flower girl Eliza Doolittle who becomes a sophisticate under the guidance of Professor Higgins, played by Rex Harrison. The film won eight Academy Awards.

But as an actress, her range was much wider, especially as he had outgrown her ingenue image and began playing more sophisticated and worldly characters, like Natasha in “War and Peace” (1956), directed by King Vidor—every established director wanted to work with her—co-starring Henry Fonda and her then-husband, Mel Ferrer, who also directed her opposite Anthony Perkins in “Green Mansions” (1959), set in South America. In Fred Zinnemann’s “The Nun’s Story” (1959), she played the title character; the film tells the true story of Marie Louise Habets (1905-1986), a Belgian nurse and former religious sister who renounces her vows while nursing in the Belgian Congo during World War II, and decides to return to Belgium to work for the Resistance. John Huston directed her in “The Unforgiven” (1960), a Western set in Texas in the 1850s about two families at odds with Indians over Ms. Hepburn’s character, whom the latter claim her as one of theirs.

“The Nun’s Story” (1959, trailer)

Ms. Hepburn’s most popular and acclaimed screen role was probably Holly Golightly, the Manhattan kooky female gigolo in Blake Edwards’ quirky “Breakfast at Tiffany’s” (1961), based on Truman Capote’s 1958 novella. Several other actresses had been considered for the role of Holly Golightly, including Marilyn Monroe, Kim Novak, and Shirley MacLaine—the latter made William Wyler’s drama “The Children’s Hour” (1961) with Ms. Hepburn, where they play two teachers of a boarding school for girls whose lives are ruined because of a lie. William Wyler also made “How to Steal a Million” (1966) about a million-dollar theft in a Paris art museum, with Ms. Hepburn and Peter O’Toole being a delightful match in this sophisticated heist comedy.

“Breakfast at Tiffany’s” received critical acclaim for Ms. Hepburn’s stylish performance—as she always did—and for Henry Mancini’s musical score and song “Moon River,” sung by Ms. Hepburn. After playing a blind woman terrorized by criminals in Terence Young’s nailbiter “Wait Until Dark” (1967), she retired from the screen, and lived in Switzerland to raise her family. Her eldest son, Sean Hepburn Ferrer, was only a few months old when she made “Breakfast at Tiffany’s.” In 1970, her second child, Luca Dotti, was born when she was married to Italian psychiatrist Andrea Dotti.

Later, she made four more films, including “Robin and Marian” (1976), playing a middle-aged Maid Marian to Sean Connery’s Robin Hood, and “They All Laughed” (1981), directed by Peter Bogdanovich—with Sean Hepburn Ferrer in a small part. It was a delightful romantic comedy that tells the story of three private detectives investigating two beautiful women for infidelity. Steven Spielberg’s “Always” (1989), a remake of “A Guy Named Joe” (1943), starred Richard Dreyfuss and Holly Hunter; Ms. Hepburn, in her final appearance, played an angel.

After her premature death at 62, Mr. Ferrer became the principal guardian of Audrey Hepburn’s legacy; he devotes most of his time and energy to her body of work, and honors her humanitarian work with various non-profit organizations that bear her name.

This incomplete overview emphasizes only her work as an actress, but her outstanding body of work that basically covers a little more than a decade is so compelling that the members of the American Film Institute rightfully ranked her as the third greatest female screen legend from the Classic Hollywood Cinema (behind Katharine Hepburn and Bette Davis). Ms. Hepburn also belongs to the small group of EGOT winners—EGOT being an acronym for the Emmy, Grammy, Oscar, and Tony Awards, and refers to people who have won all four of the major performing art awards in the United States.

She also won three BAFTA Awards for Best British Actress, two Golden Globes, the Cecil B. DeMille Award, and the 1993 Jean Hersholt Humanitarian Award. The latter was voted by the Academy of Motion Pictures, Arts and Sciences prior to her death, and was presented posthumously. Her son Sean accepted the award at the Oscar ceremony. In 1992, Ms. Hepburn received the U.S. Presidential Medal of Freedom.

But, next all those achievements, superlatives and kudos, who was Audrey Hepburn? What was she—one of the most photographed women in the world—really like? Who was she? We all know that she lived in Tolochenaz, a lakeside village about 10 miles from Lausanne, Switzerland, for many years, and that she gladly put her career on hold after “Wait Until Dark” to be with her family and be a full-time mom. ‘I suppose you could blame me for ending my mother’s career,’ Mr. Ferrer told me during our first interview, conducted in the Helvetia & Bristol Hotel in Florence, Italy, in November 2016.

Later we talked again when he launched the “Intimate Audrey” exhibition in Amsterdam in 2019; when he had written the children’s book “Little Audrey’s Daydream: The Life of Audrey Hepburn” (2020); and when he inaugurated The Audrey Hepburn Garden (2022) in Ixelles/Elsene, Belgium, close to her birth house at 48 Rue Keyenveld/Keienveldstraat, where she was born on May 4, 1929.

Fred Zinnemann (1907-1997), who directed her in “The Nun’s Story” (1959), wrote in his 1992 autobiography, ‘I have never seen anyone more disciplined, more gracious or more dedicated to her work than Audrey. There was no ego, no asking for extra favors; there was the greatest consideration for her co-workers.’ Film director Stanley Donen (1924-2019), who made three films with her— “Funny Face” (1957), “Charade” (1963), and “Two for the Road” (1967)—told me in a 1999 interview, ‘I certainly adored her: she was a fabulous and glorious actress. She was really unique. After she had passed away, Billy Wilder, who has always been one of my best friends, said, ‘What Audrey Hepburn had, you couldn’t teach, you couldn’t even learn it. God kissed her on the cheek, and there she was.’’

Several Audrey Hepburn biographies have been written since she passed away, and numerous articles on her have seen the light of day. In 2003, Sean Hepburn Ferrer published “Audrey Hepburn, An Elegant Spirit—A Son Remembers.” He wrote in detail about the tragedy of losing a beloved one at a young age. While working in Somalia for UNICEF in 1992, she became ill, and the stomach pain got so bad she could barely stand it. The verdict that followed was devastating. Cancer. Rushed to California, the doctors found the disease to be spreading through her abdomen, and they told him the cancer was inoperable. He went to her hospital room to tell her the bad news. She just looked out of the window and said, ‘How disappointing.’ They took her back home to Switzerland, where she died a few weeks later. Her death was mourned internationally.

Yours truly is more than happy to say that since April 7, “Intimate Audrey: An Authorized Biography,” written by Sean Hepburn Ferrer with Wendy Holden, is out. The book is a warm, personal, and often tender portrait of the actress, icon, and humanitarian, and Mr. Ferrer is an intimate witness whose voice shapes the narrative very accurately. The unpublished family photographs, and all those small gestures of hers give the reader a very good idea of who Ms. Hepburn really was beyond the red-carpet myth.

The first chapter begins in war-torn Somalia, about which she later said, ‘There was no place worse on Earth.’ Mr. Ferrer writes in his book, ‘The Academy Award-winning actress and virtuoso of make-believe could not fake her responses on this, her latest trip. To truly know Audrey Hepburn is to live that experience in what none of us realized were the waning days of her life. It is the key to unlocking her soul.’

And that’s exactly what “Intimate Audrey: An Authorized Biography” does. It then traces her childhood in the Netherlands, where she faced the physical and psychological toll of World War II; she and her family endured bombing raids and malnutrition due to food shortages. While only in her teens, she performed dance recitals to raise funds for those in hiding, and she carried messages for the Resistance. Mr. Ferrer foregrounds those starvation years and the wartime experience as the pivot of her life, and the motive for her humanitarian work.

The account of her rise to stardom—the ballet training, her stage work on Broadway, to rave reviews, with “Gigi” (1951-52) and “Ondine” (1954), and the Hollywood breakthrough with “Roman Holiday” (1953)—is affectionate and reads like a revelation, very fresh and absorbing. Maybe it’s because, for the first time, it’s not written by an outsider looking in. It reads as if she wrote it herself, although she used to tell him, ‘My life has been terribly boring,’ and she consequently refused to write her own memoir.

Where “Intimate Audrey” truly excels is in domestic portraiture, with her devotion to charitable purpose that exacted personal cost, and how she combined her career with motherhood before she retired from acting. Anecdotes—not only film-related, but also the bedside conversations with her son, or the quiet moments in the garden—are rendered with emotional clarity. The humanitarian chapters, describing her later years with UNICEF, are among the most powerful; these sections underscore the moral core of her life.

“Intimate Audrey: An Authorized Biography” is published in the U.S. by Grand Central Publishing, and in the U.K. by HarperCollinsPublishers. On her website, Mr. Ferrer’s co-author Wendy Holden describes the book as ‘the only official biography of fashion and film icon and humanitarian Audrey Hepburn, with the actress’s personal history, insights from her family about her philosophy of life, and an intimate picture of how she lived outside of the public eye.’ It has been translated into Italian, German, and Spanish; the e-book and audiobook are also available.

In the following online conversation with Mr. Ferrer, who lives in Italy, he talks about how the book came about and, as he always does, he provides a highly interesting behind-the-scenes look with lots of background information on his mother.

Mr. Ferrer, what was the main reason for you to write “Intimate Audrey: An Authorized Biography”?

Thirty-three years ago, after my mother passed away, I had written thirty pages, which were kind of a love letter about their grandmother to the children I hoped I’d have one day. And those thirty pages ended up on the desk of my friend, Alan Nevins. He was the assistant of a legendary Hollywood literary agent by the name of Swifty Lazar at an agency called Renaissance. He said, ‘Oh, this is great. You need to write a book like that.’ And I said, ‘Well, I’m not sure how you make an evening gown out of a foulard, because thirty pages is not a book.’ So for the next two years, I created what became the book “An Elegant Spirit” [2003]. I was very happy about that; the book sold close to two million copies worldwide and was translated into seventeen different languages, I think.
But I’m not a book writer, and I didn’t really feel the need to write. But every year, Alan would go to the Frankfurt and the London Book Fair, and every year, the distributors would ask, ‘Is there ever going to be an authorized biography, a sort of final word, a history book on Audrey Hepburn?’ In the end, Alan convinced me to consider it, and the first thing I said to him was, ‘Look, I’m not objective because she was my mother. I need someone to filter all this information.’ That’s when he mentioned Wendy Holden. I liked her immediately; first of all, she’s a woman, which made a lot of sense. And secondly, she started her career as a war correspondent. My mother’s life, as a young adult, starts with World War II, and it ends with what she often described as her second and most important career, as a UNICEF ambassador. We all know—today more than ever—that the greatest human tragedies are not caused by nature. Not by a tsunami, or an earthquake, or a famine; they’re caused by man upon man.
In fact, eighty percent of the places my mother visited during her tenure as a UNICEF ambassador were places that had been or were in a war. And so that immediately made sense. On the other hand, my mother also had a normal life; she’d get up early in the morning, have breakfast, go to makeup, be on time on the set; she always knew her lines, and she was nice to the crew. And then she’d go home, have dinner, go to sleep, and start the next day again. There wasn’t much to create tension and drama. So that’s when we started to carefully unfold the main milestones of her personal life. We weren’t going to make a book about her films because everybody knows her films. Everybody has seen them. So that’s not the point.

People just wanted to know who she really was.

Yes, I think people wanted to know who she was because they fell in love with this woman who left this extraordinary legacy: her career as a star, as an actress, and her inner elegance, which is expressed through her collaboration with Hubert de Givenchy and other designers. And finally, through this last chapter, as a humanitarian—and the first female ambassador for UNICEF—that sort of transitions the post-war UNICEF into what it is today.
It has now become an absolute for anyone who’s a celebrity to have something socially relevant or humanitarian to be involved with. And I think she somehow helped start that trend. So we sat down, we started to look at every aspect of her life, and what would be meaningful, not so much to bring new information to the forefront, but the color—to bring a black and white image to life.
My mother is such a legend. She’s a little bit like the balloon that escapes from the birthday party, and she’s going up into the sky, getting smaller and smaller. I wanted to bring her back to earth, give her roots, and remind people that she was a normal person who had a life with the same complications we all have.

Was it difficult to write about that? Because she was a very private person, wasn’t she?

She was a very private person. I think the hardest one for me was to discuss the indiscretions or infidelities in her second marriage because immediately it came to mind that there’s always this kind of shame, not so much from the person who’s causing it, but from the person who’s the subject, or the one who’s suffering the infidelity. At the same time, that is the reason why I decided to talk about it: if Audrey Hepburn, who is a symbol of kindness, beauty, elegance, love, and inclusiveness, for all the reasons we’ve just described, can suffer infidelity, then it’s open season on every woman and every man.
It has nothing to do with the person who’s the victim of it: it has to do with the person who’s causing it. Infidelity is absurd if you think about it. You say to someone, ‘I love you,’ and yet you go and find some sort of attention elsewhere. Her second husband [Andrea Dotti, married to her from 1969-1982] lost his control; he was a young man, a great stepdad, but not a very good husband, unfortunately. And so I decided to talk about it for that reason. If my mother can suffer it, being everything that she is, then anyone can fall for it.

How did you find this perfect balance when you talked about her private life, her work in films, and her humanitarian work, to make sure the book is comprehensible and straightforward?

The balance is about editing. We worked hard on it, we moved things around, and we built it like a film because it begins with one of the last scenes in her life. And then there’s a flashback. We used video techniques, or film techniques, to color the image, and to fill it out. The other thing I think is—unfortunately for our society—good timing; we’re in a terrible moment now where our democracy is being dismantled in every country with such ease that you wonder if it wasn’t all window dressing to begin with. She would be devastated to see that. She gave her life for the hope of an inclusive society, and we have now spent the last thirty-three years trying to promote and continue her dream.
But if you see what is happening now around the world, that women and children—I think mostly of Palestine—don’t have any kind of protection and priority, it is really devastating. It just so happened that when we were done, we went to the publisher, and the publisher printed the book. And here we are, at this kind of vital time, with something that’s a healthy contrast.

Looking back now, were you able to tell what you wanted to tell, or are there things now that you would like to have included?

Not really. A wonderful philosopher once said that it is the big things that bring us together and the little things that break us apart. And it’s true; we’ve kept the bigger things, the important milestones. But it’s not always bigger in scope. The story about her bringing my friend Bang from Vietnam, she never got any publicity for it or anything like that. But that is a good example of who she was. There was no press, no photographers, and there was nobody to witness it except for me. So she didn’t do it because it was something that was on the list of things to do for UNICEF; she did it because he was a little boy that she knew, and who came for weekends and had sleepovers. She’s talking the talk and walking the walk, as they say; she’s doing it in her personal life, too. And so I think it’s an interesting, valuable example. Sometimes things seem small, but then when you look, and you think about it, if the purpose is confirmation, or a sort of coloring of her life, then I think these little things add up to big points.

That’s right. You mention several little things that are very meaningful, like her great sense of humor, for example, with her mimicking voices, sticking her tongue out, or twisting her body into comic poses, while she was also a very determined woman. When the head of Paramount said after a screening of “Breakfast at Tiffany’s,” ‘And that bloody song [“Moon River”] has to go,’ your mother jumped out of her seat and said, ‘Over my dead body!’

Those are extremes, extremes that paint the picture of a woman with great strength, and I think the greatest proof of her strength is that she was able to shelter, encapsulate, and protect that fragility that was the core of her being throughout her life. She understood that that was an important tool, that it was part of her persona. She defended it, she used it in film, or when she researched and got into the truths of the character she was playing. She didn’t transform herself as Robert De Niro and Marlon Brando and those guys did, but she certainly came as close as she thought was necessary. So it was Audrey Hepburn in that situation who imported the performance into her persona. She protected this fragility throughout her life, which then ends up turning around and biting her when she becomes a UNICEF ambassador, because now she has this loudspeaker that enables her to imagine what people are going through and feeling when she’s in a in a camp with 30,000 refugees who are on the verge of death.

Audrey Hepburn sings “Moon River” in “Breakfast at Tiffany’s” (1961)

I can understand why your mother got along very well with film director Fred Zinnemann. When he won his Academy Award for “From Here to Eternity” [1953], he and his family lived in a small place in Mandeville Canyon, and he drove around in an eleven-year-old car. Not a fancy, flamboyant lifestyle, but very modest and down-to-earth.

I think the industry was much more like that in those days. Alfred Hitchcock was that way, too. Hitch would work in a suit and imagine all of these horrific and terrorizing stories. And yet, at five o’clock, he’d call a wrap and go home in a regular car, and sit with his wife and have dinner. And did they want any parties? No. There were no Ferraris. I remember when I first moved to Los Angeles in the late 1970s; it was a sleepy town. Beverly Hills people kept their doors unlocked. There was very little crime. And it was Beverly Hills, the commercial part of it, south of Santa Monica Boulevard, with the little shops and soda fountains. You could sit in a high chair and have a milkshake. And nothing was over two stories. So it was a place that had adapted to this industry. There wasn’t really the shiny Hollywood we promote today, and the cost and style of living. People lived normal lives, which is why places like Marbella were a success early on.
I remember seeing people like Cary Grant when we first built the house in the early 1960s because it was a similar place. It was a place where actors could go around in shorts and a white shirt. And there was no obligation to be a star or to appear one way or the other. These places became legendary out of normality.

As an adult, you later moved out of Los Angeles. Is it because it had changed so much?

By the time I moved out, my children were young, and my daughter was going to the Crossroads School of Arts & Sciences [in Santa Monica], where children of famous producers went to. Their parents would fly around in private jets on the weekends and leave their kids with nannies and housekeepers. They’d play stupid games because they couldn’t go anywhere. So they’d drink in their parents’ bars. And there was one girl in her classroom who went into a coma.
Then I said to myself, ‘I want my kids to grow up the same way I did, with a normal life.’ At the same time, there was the war in Iraq, that was also something that turned my stomach. That is one of the reasons why I won’t go back to the States now because if I see an ICE guy is beating on a Mexican or Latino lady, I’m going to get involved. And I’m either going to get handcuffed, thrown to the ground, lose a tooth, get shot, or deported. I’m sixty-five years old now, and I don’t want to subject myself or anybody in my family to that.

In your mother’s obituary in the Los Angeles Times, they wrote, ‘When Jackie Kennedy brought high fashion to the White House, it was evident that her style had been influenced by Miss Hepburn.’ Did you know that?

No, but it was the beginning of an era; during the late 1950s and early 1960s, she was in the middle of her career, and she had made this trip to meet designer Hubert de Givenchy. There’s a film being made about that meeting; it’s called “Dinner with Audrey.” But I don’t know about Jackie Kennedy; maybe it was just good timing, I don’t know.

Would you be interested in turning your book into a screenplay?

I’ve done that already. Alan [Nevins] is reading it. It’s a very early draft. But, as I told you, I’m not only not objective from a point of view of content, I also can’t tell if something is good or bad or different anymore. Maybe I should let you read it and give me some pointers.

“Breakfast at Tiffany’s” (1961, trailer)

There’s not only “Dinner with Audrey” coming up, but also the Lily Collins project, about the making of “Breakfast at Tiffany’s.” Can you tell something about that?

I’ve been having chats with Lily Collins; she is a lovely person with a good head on her shoulders. She got the rights to the Sam Wasson book “Fifth Avenue, 5 A.M.: Audrey Hepburn, Breakfast at Tiffany’s and the Dawn of the Modern Woman” [2010]. But it’s a difficult piece. As you well know, films about making films rarely work, maybe except for “The Artist” [2011], which is a masterpiece. Usually, they’re difficult to make.

What makes, in your opinion, “Breakfast at Tiffany’s” such an iconic film?

I always say—and people misinterpret me—“Breakfast at Tiffany’s” is a very simple recipe. It’s like a meringue; they have a few ingredients beautifully whipped together. It’s the how, not so much the what. It’s the way it’s made, the way it’s acted, the way it’s constructed. The themes are very simple. And the reason why they are so simple is, when Marilyn Monroe turned it down, and they offered the part to my mother, she tried to elevate it, to rip it out, sort of the contrary of what I’m doing with this book, which is giving it roots. She uprooted that lovely novella. She really tried to make it about the themes and what those people are going through. And I think that, in part, because she insisted on giving it wings, lifting it up, and making it so thematic, is probably why it’s become such a legendary piece. It’s become, as I always say, le monstre sacré of her career; it’s the reference. It’s the jewel of the crown.

I would be tempted to say that almost every film she made up until 1967 was a unique and major achievement.

Well, there were several other important films she made at the time, like “The Children’s Hour” [1961], which talks about female homosexuality. At the time, that was a taboo. “The Nun’s Story” was very much in line with her own philosophy, and it was a departure of Audrey Hepburn, the gamine, who was doing romantic comedies. But I still love “Funny Face” [1957] because it’s the first musical about fashion ever made, and—as she wanted to be a dancer—she was able to dance with Fred Astaire. So that was very important to her; it was a dream come true. “Love in the Afternoon” [1957] with Gary Cooper is another favorite of mine because it’s the most Lubitschian film that Billy Wilder ever made, and I love Ernst Lubitsch. I love that kind of old-fashioned, European touch. So, each film, like you say, is unique and special, and people are now also starting to say that “Monte Carlo Baby” [1951], or “Nous irons à Monte Carlo,” is underrated.

In your book, you don’t talk about all of your mother’s films. Was that by choice?

I didn’t want the book to have too many ingredients because then you start to lose the taste of the original intent. And there have been over a thousand books written about them, including the silly books about all these hats, the magazine covers, and even coffee table books and all of that. Barry Paris wrote a real history book [“Audrey Hepburn,” 2001], and I still believe that it’s the one that was best researched. And it was sort of the companion book to my spiritual biography, “An Elegant Spirit,” at the time. We always used to say to people who were asking, ‘Well, if you really want to know what happened, read Barry’s book.’ And he would say, ‘If you really want to know what she was like on the inside, read Sean’s book.’ But I think now we have something that works in both directions.

The title of your book is “Intimate Audrey,” the same title as the exhibition. In what way are they connected?

I think the brands touch each other in many ways because the exhibition is so up close and personal. I also like the title, and it seems like the right thing to do to become an extension, even though the book should give birth to the exhibition. And the exhibition is an extension, but the exhibition came before the book, so I like the idea of having them both be related.

You also did the audio book for “Intimate Audrey: An Authorized Biography.” What was that like?

I did the audio book with this wonderful actress, Paulie Rojas, with whom I’ve been working now for several years. She does my mother’s voice perfectly. It almost raises the hair in the back of my neck when I hear her talking sometimes.

One of the things your mother gave to her worldwide audience was her body of work, her films. What was the biggest gift she gave you?

To grow up in a home that was free of any ideology. The second gift she gave us, which is maybe more important, is when she was at the top of her game, she stopped her career to become a full-time mom because she wanted a family. She gave us a wonderful piece of her life.

Other than your screenplay, do you have any projects scheduled for the near future?

No, and I try not to make too many plans, so there’s nothing immediate in the future. The “Intimate Audrey” exhibition is in China now for the next few years. It’s been in Shanghai for six months and then went to Guangzhou, and then it’s going to Shenzhen or maybe Macau.

Interview via Google Meet
April 29, 2026

FILMS

NEDERLANDS IN ZEVEN LESSEN, a.k.a. DUTCH IN SEVEN LESSONS(1948) DIR Charles Huguenot van der Linden, Heinz Josephson PROD Charles Huguenot van der Linden, Heinz Josephson, Harold Goodwin, George Julsing, Jack Dudok van Heel SCR Charles Huguenot van der Linden, Heinz Josephson CAM Peter Staugaard, Piet Schrikker ED Rita Roland CAST Sanny Day, Pia Beck, Wam Heskes, Greet Vogels, Koes Koen, Audrey Hepburn (KLM Stewardess), A. Viruly

ONE WILD OAT (1951) DIR Charles Saunders PROD John Croydon SCR Vernon Sylvaine, Lawrence Huntingdon (play by Vernon Sylvaine) CAM Robert Navarro ED Margery Saunders MUS Stanley Black CAST Robert Hare, Stanley Holloway, Vera Pearce, Andrew Crawford, Irene Handl, June Sylvaine, Constance Lorne, Audrey Hepburn (Hotel Receptionist), Roger Moore

LAUGHTER IN PARADISE (1951) DIR – PROD Mario Zampi SCR Jack Davies, Michael Pertwee (story by Jack Davies, Michael Pertwee) CAM William McLeod ED Guilio Zampi MUS Stanley Black CAST Fay Compton, George Cole, Alastair Sim, John Laurie, Joyce Grenfell, Beatrice Campbell, Guy Middleton, Hugh Griffith, Audrey Hepburn (Cigarette Girl), Sebastian Cabot

THE LAVENDER HILL MOB (1951) DIR Charles Crichton PROD Michael Balcon SCR T.E.B. Clarke CAM Douglas Slocombe ED Seth Holt MUS Georges Auric CAST Alec Guinness, Stanley Holloway, Sidney James, Alfie Bass, Marjorie Fielding, Edie Martin, Audrey Hepburn (Chiquita), Robert Shaw

YOUNG WIVES’ TALE (1951) DIR Henry Cass PROD Victor Skutezky SCR Anne Burnaby (play by Ronald Jeans) CAM Erwin Hillier ED Edward B. Jarvis MUS Philip Green CAST Joan Greenwood, Nigel Patrick, Derek Farr, Guy Middleton, Athene Seyler, Helen Cherry, Audrey Hepburn (Eve Lester), Irene Handl

SECRET PEOPLE (1952) DIR Thorold Dickinson PROD Sidney Cole SCR Thorold Dickinson, Wolfgang Wilhelm (story by Thorold Dickinson) CAM Gordon Dines ED Peter Tanner MUS Roberto Gerhard CAST Valentina Cortese, Serge Reggiani, Charles Goldner, Audrey Hepburn (Nora), Angela Fouldes, Megs Jenkins, Irene Worth, Bob Monkhouse

MONTE CARLO BABY, a.k.a. NOUS IRONS TOUS À MONTE CARLO (1952) DIR Jean Boyer, Jean Jerrold PROD Ray Ventura SCR Jean Boyer, Alex Joffé, Jean Jerrold, Serge Véber CAM Charles Suin ED Fanchette Mazin MUS Paul Misraki CAST Ray Ventura, Henri Génès, Georges Lannes, Philippe Lemaire, Danielle Godet, John Van Dreelen, Audrey Hepburn (Linda Farrell / Melissa Farrell), Marcel Dalio, Suzanne Guémard, André Dalibert

ROMAN HOLIDAY (1953) DIR – PROD William Wyler SCR Dalton Trumbo, John Dighton, Ian McLellan Hunter CAM Frank F. Planer, Henri Alekan ED Robert Swink MUS Georges Auric CAST Gregory Peck, Audrey Hepburn (Princess Ann), Eddie Albert, Hartley Power, Harcourt Williams, Margaret Rawlings, Tullio Carminati

SABRINA (1954) DIR – PROD Billy Wilder SCR Billy Wilder, Samuel A. Taylor, Ernest Lehman (play by Samuel A. Taylor) CAM Charles Lang Jr. ED Arthur P. Schmidt MUS Frederick Hollander CAST Humphrey Bogart, Audrey Hepburn (Sabrina Fairchild), William Holden, Walter Hampden, John Williams, Martha Hyer, Joan Vohs, Marcel Dalio, Frances X. Bushman, Marion Ross

WAR AND PEACE (1956) DIR King Vidor PROD Dino De Laurentiis SCR Mario Soldati, Gian Gaspare Napolitano (adaptation by King Vidor, Mario Camerini, Bridget Boland, Ivo Perilli, Robert Westerby, Ennio De Concini; novel by Leo Tolstoy) CAM Jack Cardiff ED Leo Cattozzo MUS Nino Rota CAST Audrey Hepburn (Natasha Rostova), Henry Fonda, Mel Ferrer, Vittorio Gassman, Herbert Lom, Oskar Homolka, Anita Ekberg, Helmut Dantine, John Mills

FUNNY FACE (1957) DIR Stanley Donen PROD Roger Edens SCR Leonard Gershe CAM Ray June ED Frank Bracht MUS George Gershwin, Ira Gershwin, Leonard Gershe, Roger Edens CAST Audrey Hepburn (Jo Stockton), Fred Astaire, Kay Thompson, Michel Auclair, Robert Flemyng, Dovima, Suzy Parker, Sunny Harnett

LOVE IN THE AFTERNOON (1957) DIR – PROD Billy Wilder SCR Billy Wilder, I.A.L. Diamond (novel ‘Ariane’ by Claude Anet) CAM William C. Mellor ED Leonid Azar MUS Franz Waxman CAST Gary Cooper, Audrey Hepburn (Ariane Chavasse), Maurice Chevalier, John McGiver, Van Doude, Lise Bourdin, Olga Valéry, Franz Waxman, Louis Jourdan (narration)

GREEN MANSIONS (1959) DIR Mel Ferrer PROD Edmund Grainger SCR Dorothy Kingsley (novel by William Henry Hudson) CAM Joseph Ruttenberg ED Ferris Webster MUS Bronislau Kaper CAST Audrey Hepburn (Rima), Anthony Perkins, Lee J. Cobb, Sessue Hayakawa, Henry Silva, Nehemiah Persoff

THE NUN’S STORY (1959) DIR Fred Zinnemann PROD Henry Blanke, Fred Zinnemann [uncredited] SCR Robert Anderson (book by Kathryn C. Hulme) CAM Franz F. Planer MUS Franz Waxman ED Walter Thompson CAST Audrey Hepburn (Gabrielle van der Mal [Sister Luke]), Peter Finch, Dame Edith Evans, Dame Peggy Ashcroft, Dean Jagger, Mildred Dunnock, Beatrice Straight, Colleen Dewhurst

THE UNFORGIVEN (1960) DIR John Huston PROD James Hill SCR Ben Maddow (novel by Alan LeMay) CAM Franz F. Planer ED Russell Lloyd MUS Dimitri Tiomkin CAST Burt Lancaster, Audrey Hepburn (Rachel Zachary), Audie Murphy, John Saxon, Charles Bickford, Lillian Gish, Albert Salmi

BREAKFAST AT TIFFANY’S (1961) DIR Blake Edwards PROD Martin Jurow, Richard Shepherd SCR George Axelrod (novel by Truman Capote) CAM Franz F. Planer ED Howard A. Smith MUS Henry Mancini CAST Audrey Hepburn (Holly Golightly), George Peppard, Patricia Neal, Buddy Ebsen, Martin Balsam, John McGiver, Mickey Rooney

THE CHILDREN’S HOUR (1961) DIR – PROD William Wyler SCR John Michael Hayes (play by Lillian Hellman) CAM Franz F. Planer ED Robert Swink MUS Alex North CAST Audrey Hepburn (Karen Wright), Shirley MacLaine, James Garner, Miriam Hopkins, Fay Bainter, Karen Balkin, Veronica Cartwright

CHARADE (1963) DIR – PROD Stanley Donen SCR Peter Stone (story by Peter Stone, Marc Behm) CAM Charles Lang Jr. ED James Clark MUS Henry Mancini CAST Cary Grant, Audrey Hepburn (Regina Lampert), Walter Matthau, James Coburn, George Kennedy, Dominique Minot, Ned Glass, Stanley Donen, Mel Ferrer, Peter Stone

PARIS WHEN IT SIZZLES (1964) DIR Richard Quine PROD George Axelrod SCR George Axelrod (story ‘La fête à Henriette’ by Julien Duvivier, Henri Jeanson) CAM Charles Lang Jr., Claude Renoir ED Archie Marshek MUS Nelson Riddle CAST William Holden, Audrey Hepburn (Gabrielle Simpson / Gaby), Grégoire Aslan, Raymond Duvaleix, Michel Thomas, Noël Coward, Tony Curtis, Mel Ferrer

MY FAIR LADY (1964) DIR George Cukor PROD Jack L. Warner SCR Alan Jay Lerner (book by Alan Jay Lerner; play by George Bernard Shaw) CAM Harry Stardling Sr. ED William H. Ziegler MUS André Previn CAST Audrey Hepburn (Eliza Doolittle), Rex Harrison, Stanley Holloway, Wilfrid Hyde-White, Gladys Cooper, Jeremy Brett, Theodore Bikel, Mona Washbourne, Betty Blythe

HOW TO STEAL A MILLION (1966) DIR William Wyler PROD Fred Kohlmar SCR Harry Kurnitz (story by George Bradshaw) CAM Charles Lang ED Robert Swink MUS Johnny Williams CAST Audrey Hepburn (Nicole), Peter O’Toole, Eli Wallach, Hugh Griffith, Charles Boyer, Fernand Gravey, Marcel Dalio, Jacques Marin

TWO FOR THE ROAD (1967) DIR – PROD Stanley Donen SCR Frederic Raphael CAM Christopher Challis ED Richard Marden, Madelèine Gug MUS Henry Mancini CAST Audrey Hepburn (Joanna Wallace), Albert Finney, William Daniels, Eleanor Bron, Claude Dauphin, Nadia Grey, George Descrieres, Gabrielle Middleton, Jacqueline Bisset, Judy Cornwell

WAIT UNTIL DARK (1967) DIR Terence Young PROD Mel Ferrer SCR Richard Carrington, Jane-Howard Carrington (play by Frederick Knott) CAM Charles Lang ED Gene Milford MUS Henry Mancini CAST Audrey Hepburn (Susy Hendrix), Alan Arkin, Richard Crenna, Efrem Zimbalist Jr., Jack Weston, Robby Benson, Mel Ferrer

ROBIN AND MARIAN (1976) DIR Richard Lester PROD Denis O’Dell SCR James Goldman CAM David Watkin ED John Victor Smith MUS John Barry CAST Sean Connery, Audrey Hepburn(Maid Marian), Robert Shaw, Richard Harris, Nicol Williamson, Denholm Elliott, Ian Holm

BLOODLINE (1979) DIR Terence Young PROD Sidney Beckerman, David V. Picker SCR Laird Koenig (novel by Sidney Sheldon) CAM Freddie Young ED Bud Molin MUS Ennio Morricone CAST Audrey Hepburn (Elizabeth Roffe), Ben Gazzara, James Mason, Romy Schneider, Omar Sharif, Claudia Mori, Irene Papas, Michelle Philips, Maurice Ronet, Gert Fröbe, Gabrielle Ferzetti

THEY ALL LAUGHED (1981) DIR Peter Bogdanovich PROD Blaine Novak, George Morfogen SCR Peter Bogdanovich, Blaine Novak CAM Robby Müller ED Scott Vickrey, William C. Carruth CAST Audrey Hepburn (Angela Niotes), Ben Gazzara, John Ritter, Dorothy Stratten, Patti Hansen, Blaine Novak, Sean Hepburn Ferrer, Glenn Scarpelli, Antonia Bogdanovich, Alexandra Bogdanovich, Elizabeth Peña, Peter Bogdanovich

ALWAYS (1989) DIR Steven Spielberg PROD Steven Spielberg, Frank Marshall, Kathleen Kennedy SCR Dalton Trumbo, Jerry Belson, Frederick Hazlitt Brennan (story ‘A Guy Named Joe’ by Chandler Sprague, David Boehm) CAM Mikael Salomon ED Michael Kahn MUS John Williams CAST Richard Dreyfuss, Holly Hunter, John Goodman, Brad Johnson, Audrey Hepburn (Hap), Roberts Blossom, Keith David, Marg Helgenberger

TV MOVIES

SAUCE TARTARE (1949) DIR Audrey Cameron PROD Walton Anderson SCR Matt Brooks MUS Allan Gray CAST Jessie Matthews, Claude Hulbert, Renee Houston, Muriel Smith, Jack Melford, Joan Heal, Audrey Hepburn, Jean Bayless

MAYERLING (1957) DIR Anatole Litvak PROD Fred Coe CAST Audrey Hepburn (Maria Vetsera), Mel Ferrer, Raymond Massey, Diana Wynyard

LOVE AMONG THIEVES (1987) DIR Roger Young PROD Robert A. Papzian SCR Stephen Black, Henry Stern CAM Gayne Rescher ED James Mitchell MUS Arthur B. Rubinstein CAST Audrey Hepburn (Baroness Caroline DuLac), Robert Wagner, Patrick Bauchau, Jerry Orbach, Brion James, Samantha Eggar, Christopher Neame

TV SERIES

BBC NIGHT THEATRE (1951) DIR William Templeton CAST (episode ‘The Silent Village’) Becket Bould, Peter Bull, Andrew Cruickshank, Audrey Hepburn (Celia), Anthony Ireland, Glyn Lawson, Joyce Redman, Jack Watling

CBS TELEVISION WORKSHOP: RAINY DAY IN PARADISE JUNCTION(1952) CAST Audrey Hepburn, Paul Langton, Carmen Matthew

DOCUMENTARIES

A WORLD OF LOVE (1971, UNICEF documentary special) PROD Alexander Cohen HOSTS Bill Cosby, Audrey Hepburn, Shirley MacLaine, Richard Burton, Julie Andrews, Barbra Streisand, Harry Belafonte

GARDENS OF THE WORLD, PARTS I-VI (1993) DIR Bruce Fanchini PROD Janis Blacksleger HOST Audrey Hepburn; Michael York (narration)

The California-born screen star first rose to prominence in the 1970s and became an enduring figure in popular culture—especially within the horror genre, where she is often celebrated as a ‘scream queen.’

She began her career on the stage, performing in musical theater before achieving major recognition on Broadway. She made her Broadway debut in the chorus in “Fiddler on the Roof” (1968, where she worked alongside Bette Midler, another unknown at the time), and her breakthrough role came four years later in the original Broadway production of “Grease,” where she played bad-girl Betty Rizzo, the tough yet vulnerable leader of the Pink Ladies (in Randal Kleiser’s 1978 film, Stockard Channing played the character). Her performance earned her a Tony Award nomination as Best Supporting or Featured Actress (Musical) in 1972—Linda Hopkins won for “Inner City”—and established her as a rising star with strong vocal ability and commanding stage presence.

She transitioned to television and became widely known for her role as Carol Traynor, the divorced, rebellious single mother and daughter of Maude Findlay, on the hit sitcom “Maude” (1972–1978, an “All In The Family” spin-off centered around Edith’s cousin, Maude). In 1977, the show earned her a Golden Globe nomination for Best Supporting Actress (Television); the award went to Josette Banzat for the miniseries “Rich Man, Poor Man.”

“Maude” was produced by Norman Lear and became groundbreaking for its bold treatment of social and political issues. Barbeau’s character added a modern, independent edge to the series; her work on “Maude” brought her into millions of American homes each week and made her a familiar face during the golden era of socially conscious sitcoms.

In the 1980s, Barbeau shifted her focus to film, particularly in the horror and science fiction genres. She became closely associated with director John Carpenter, whom she married in 1979; they divorced five years later. She starred in four of his films: “Someone’s Watching Me!” (1978, TV movie), “The Fog” (1980), “Escape from New York” (1981), and “The Thing” (1982). In “The Fog,” she played the whisky-voiced Stevie Wayne, a late-night radio DJ and radio station owner of KAB, who becomes a central figure during a supernatural invasion of her coastal town; it set the mood for one of cinema’s most haunting visions rolling in from the sea. The film became a cult classic and establishing Barbeau as a genre film star.

Beyond Carpenter’s films, Barbeau appeared in other notable genre works such as Wes Craven’s “Swamp Thing” (1982), based on the DC Comics character, and “Creepshow” (1982), an anthology horror film directed by George A. Romero and written by Stephen King. Her strong screen presence, distinctive voice, and confident persona made her particularly well-suited to roles that blended toughness with vulnerability.

In addition to live-action acting, Barbeau built a substantial voice acting career. She provided the voice of Catwoman in “Batman: The Animated Series” (1992-1995), introducing the character to a new generation of fans. Her smoky, expressive voice became one of her trademarks and contributed significantly to her longevity in the entertainment industry.

Barbeau is also an accomplished author. In 2006, she published her memoir, “There Are Worse Things I Could Do,” reflecting on her life in Hollywood, her marriages, and her experiences in theater and film. The book—a lively, joyous, hilarious, and intimate account of her life—went to #11 on the Los Angeles Times bestseller list. She also wrote the mystery novels “Vampyres of Hollywood” (2008), “Love Bites” (2010), and “Make Me Dead” (2015). She co-wrote and edited “Grease: Tell Me More, Tell Me More—Stories from the Broadway Phenomenon That Started It All” (2024), while, since the early 1970s, she has continued acting nearly non-stop in front of the camera, and her website abarbeau.com indicates she’s constantly traveling all over the country, making personal appearances.

The following interview with Ms. Barbeau was conducted a couple of days ago at the latest edition of the BIFFF—Brussels International Fantastic Film Festival— which welcomed her as one of its guests of honor; she was accepted into the Order of the Knights of the Raven, and the festival featured the world premiere of her latest film, “Oddities,” a horror thriller written and directed by Tyler Savage.

The film tells the story of two self-destructive best friends who accidentally kill their drug dealer, and they have to flee town. Stopping at a roadside antique shop, they quickly discover that the older woman running the place isn’t as sweet as she seems. It’s out of the frying pan and into the fire as they fight for survival while the criminals they were running away from descend on the property.

As of now, the trailer is not yet available. Spoiler alert: here you can find Tyler Savage’s 2023 short “Oddities,” on which the feature film is based. The short also features Ms. Barbeau, who runs the antique store.

Ms. Barbeau, where do you put “Oddities” in your whole body of work?

You know, I’m going to have to see it again, and I’m going to have to live with it a little bit. In terms of everything I’ve done, it was a wonderful experience, and there were moments when we were filming, and something would come out of me, and I would be just, ‘Oh!’ I didn’t know that was going to happen, I didn’t know that’s the way this character was going to speak or say something or respond. She surprised me, and I think it was perhaps a culmination of having done so much that it all felt very easy. Watching the film last night, I think maybe there was one moment where I thought, ‘Oh, that wasn’t as honest as it could have been.’ Just one moment, and it was a scream, but it just felt like the scream went on a little too long, and all of a sudden I dropped out for a second. Does that make any sense? But it was a great experience, and I’m very happy with it.

“The Fog (1980, trailer)

Has that happened before, that you thought something could have been done differently?

I know when John [Carpenter] first put “The Fog” [1980] together. He didn’t think the film worked. It wasn’t scary enough and it didn’t work for him. He was very upset. So he went to Avco Embassy and said, ‘Look, I’ll pay for this myself if I have to, but I need to shoot again. I need to add more footage.’ And he did, and that really turned the film around. But at last night’s screening of “Oddities,” they laughed when we expected them to laugh. They were happy that what had happened also happened. And it just took me by surprise. I was like, ‘Oh, that’s okay.’ I’ve never been in the director’s chair, so I’ve never been aware of when something wasn’t working and we had to go back in again. Although John did add a scene to “Escape from New York” [1981]. There was a scene on the bridge where Maggie is firing at the Duke [played by Isaac Hayes]; the Duke is driving the car at her, and it ends with Maggie firing at the Duke. John screened the film for a group of executives from the studio, and J.J. Abrams was there. He was like a teenager back then. And when it was over, J.J. said, ‘Well, what happened to Maggie?’ So we went back and we took the cars out of our garage, and I put the costume on again, laid down on the floor, and they put blood around me. And that final shot of Maggie dead was added.

How do you explain the chemistry between you and John Carpenter?

He always made sure that everybody was happy on the set. The cast and crew trusted him, and he knew how to convey his vision to everyone. I trusted him completely.

After all those years, casting-wise, do you still get the roles that you like to play?

Well, I guess I have to answer it backward: I take the roles that are offered to me that I want to play. By that I mean I do get roles offered to me that I’m not interested in playing because, for one reason or another, I don’t like the character, or I don’t buy the character. Especially with horror; I don’t want to see six totally unknown people that I’ve never seen on screen before get killed in the first two minutes of the film in the most gruesome way. That’s the way horror has sort of gone in the last years. I’ve auditioned for roles that I really would have liked to have gotten and didn’t get them. But that’s the business. Somebody else is taller or more right. I know they’ve asked me to audition because they already know I can do it, but when it comes down to it, maybe another actress is better for whatever reason.

You have been working in films and for television for more than 50 years now. So age doesn’t matter to get interesting roles?

I think the industry has changed a bit, or maybe that’s the reason I’m so enamored of European television and European films because the actresses we’re seeing in the things that I watch are not 22 years old. They’re in their mid-40s or older, and they’re playing strong women. I don’t know if there’s been a change, and certainly I don’t expect to have a plethora of roles for someone my age. I guess I’m in an awkward stage because although I’m 80, I don’t represent the way people think of an 80-year-old sometimes, although maybe more and more people are understanding that an 80-year-old can have energy or look younger than what we think of as 80 years old. I mean, I don’t play grandmothers very well, although I did. I just played a grandmother in another film called “Hannah Goes to Hell” with Krsy Fox from “Terrifier 3” (2024). But when I was 51, I was offered the role of Ruthie in HBO’s “Carnivàle” (2003-2005). She was a wizened, old carny worker who danced with snakes. And for a 51-year-old woman to be playing a snake dancer who’s very sensual and having a love affair with a 26-year-old, those kinds of roles certainly weren’t happening for women my age at that time. You played a judge, a nurse, a doctor, or a lawyer. So that was really exceptional, I think.

Among the many highlights in your career and in your life, would your invitation to the White House to meet President Carter and Mrs. Carter be high on your list?

I really never thought about that, but yes, I would think so. Well, my invitation to the BIFFF and getting the Knight of the Raven Award, that’s something very special too. A few years ago, I got a lifetime achievement award at a film festival on the Canary Islands; that really touched me because back in 1965, when I went to New York to try and be on Broadway, I just set out to see if I could earn a living as an actor. And now they’re saying that I have done this and that in my life. But being at the White House, it was wonderful to meet the President and Mrs. Carter. But that’s so long ago. I also did a commercial for Nancy Reagan when she was First Lady, called ”Just Say No to Drugs.” I think it was based on “The Fog” or some horror film I did, and I was saying NO to drugs.

Brussels International Fantastic Film Festival
April 15, 2026

Adrienne Barbeau’s Public Service Announcement for the Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA) against the dangers of drugs.

FILMS

THE FOG (1980) DIR – MUS John Carpenter PROD Debra Hill SCR John Carpenter, Debra Hill CAM Dean Cundey ED Tommy Lee Wallace, Charles Bornstein CAST Adrienne Barbeau (Stevie Wayne), Jamie Lee Curtis, John Houseman, Janet Leigh, Tom Atkins, James Canning, Charles Cyphers, Nancy Kyes, Ty Mitchell, Hal Holbrook, John F. Goff, Tommy Lee Wallace, John Carpenter, Debra Hill

ESCAPE FROM NEW YORK (1981) DIR – MUS John Carpenter PROD Debra Hill, Larry Franco SCR John Carpenter, Nick Castle CAM Dean Cundey ED Todd C. Ramsay CAST Kurt Russell, Lee Van Cleef, Donald Pleasence, Ernest Borgnine, Isaac Hayes, Harry Dean Stanton, Adrienne Barbeau (Maggie), Season Hubley, Tom Atkins, Charles Cyphers, John Carpenter, Nick Castle, Jamie Lee Curtis (voice only), Debra Hill (voice only)

THE CANNONBALL RUN (1981) DIR Hal Needham PROD Albert S. Ruddy SCR Brock Yates CAM Michael C. Butler ED William D. Gordean, Donn Cambern MUS Al Capps CAST Burt Reynolds, Roger Moore, Farrah Fawcett, Dom DeLuise, Dean Martin, Sammy Davis Jr., Adrienne Barbeau (Marcie), Jamie Farr, Terry Bradshaw, Mel Tillis, Jackie Chan, Peter Fonda, Bianca Jagger, Hal Needham, Valerie Perrine

SWAMP THING (1982) DIR – SCR Wes Craven PROD Benjamin Melniker, Michael E. Uslan CAM Robbie Greenberg ED Richard Bracken MUS Harry Manfredini CAST Louis Jourdan, Adrienne Barbeau (Alice Cable), Ray Wise, David Hess, Nicholas Worth, Don Knight, Al Ruban, Dick Doruck, Ben Bates, Nanette Brown

CREEPSHOW (1982) DIR George A. Romero PROD Richard P. Rubinstein SCR Stephen King CAM Michael Gornick ED George A. Romero, Michael Spolan, Paul Hirsch, Pasquale Buba MUS John Harrison CAST Hal Holbrook, Adrienne Barbeau (Wilma Northrup [segment THE CRATE]), Fritz Weaver, Leslie Nielsen, Carrie Nye, E. G. Marshall, Viveca Lindfors, Ed Harris, Ted Danson, Stephen King, Tom Atkins

THE THING (1982) DIR John Carpenter PROD David Foster SCR Bill Lancaster (novella “Who Goes There?” [1938] by John W. Campbell Jr.) CAM Dean Cundey ED Todd C. Ramsay MUS Ennio Morricone CAST Kurt Russell, Wilford Brimley, T. K. Carter, David Clennon, Keith David, Richard Dysart, Charles Hallahan, Peter Maloney, Richard Masur, John Carpenter, Adrienne Barbeau (Computer voice [uncredited])

THE TIME TRAVELER, a.k.a. THE NEXT ONE (1984) DIR – SCR Nico Mastorakis PROD Constantine Vlachakis CAM Aris Stavrou ED George Rosenburg MUS Stanley Myers CAST Keir Dullea, Adrienne Barbeau (Andrea), Peter Hobbs, Jeremy Licht, Phaedon Georgitsis, Betty Arvaniti, Danos Lygizos, Mihalis Giannatos

BACK TO SCHOOL (1986) DIR Alan Metter PROD Chuck Russell SCR Harold Ramis, Steven Kampmann, William Porter, PJ Torokvei (story by Rodney Dangerfield, Greg Fields, Dennis Snee) CAM Thomas E. Ackerman ED David Rawlins MUS Danny Elfman CAST Rodney Dangerfield, Sally Kellerman, Burt Young, Keith Gordon, Adrienne Barbeau (Vanessa), Robert Downey Jr., Sam Kinison, Ned Beatty, M. Emmet Walsh, Danny Elfman

OPEN HOUSE (1987) DIR Jag Mundhra PROD Sandy Cobe SCR David Mickey Evans (story by Jag Mundhra) CAM Robert Hayes ED Dan Selakovich MUS Jim Studer CAST Joseph Bottoms, Adrienne Barbeau (Lisa Grant), Rudy Damos, Mary Stavin, Scott Thompson Baker, Darwyn Swalve, Robert Miano, Page Mosely, Johnny Haymer, Leonard Lightfoot

CANNIBAL WOMEN IN THE AVOCADO JUNGLE OF DEATH (1989) DIR – SCR J. F. Lawton PROD Gary W. Goldstein CAM Robert Knouse ED King Louis, King Wilder MUS Carl Dante CAST Bill Maher, Shannon Tweed, Adrienne Barbeau (Dr. Kurtz), Karen M. Waldron, Brett Stimely, Barry Primus, James MacKrell, Paul Ross, Vicky Varner, Alan David Gelman

DUE OCCHI DIABOLICI, a.k.a. TWO EVIL EYES (1990) DIR Dario Argento, George A. Romero PROD Achille Manzotti SCR Dario Argento, George A. Romero, Franco Ferrini, Peter Koper (short stories “The Black Cat” [1843] and “The Facts in the Case of Mr. Valdemar” [1845] by Edgar Allan Poe) CAM Peter Reniers, Giuseppe Maccari ED Pasquale Buba MUS Pino Donaggio CAST Adrienne Barbeau (Jessica Valdemar [segment THE FACTS IN THE CASE OF MR. VALDEMAR]), Ramy Zada, Bingo O’Malley, Jeff Howell, E. G. Marshall, Harvey Keitel, Sally Kirkland, Kim Hunter, Martin Balsam, Tom Atkins

FATHER HOOD (1993) DIR Darrell Roodt PROD Anant Singh, Nicholas Pileggi, Gillian Gorfil SCR Scott Spencer CAM Mark Vicente ED David Heitner MUS Patrick O’Hearn CAST Patrick Swayze, Halle Berry, Diane Ladd, Sabrina Lloyd, Brian Bonsall, Michael Ironside, Bob Gunton, Adrienne Barbeau (Celeste), Georgann Johnson

DEMOLITION MAN (1993) DIR Marco Brambilla PROD Joel Silver, Michael Levy, Howard G. Kazanjian SCR Peter M. Lenkov, Robert Reneau, Daniel Waters (story by Peter M. Lenkov, Robert Reneau) CAM Alex Thompson ED Stuart Baird MUS Elliot Goldenthal CAST Sylvester Stallone, Wesley Snipes, Sandra Bullock, Nigel Hawthorne, Benjamin Bratt, Bob Gunton, Glenn Shadix, Adrienne Barbeau (Computer voice [uncredited])

SILK DEGREES (1994) DIR Armand Garabidian PROD Alan B. Bursteen SCR Robert Gottlieb, Stuart Gibbs, Douglas Sloan CAM William Boatman ED Jose Ponce MUS Larry Wolff CAST Marc Singer, Deborah Shelton, Michael Des Barres, Adrienne Barbeau (Violet), Charles Napier, Gilbert Gottfried, Mark Hamill, Billy Ray Orme

JUDGE DREDD (1995) DIR Danny Cannon PROD Charles Lippincott, Beau Marks SCR William Wisher, Steven E. de Souza (story by William Wisher, Michael De Luca; character created by John Wagner, Carlos Ezquerra) CAM Adrian Biddle ED Alex Mackie, Harry Keramidas MUS Alan Silvestri CAST Sylvester Stallone, Armand Assante, Diane Lane, Rob Schneider, Joan Chen, Jurgen Prochnow, Max von Sydow, Joanna Miles, Adrienne Barbeau (Central [voice only, uncredited])

A WAKE IN PROVIDENCE (1999) DIR Rosario Roveto Jr. PROD Rosario Roveto Jr., Vincent Pagano, Patrick Coppola SCR Billy Van Zandt, Jane Milmore, Vincent Pagano, Mike Pagano CAM Mark Cohl ED Gareth O’Neil MUS Ed Alton CAST Vincent Pagano, Victoria Rowell, Mike Pagano, Adrienne Barbeau (Aunt Lidia), Lisa Raggio, Billy Van Zandt, John Mariano, Mark DeCarlo, Jane Milmore

THE CONVENT (2000) DIR Mike Mendez PROD Jed Nolan SCR Chaton Anderson (also story) CAM Jason Lowe ED John Rosenberg MUS Joseph Bishara CAST Joanna Canton, Richard Trapp, Jason Dax Miller, Renée Graham, Liam Kyle Sullivan, Megahn Perry, Chaton Anderson, Adrienne Barbeau (Adult Christine), Kelly Mantle, Coolio

ACROSS THE LINE (2000) DIR Martin Spottl PROD Brian Duncan SCR Martin Spottl, Sigal Erez CAM Maximo Munzi ED Ivan Ladizinsky MUS Charlie Daniels CAST Brad Johnson, Sigal Erez, Brian Bloom, Marshall Teague, Adrienne Barbeau (Mrs. Randall), Tony Perez, Dave Silva, Julia Vera, Jullian Dulce Vida, Justin Urich

NO PLACE LIKE HOME (2002) DIR Craig Clyde PROD Bryce W. Fillmore SCR (story by Craig Clyde, Bryce W. Fillmore) CAM Gary Eckert ED Doug Boyd MUS Jasper Randall CAST Judge Reinhold, Joanna Pacula, Bruce Weitz, Geoff Stults, Alana Austin, Richard Moll, Clayton Taylor, Adrienne Barbeau (Evie), Pamela Nielsen, Jonathan Meyers

GHOST ROCK (2003) DIR – PROD Dustin Rikert SCR Michael Worth (story by Dustin Rikert) CAM Bernie Abramson ED Paul Tarantino MUS Jeff MacDonald, Soon Hee Newbold, Brian Balmages CAST Gary Busey, Michael Worth, Jeff Fahey, Adrienne Barbeau (Mattie Baker), Craig Wasson, Jenya Lano, James Hong, John Laughlin, Rance Howard, David Jean Thomas, Christa Sauls, Dustin Rikert

UNHOLY (2007) DIR Daryl Goldberg PROD Daryl Goldberg, Thomas R. Rondinella SCR Sam Freeman (story by Daryl Goldberg, Sam Freeman) CAM Jeff Maher ED Savvas Paritsis CAST Adrienne Barbeau (Martha), Nicholas Brendon, Siri Baruc, Cheyenne Casebier, Merwin Goldsmith, Susan Willis, Joseph McKenna, Ron Patrick

FLY ME TO THE MOON (2007, animated) DIR Ben Stassen PROD Caroline Van Iseghem, Charlotte Huggins, Mimi Maynard, Brian Medavoy SCR Dominic Paris MUS Ramin Djawadi CAST (voice only) Christopher Lloyd, Kelly Ripa, Nicolette Sheridan, Tim Curry, Trevor Gagnon, Philip Bolden, Ed Begley Jr., Adrienne Barbeau (Scooter’s Mom), Robert Patrick

REACH FOR ME (2008) DIR LeVar Burton PROD Charlene Blaine, Susan R. Rodgers, Mark Rolfe SCR Michael Bruce Adams CAM Kris Krosskove ED Avril Beukes MUS Julio Reyes Copello CAST Seymour Cassel, Adrienne Barbeau (Valerie), Alfre Woodard, Johnny Whitworth, Lacey Chabert, Charlene Blaine, Larry Hankin, LeVar Burton, Susan R. Rodgers, Don Agronsky

BRING ME THE HEAD OF LANCE HENRICKSEN (2010) DIR – SCR Michael Worth PROD Michael Worth, Alex Ballar, Kassi Crews, Gigi Garner CAM Chia-Yu Chen ED Junior Bonner CAST Tim Thomerson, Lance Henricksen, Adrienne Barbeau (Adrienne), Frank Cassavetes, Margot Farley, Eileen Grubba, Art LaFleur, John Saxon, Michael Worth

COMPLACENT (2012) DIR – SCR Steven R. Monroe PROD Steven R. Monroe, Corey Allen Jackson, Dean Alioto CAM Neal Lisk ED Mark Stepp MUS Corey Allen Jackson CAST Cerina Vincent, Kerri Green, Joey Kern, Keir O’Donnell, Elisa Donovan, Michael Worth, Christophe Showerman, Melanie Monroe, Adrienne Barbeau (Judy Sanderson), Jan Munroe, Dean Alioto

ARGO (2012) DIR Ben Affleck PROD Ben Affleck, George Clooney, Grant Heslov SCR Chris Terrio (memoir “The Master of Disguise” [1999] by Tony Mendez; Wired article “The Great Escape: How the CIA Used a Fake Sci-Fi Flick to Rescue Americans from Tehran” [2007] by Joshuah Bearman) CAM Rodrigo Prietro ED William Goldenberg MUS Alexandre Desplat CAST Ben Affleck, Bryan Cranston, Alan Arkin, John Goodman, Victor Garber, Tate Donovan, Clea DuVall, Scoot McNairy, Rory Cochrane, Adrienne Barbeau (Nina/Serksi the Gallactic Witch)

DIVINE ACCESS (2015) DIR Steven Chester Prince PROD Steven Chester Prince, Kevin Matusow, Terry G. Jones, Billy Burke, Carissa Buffel SCR Steven Chester Prince, John A. O’Connell, Michael Zagst CAM Julie Kirkwood ED Kindra Marra MUS Casey McPherson CAST Billy Burke, Patrick Warburton, Joel David Moore, Sarah Shahi, Dora Madison, Adrienne Barbeau (Catherine), Gary Cole, Michael Zagst

TALES OF HALLOWEEN (2015) DIR Darren Lynn Bousman, Axelle Carolyn, Adam Gierasch, Neil Marshall, Lucky McKee, Mike Mendez, David Parker, Ryan Schifrin, John Skipp, Andrew Kasch, Paul Solet PROD Jace Anderson, Shaked Berenson, Tada Chae, Patrick Ewald, Vanessa Menendez, Mike De Trana, Axelle Carolyn, Mike Mendez SCR Axelle Carolyn, Andrew Kasch, Neil Marshall, Mike Mendez, Lucky McKee, Dave Parker, Ryan Schifrin, John Skipp, Molly Millions, Billy Jackson, Clint Sears, Greg Simmons (created by Axelle Carolyn) CAM Jan-Michael Losada, Zoran Popovic, David Tayar, Alex Vendler, Richard J. Vialet, Joseph White, Scott Winig MUS Lalo Schifrin, Christopher Drake, Christian Henson, Joseph Bishara, Michael Sean Colin, Haim Frank Ilfman, Bobby Johnston, Austin Wintory, Edwin Wendler ED Matthew Barry, Josh Ethier, Andrew Kasch, Mike Mendez, Vanessa Menendez, Eddie Oswald, Dave Parker, Zach Passero, Brian J. Smith, Sean Tretta CAST Adrienne Barbeau (Radio DJ), Hunter Smit, Cameron Easton, Caroline Williams, Robert Rusler, Clare Kramer, Greg Grunberg, Daniel DiMaggio, Austin Falk, Barry Bostwick, John Landis, John Savage, Joe Dante

ISRA 88 (2016) DIR – PROD Thomas Zellen SCR Thomas Zellen, Jordan Champine CAM Lon Stratton MUS Ryan Stratton CAST Casper Van Dien, Sean Maher, Eden Riegel, Adrienne Barbeau (Dr. Withersford), Chris Newman, William Matthews, Leila Garza Stockwell, Kaelin Stockwell, Jennifer Kincer, Andrew Huff

DEATH HOUSE (2017) DIR B. Harrison Smith PROD Steven Chase, Rick Finkelstein SCR B. Harrison Smith (original story by Gunnar Hansen) CAM Matt Klammer ED Colin Smith MUS John Avarese CAST Bill Moseley, Tony Todd, Nicole Cinaglia, Cortney Palm, Kane Hodder, Kenny Ray Powell, Debbie Rochon, Gunnar Hansen, Dee Wallace, Adrienne Barbeau (Virtual narrator)

HELL’S KITTY (2018) DIR – SCR Nicholas Tana PROD Nicholas Tana, Denise Acosta MUS Richard Albert Bretschneider CAST Nicholas Tana, Lisa Younger, Adam Rucho, Nina Kate, Nina Hartley, Lee Meriwether, Michael Berryman, Adrienne Barbeau (Mrs. Carrie), Creep Creepersin, Barbara Nedeljakova, Winter Williams

BIG LEGEND (2018) DIR – SCR Justin Lee PROD Kevin Makely, Shawn Nightingale, Jamie Roberts, Andrew Garrettson CAM Adrian M. Pruett ED Michael Tang MUS Jared Forman CAST Kevin Makely, Todd A. Robinson, Amanda Wyss, Lance Henricksen, Adrienne Barbeau (Rita Laird)

MALEVOLENCE 3: KILLER (2018) DIR – PROD – CAM – ED – MUS Steven Mena CAST Katie Gibson, Kevin McKelvey, Victoria Mena, Adrienne Barbeau (Meredith Bristol), Scott Decker, Reed Davis, Graceann Dorse, David Lee Madison, Lynn Mastio Rice, Jay Cohen, Alli Caudle, Kelsey Deanne, Scott Kaye, Todd Litzinger

JIMMY’S JUNGLE (2018) DIR Michael J. Sarna PROD Michael J. Sarna, Joshua Wexler SCR Michael J. Sarna, Robert Henny, Rolfe Kanevsky (story by Michael J. Sarna) CAM Erick M. Crespo ED Michael J. Sarna, Michael D. Black, Dean Gonzalez MUS David Wurst, Eric Wurst CAST Andrew Ableson, Adrienne Barbeau (Tammy), Veronika Bonell, Zachary Friedman, Logan Gould, Harvey Guillén, Tom Kellen, Daniel Law, Aaron Miller

SWELL (2019) DIR – SCR Justin Lee PROD Justin Lee, Andrew Garrettson, Kevin Makely, Cory Pike CAM Adrian M. Pruett ED Michael Tang MUS Jared Forman CAST Summer Spiro, Corbin Bernsen, Adrienne Barbeau (Dr. Shields), Gabrielle Stone, Brennan Murray, Kuali’i Wittman, Kevin Makely

APPLE SEED (2019) DIR – SCR Michael Worth PROD Michael Worth, Dustin Rikert, Jennifer Kamstock, Jody Marriott Bar-Lev CAM Chia-Yu Chen ED Junior Bonner MUS Ian Hatton CAST Rance Howard, Michael Worth, Esther Anderson, Clint Howard, Adrienne Barbeau (Jolene), Robby Benson, Sarah De La Isla, Dasha Chadwick, Jennifer Kamstock, Johnny Jenkinson, Zephyr Benson, Jenya Lano

THE CHAIN (2019) DIR David Martín Porras PROD Elisa Lleras SCR Andres Rosende (story by David Martín Porras, Andres Rosende) CAM Phil Klucsaritz ED Frank Guttiérez MUS Arnau Bataller CAST John Patrick Amedori, Madeline Zima, Jamie Clayton, Dey Young, Neus Asensi, Adrienne Barbeau (Emma), Ray Wise, Kim Johnston Ulrich, Mary Pat Gleason, Elijah Nelson

EXORCISM AT 60,000 FEET (2019) DIR – ED Chad Ferrin PROD Robert Rhine SCR Robert Rhine, Daniel Benton CAM Christian Janss MUS Richard Band CAST Robert Miano, Bai Ling, Lance Henricksen, Bill Moseley, Adrienne Barbeau (Mrs. Montegue), Matthew Moy, Kevin J. O’Connor, Robert Rhine, Silvia Spross, Kelly Maroney, Kyle Jones, Stefanie Peti

HOAX (2019) DIR Matt Allen PROD Matt Allen, Michael Haskins, Mitch Dickman SCR Matt Allen, Scott Park CAM Scott Park ED Peder Morgenthaler MUS Alan Howarth CAST Cheryl Texiera, Ben Browder, Maximillian Decker, Shoshana Bush, Hutch Dano, Brian Thompson, Brian Landis Folkins, Schuyler Denham, Anthony Ray Parker, Adrienne Barbeau (Wilma), Karen Slack, Christopher Soren Kelly

GATES OF DARKNESS (2019) DIR – PROD – CAM Don E. FauntLeRoy SCR Lesley-Anne Down, Chris Kanik (story by Robert Hickman) ED Bryan Colvin MUS Justin Raines CAST Tobin Bell, John Savage, Adrienne Barbeau (Rosemary), Mary Mouser, Alisha Boe, Alexandra Davies, Lesley-Anne Down, Brandon Meemer, Carlene Moore

THE EAGLE AND THE ALBATROSS (2020) DIR – SCR Angela Shelton PROD Angela Shelton, Aly Drummond CAM Leonidas Jaramillo ED Craig Price MUS Jay Weigel CAST Amber Liu, Dan Lauria, Adrienne Barbeau (Pearl), Michael Badalucco, Jay Huguley, Jay Jay Warren, Chris Wylde, P. J. Marshall, Bryce Romero, Ritchie Montgomery, Angela Shelton

FOR THE LOVE OF JESSEE (2020) DIR David McAbee PROD Randy Kulina SCR David McAbee (story by Curta Edwards Schlarbaum) CAM David C. Smith ED Miguel Amodio CAST Randy Wayne, Mandahla Rose, Adrienne Barbeau (Katharyn), Tony Denman, Bre Blair, Curta Edwards Schlarbaum, Manu Intiraymi, Dennis Barraco

UNEARTH (2020) DIR – ED John C. Lyons, Dorota Swies PROD John C. Lyons, Dorota Swies, Allison McAtee, Marc Blucas SCR John C. Lyons, Kelsey Goldberg CAM Eunah Lee MUS Jane Saunders CAST Adrienne Barbeau (Kathryn Dolan), Marc Blucas, Allison McAtee, Brooke Sorenson, P. J. Marshall, Rachel McKeon, Monica Wyche, Chad Conley, Ryan Ball, Benjamin Sheeler, Brielle Brown

HELLBLAZERS (2022) DIR – SCR Justin Lee PROD Justin Lee, Daemon Hillin, Melanie Young CAM Logan Fulton ED Eamon Long, Crash Buist MUS Christopher Cano CAST Ed Morrone, Crash Buist, Tony Todd, Adrienne Barbeau (Georgia), Meg Foster, Courtney Gains, Billy Zane, John Kassir, Paige Sturges, Edward Finlay, Mike Ferguson, Danielle Gross, Sam Mason, Devin Reeve

HUSTLERS TAKE ALL (2024) DIR Dylan Vox PROD Dylan Vox, Marianne C. Wunch, Ashley Squires, Travis Pilat, Mattie Felbaum SCR Ellen Huggins, Jeremy M. Inman CAM Ryan Brown ED Jeremy M. Inman MUS Brian Steckler CAST Adrienne Barbeau (Priscilla), Kyla Burke, Carole Davis, Lilian Wouters, Brooke Maroon, Savoy Bailey, Sarah Buxton, Sam Bullington, Noah F. Madril, Troy Mundle, Dylan Vox

WATCHMEN CHAPTER I (2024, animated) DIR Brendan Vietti PROD Brandon Vietti, Cindy Rago SCR (adaptation by J. Michael Straczynski; comics created by Dave Gibbons, Alan Moore) ED Cris Mertens MUS Tim Kelly CAST (voice only) Troy Baker, Adrienne Barbeau (Sally Jupiter/Silk Spectre/TV Broadcaster), Corey Burton, Michael Cerveris, Jeffrey Combs, Grey DeLisle, Kelly Hu, John Marshall Jones, Max Koch, Matthew Rhys

WATCHMEN CHAPTER II (2024, animated) DIR Brendan Vietti, Vinton Heuck PROD Brandon Vietti, Cindy Rago, James Krieg SCR (adaptation by J. Michael Straczynski; comics created by Dave Gibbons, Alan Moore) ED Cris Mertens MUS Tim Kelly CAST (voice only) Troy Baker, Adrienne Barbeau (Sally Jupiter/Silk Spectre), Michael Cerveris, Grey DeLisle, Zehra Fazal, Phil Fondacaro, John Marshall Jones, Max Koch, Matthew Rhys

THE DEMON DETECTIVE (2025) DIR – SCR T. C. De Witt PROD T. C. De Witt, Grant Gilmore, Chad Halvorsen, Jon Kline, Dani J. Scott CAM – ED Matt Rasku CAST Doug Jones, Vivica A. Fox, Adrienne Barbeau (Abby), Tom Virtue, Matt Rasku, Eugene Young, Joy Regullano, Amir AboulEla, Rene Hack, Michelle Torian, Darrell Cherney, Phil Tyler, Clayton Conroy

THE PITCHFORK RETREAT (2025) DIR Gregory Van Voorhis, Nicole Van Voorhis PROD Gregory Van Voorhis, Nicole Van Voorhis, Michael Leavy, Jason Leavy, Steven Della Salla SCR Gregory Van Voorhis CAM Steven Della Salla, Nicholas Pietroniero ED William Nawrocki III MUS Robert Pycior, Joshua M. Benash CAST Tony Todd, Danielle Harris, Terry Kiser, Adrienne Barbeau (Elle), Nicole Van Voorhis, Dee Wallace, Andrew Divoff, Austin Pendleton, Joseph D. Reitman

HANNAH GOES TO HELL (2026) DIR Anne Welles PROD – SCR Anne Welles, Krsy Fox EXEC PROD Adrienne Barbeau, Tyler Connelly CAM Andy Patch ED Krsy Fox CAST Krsy Fox, Daniel Roebuck, Adrienne Barbeau, Aaron Abrams, Kirby Bliss Branton, Yoson An, Cooper Alexander, Kevin Keppy, Nelson Leis, Elle Riot Fox

ODDITIES (2026) DIR Tyler Savage PROD David Sherman Broad, Noah Lang, Max Neace EXEC PROD Adrienne Barbeau, Lucas Fleisher, Lilimar, Jamie Meyer, Lovie Simone CAM Antonio Cisneros ED Stephen Boyer CAST Will Oldham, Sarah Durn, Annie Fitzpatrick, Bonita Elery, Adrienne Barbeau, Xander Berkeley, Lucas Fleischer

TV MOVIES

THE GREAT HOUDINI (1976) DIR – TELEPLAY Melville Shavelson CAM Archie R. Dalzell ED John Woodcock CAST Paul Michael Glaser, Sally Struthers, Vivian Vance, Maureen O’Sullivan, Ruth Gordon, Bill Bixby, Peter Cushing, Nina Foch, Adrienne Barbeau (Daisy White), Wilfrid Hyde-White, Geoffrey Lewis

HAVING BABIES (1976) DIR Robert Day PROD Lew Gallo TELEPLAY Peggy Elliott CAM Jacques R. Marquette ED John McSweeney Jr. MUS Earle Hagen CAST Desi Arnaz Jr., Adrienne Barbeau (Allie Duggin), Ronny Cox, Harry Guardino, Tom Kennedy, Vicky Lawrence, Richard Masur, Greg Mullavey, Linda Purl, Jan Sterling, Karen Valentine, Abe Vigoda, Jessica Walter, Barry Miller, Helen Hunt

RED ALERT (1977) DIR William Hale PROD Barry Goldberg TELEPLAY Sandor Stern (novel “Paradigm Red” [1975] by Harold King) CAM Ric Waite ED John A. Martinelli MUS George Aliceson Tipton CAST William Devane, Michael Brandon, Adrienne Barbeau (Judy Wyche), Ralph Waite, David Hayward, M. Emmet Walsh, Don Wiseman, Don Rausch, Jim Danko

HAVE I GOT A CHRISTMAS FOR YOU (1977) DIR Mark Daniels EXEC PROD Gilbert Cates, Joseph Cates TELEPLAY Jerome Coopersmith CAST Adrienne Barbeau (Marcia Levine), Milton Berle, Alex Cord, Harold Gould, Sheree North, Steve Allen, Jim Backus, Wolfman Jack, Herb Edelman, Jayne Meadows

CRASH, a.k.a. THE CRASH OF FLIGHT 401 (1978) DIR Barry Shear PROD Edward J. Montagne TELEPLAY Donald S. Sanford, Steve Brown (book “Crash” [1977] by Sarah Elder, Rob Elder) CAM Jacques R. Marquette, James Pergola ED Sam E. Waxman MUS Eddy Lawrence Manson CAST William Shatner, Adrienne Barbeau (Veronica Daniels), Eddie Albert, Brooke Bundy, Christoper Connelly, Lorraine Gary, Ron Glass, Sharon Gless, Joyce Jameson, Ed Nelson

SOMEONE’S WATCHING ME! (1978) DIR – TELEPLAY John Carpenter EXEC PROD Richard Kobritz CAM Robert B. Hauser ED Jerry Taylor MUS Harry Sukman CAST Lauren Hutton, Adrienne Barbeau (Sophie), Charles Cyphers, David Birney, Grainger Hines, Len Lesser, John Mahon, James Murtaugh, J. Jay Saunders

THE DARKER SIDE OF TERROR (1979) DIR Gus Trikonis PROD – TELEPLAY Al Ramrus, John Herman Shaner CAM Donald M. Morgan ED Ann E. Mills MUS Paul Chihara CAST Robert Forster, Adrienne Barbeau (Margaret Corwin), David Sheiner, John Lehne, Ray Milland, Denise DuBarry, Thomas Bellin

TOP OF THE HILL (1979) DIR Walter Grauman PROD John Cutts TELEPLAY Eric Bercovici (story by Irwin Shaw) CAM Andrew Laszlo ED Jerry Young MUS George Duning CAST Adrienne Barbeau (Elizabeth Stone), Sonny Bono, Peter Brown, J. D. Cannon, Macdonald Carey, Rae Dawn Chong, Denise DuBarry, Mel Ferrer, Gary Lockwood, Paula Prentiss, Elke Sommer

VALENTINE MAGIC ON LOVE ISLAND (1980) DIR Earl Bellamy PROD Patricia Finnegan, Bill Finnegan TELEPLAY Robert Hilliard, Madeline B. David, Earl Kurland CAM Ken Lamkin ED O. Nicholas Brown MUS Peter Matz CAST Dominique Dunne, Adrienne Barbeau (Beverly McGraw), Bill Daily, Howard Duff, Dody Goodman, Lisa Hartman, Rick Hurst, Christopher Knight, Janis Paige, Bob Seagren

TOURIST (1980) DIR Jeremy Summers PROD James Rich Jr. TELEPLAY Norman Hudis, David Lawrence (story by Norman Hudis, David Lawrence; book “Tourist” [1973] by Gerald Green) CAM Norman Langley ED Stanford Tischler, Larry L. Mills MUS Jack Smalley CAST Lee Meriwether, Bradford Dillman, Lois Nettleton, Adrienne Barbeau (Barbara Huggins), Bonnie Bedelia, John Ireland, Marisa Berenson

CHARLIE AND THE GREAT BALLOON CHASE (1981) DIR Larry Elikan PROD Fran Sears TELEPLAY Art Wallace CAM Dennis Dalzell ED Peter Parasheles MUS Glenn Paxton CAST Jack Albertson, Adrienne Barbeau (Susan O’Neill), John Reilly, Slim Pickens, William Bogert, Pat Cooper, Bert Freed, Anne Seymour, William Sadler

SEDUCED (1985) DIR Jerrold Freedman PROD Franklin R. Levy TELEPLAY Charles Robert Carner CAM Tak Fujimoto ED Anthony Redman MUS Patrick Williams CAST Gregory Harrison, Cybill Shepherd, Jose Ferrer, Michael C. Gwynne, Ray Wise, Adrienne Barbeau (Barbara Orloff), Mel Ferrer, Jordan Christopher

BRIDGE ACROSS TIME, a.k.a. TERROR AT LONDON BRIDGE (1985) DIR E. W. Swackhamer PROD Jack Michon, Richard Maynard TELEPLAY William F. Nolan CAM Gil Hubbs ED Leslie Dennis Bracken, Thomas Fries MUS Lalo Schifrin CAST David Hasselhoff, Sepfanie Kramer, Randolph Mantooth, Adrienne Barbeau (Lynn Chandler), Clu Gulager, Lindsay Bloom, Ken Swofford, Rose Marie, Lane Smith

ULTRAMAN: THE ADVENTURE BEGINS (1987, animated) DIR Ray Patterson, Mitsuo Kusakabe PROD Noboru Tsuburaya TELEPLAY Kelly Ward, Jeff Segal, John Loy, John Eric Seward, Eric Lewald (original story by Noboru Tsuburaya) CAM Toshiaka Morita ED Naoyuki Masaki MUS Shinsuke Kazado CAST (voice only) Michael Lembeck, Chad Everett, Adrienne Barbeau (Lt. Beth O’Brien/Ultrawoman Beth), Stacy Keach Sr., Lorna Patterson, Robert David Hall, Ed Gilbert

BLOOD RIVER (1991) DIR Mel Damski PROD Andrew Gottlieb TELEPLAY John Carpenter CAM Robert M. Baldwin, Gary B. Kibbe ED Bernard Gribble MUS William Goldstein CAST Rick Schroder, Wilford Brimley, John P. Ryan, Mills Watson, Henry Beckman, Dwight McFee, Adrienne Barbeau (Georgina), Don S. Davis, Jay Brazeau

DOUBLECROSSED (1991) DIR Roger Young PROD Ronald Tanet TELEPLAY Roger Young (story by Roger Young, Alex Lasker) CAM Donald M. Morgan ED Benjamin A. Weissman MUS Richard Bellis CAST Dennis Hopper, Robert Carradine, Richard Jenkins, Adrienne Barbeau (Debbie Seal), Don Wood, G. W. Bailey, Danny Trejo, Salvador Levy

BURIAL OF THE RATS (1995) DIR Dan Golden PROD Mike Elliott, Anatoly Fradis TELEPLAY Adrien Hein, Somtow Sucharitkul, Tara McCann (story “The Burial of the Rats” [1896] by Bram Stoker) CAM Vladimir Klimov ED Lorne Morris, John Gilbert MUS Eduard Artemyev CAST Adrienne Barbeau (The Queen), Maria Ford, Kevin Alber, Olga Kabo, Eduard Plaxin, Leonid Timtsunik, Maya Menglet

SHATTERED HEARTS: A MOMENT OF TRUTH MOVIE (1998) DIR James A. Contner PROD Tracey Jeffrey TELEPLAY Kathryn Pratt CAM Peter Benison ED Ron Spang MUS Stacy Widelitz CAST Beth Broderick, Scott Vickaryous, Katie Gratson, Malcolm Stewart, Teryl Rothery, Adrienne Barbeau (Nancy Muldenhower), Lochlyn Munro, Aaron Smolinski, Emmanuelle Chriqui

SPRING BREAK LAWYER (2001) DIR Alan Cohn PROD Roee Sharon TELEPLAY Adam ’Tex’ Davis CAM Feliks Parnell ED Marcelo Sansevieri MUS Roger Neill CAST Brad Raider, Busy Philipps, Sean Murray, Travis Wester, Adrienne Barbeau (Judge Stern), Gary Grubbs, Chris Wylde, Michael Spound, Joel Brooks, Shashawnee Hall, De Mann

THE SANTA TRAP (2002) DIR John Shepphird PROD Steve Jankowski TELEPLAY John Shepphird, Steve Jankowksi CAM Neal Brown ED Bryan Curb MUS Joseph Conlan CAST Shelley Long, Stacy Keach, Robert Hays, Dick Van Patten, Corbin Bernsen, Amanda Pays, Adrienne Barbeau (Alice), Sierra Abel, Brandon Michael DePaul

RING OF DARKNESS (2004) DIR David DeCoteau PROD Sylvia Hess TELEPLAY Matthew Jason Walsh, Michael Gingold CAM Matteo Londoni ED Danny Draven MUS Jojo Draven CAST Adrienne Barbeau (Alex), Ryan Starr, Stephen Martines, Jeremy Jackson, Eric Dearborn, Greg Cipes, Colin Bain, Matt T. Baker, John Wynn

DECEIT (2006) DIR Matthew Cole Weiss PROD Joe Pantoliano, Michael Horn, Scott Saldana, Bobby Schwartz, John S. Schwartz, Geoff Stults TELEPLAY Matthew Cole Weiss, Scott Malchus CAM Ruben O’Malley ED Grant Myers MUS Dan Silver CAST Emmanuelle Chriqui, Matt Long, Luke Mably, Pell James, Joe Pantoliano, Ashley Scott, Jon Abrahams, Adrienne Barbeau (Kathleen Darrow), Timothy Bottoms, Adam J. Smith, Ralph Garman

CHRISTMAS DO-OVER (2006) DIR Catherine Cyran PROD Jeffrey Schenk, Stephen P. Jarchow TELEPLAY Trevor Reed Cristow, Jacqueline David CAM Ken Blakey ED John Gilbert MUS Andrew Gross CAST Jay Mohr, Daphne Zuniga, David Millbern, Adrienne Barbeau (Trudi), Logan Grove, Ruta Lee, Nathan Webnar, Christopher Brown, Blaine Ross, Zach Cumer, Jack Axelrod

WAR WOLVES (2009) DIR – TELEPLAY Michael Worth PROD Mike Curb, Carole Curb Nemoy CAM Neil Lisk MUS Corey Allen Jackson CAST John Saxon, Tim Thomerson, Michael Worth, Adrienne Barbeau (Gail Cash), Natasha Alam, Kristi Clainos, Siri Baruc, Dan Southworth, Art LaFleur, Zosia Mamet

THE DOG WHO SAVED CHRISTMAS (2009) DIR – PROD Michael Feifer TELEPLAY Michael Ciminera, Richard Gnolfo (story by Michael Ciminera, Richard Gnolfo, Jeffrey Schenck) CAM Hank Baumert Jr. ED Bryan Roberts, Matt Steinauer MUS Andres Boulton CAST Dean Cain, Gary Valentine, Elisa Donovan, Sierra McCormick, Charlie Stewart, Joey Diaz, Mindy Sterling, Adrienne Barbeau (Cat Lady Mildred), Joe Torry

THE DOG WHO SAVED CHRISTMAS VACATION (2010) DIR – PROD Michael Feifer TELEPLAY Michael Ciminera, Richard Gnolfo, Peter Sullivan (story by Michael Ciminera, Richard Gnolfo, Jeffrey Schenck, Peter Sullivan) CAM Jeffrey D. Smith ED Sean Olson MUS Chad Rehmann, Andres Boulton CAST Dean Cain, Gary Valentine, Elisa Donovan, Casper Van Dien, Joey Diaz, Beth Shea, Mindy Sterling, Catherine Oxenberg, Adrienne Barbeau (Mildred)

THE MEMORY BOOK (2014) DIR Paul A. Kaufman PROD Robert Lee TELEPLAY Duane Poole CAM Boris Mojsovski ED Garry M. B. Smith MUS Jeff Toyne CAST Meghan Ory, Luke Macfarlane, Art Hindle, John Cassini, Stephanie Van Dyck, Adrienne Barbeau (Sarah Lund), Amitai Marmorstein, Nicola Cavendish, Michael Coleman, Lisa MacFadden

CURIOUS GEORGE: GO WEST, GO WILD (2020, animated) DIR Michael LaBash PROD Deirdre Brenner TELEPLAY Jana Howington, Sherri Stoner (story by Jana Howington; book series “Curious George” by Margret Rey, H. A. Rey) CAM Germaine Franco ED Luke Guidici CAST (voice only) Frank Welker, Jeff Bennett, Max Mittelman, April Stewart, Phil Morris, Adrienne Barbeau (Ginny’s Mom), Dee Bradley Baker

TV MINISERIES

THE BURDEN OF PROOF, a.k.a. SCOTT TUROW’S THE BURDEN OF PROOF (1992) DIR Mike Robe PROD John Perrin Fynn TELEPLAY John Gay (novel “The Burden of Proof” [1990] by Scott Turow) CAM Kees Van Oostrum ED Scott Vickrey, Benjamin A. Weissman MUS Craig Safan CAST Brian Dennehy, Hector Elizondo, Mel Harris, Victoria Principal, Stefanie Powers, Adrienne Barbeau (Silvia Hartnell), Concetta Tomei, Anne Bobby, Gail Strickland, Chelsie Ross

DIMENSION 404 (2017) DIR Matthew Arnold, Desmond Dolly, Freddie Wong, David Boyle, Stephen Cedars, Benji Kleiman PROD Desmond Dolly, Brian Udovich TELEPLAY Jacob Andrews, Will Campos, Desmond Dolly, Daniel Johnson, David Welch (story by Will Campos, Desmond Dolly, Daniel Johnson, David Welch) CAM John Salmon, Tarin Anderson, Steven Capitano Calitri ED Federico Conforti, Curtis Thurber, David Kashevaroff MUS Cris Velasco, Igor Nemirovsky CAST Catherine Farrington, Sarah Hyland, Constance Wu, Lorenza Izzo, Robert Bucjkley, Adrienne Barbeau (Wilma)

HARLAN COBEN’S SHELTER (2023) DIR Edward Ornelas, Christina Choe, Deborah Kampmeier, Patricia Cardoso PROD Charlotte Coben, Andrew Saxe TELEPLAY Harlan Coben, Charlotte Coben, Ed Decter (novel “Shelter” [2011] by Harlan Coben) CAM John B. Aronson, Sarah Cowley, Petr Hlinomaz ED Sean Cusack, Marnee Meyer, Guillermo de la Cal, Kate Rose Itzkowitz MUS Hannah Parrott CAST Jaden Michael, Constance Zimmer, Adrian Greensmith, Abby Corrigan, Sage Linder, Brian Altemus, Adrienne Barbeau (Ellen)

He is renowned for depicting real-life stories as well as projects that explore social class through character-driven stories.

The Festival screened two films of his, “High Fidelity” (2000) and “Florence Foster Jenkins” (2016), and he was the recipient of the Festival’s Coeur de Cristal d’Honneur. Since he reportedly only conducted two interviews at the Festival, including one for the Walloon TV station RTBF, I didn’t speak with him one-on-one.

Stephen Frears has always been a very creative and driving force, with, to this day, an impressive work rate, so a brief career overview is the least I can do to celebrate the work of the highly acclaimed and one of Britain’s most successful filmmakers. Over the years, he worked on both sides of the Atlantic with actors such as Albert Finney, Daniel-Day Lewis, John Hurt, Gary Oldman, Glenn Close, Michelle Pfeiffer, Keanu Reeves, Uma Thurman, John Cusack, Anjelica Huston, Annette Bening, George Clooney, Richard Dreyfuss, Dustin Hoffman, Penélope Cruz, Helen Mirren, Julia Roberts, Judi Dench, Bruce Willis, Meryl Streep, Hugh Grant, Patricia Arquette, Kathy Bates, Christopher Plummer, Catherine Zeta-Jones, Sally Hawkins, and Kate Winslet. I wonder if he has ever been starstruck.

He started his career in the 1960s with Karel Reisz and Lindsay Anderson as his early mentors, and his latest film so far is “The Lost King” (2022). The leading character in this film is Philippa Langley, played by Sally Hawkins—as always, giving a stunning performance; she struggles with chronic fatigue syndrome and feels overlooked at work and at home. After attending a performance of William Shakespeare’s play “The Tragedy of Richard III,” she becomes fascinated with the controversial king (he was king of England from 1483 until 1485). Shakespeare’s portrayal shows Richard III (1452-1485) as a villain, but Philippa believes history may have treated him unfairly. Driven by curiosity and passion, she begins researching his life which leads her to a parking lot in Leicester, where she believes his remains may be buried.

After gaining limited approval for an archaeological dig, Philippa’s theory proves correct. The excavation reveals a skeleton with injuries consistent with Richard III’s death in the Battle of Bosworth Field in August 1485—he was the last king of the House of York and the last English monarch to fall in battle. Scientific tests later confirm that the remains belong to the lost king.

The film highlights themes of perseverance, historical truth, and recognition, and celebrates Philippa Langley’s role in rewriting an important chapter of English history, reminding viewers that ordinary individuals can make extraordinary discoveries. Maybe “The Lost King” is the most definite Stephen Frears film to date, as he explores British social structures, especially class differences and institutional power; institutions vs. individuals; the elite vs. ordinary people.

His next film—at age 84—will be about Billy Wilder’s struggles to make his penultimate Hollywood-based film “Fedora” (1978). The making of the film is chronicled in fictionalized form in Jonathan Coe’s novel “Mr. Wilder & Me” (2020) on which the film is based.

Frears first gained prominence with his debut feature “Gumshoe” (1971), a noir detective spoof starring Albert Finney, followed by his work for British television—mostly for the BBC, working among a skilled roster of writers and actors, until he made the romantic comedy-drama “My Beautiful Laundrette” (1985), a landmark film of British cinema that introduced Daniel Day-Lewis. Set in London during the Thatcher years, the film reflects the fraught relationships between members of the Pakistani and English communities at that time. The story focuses on Omar (played by Gordon Warnecke), a British man of Pakistani origin, and his reunion and eventual romance with his childhood friend Johnny (Daniel Day-Lewis), now a street punk. The two become the caretakers and business managers of a launderette.

The film exemplifies his commitment to social realism, exploring race, sexuality, and capitalism through intimate character relationships rather than overt political speeches. It established a key feature of his style: an ability to dramatize broad social change through personal stories.

Consequently, the film launched Frears onto the Hollywood scene, with “Dangerous Liaisons” (1988) as his first American-financed film. With stars like Glenn Close, John Malkovich and Michelle Pfeiffer, and based on the 18th-century Laclos novel, he demonstrates visual elegance without sacrificing psychological sharpness. The film received worldwide critical acclaim and was nominated for five Academy Awards (winning two) and received five BAFTA Award noms (another two wins). Two years later, he directed the dark, psychologically complex noir, “The Grifters,” co-produced by Martin Scorsese. ‘I was always waiting for Martin to phone. One day he rang. He had seen “Laundrette” and thought that the man who made this must make “The Grifters.” I thought this was brilliant,’ he told SUR in 2024.

“The Grifters” follows a lifelong con artist (played by Anjelica Huston) who reunites with her estranged son (John Cusack) and, along with his girlfriend (Annette Bening), becomes embroiled in a complex web of criminal activity. The film earned Frears his first of two Academy Award nominations for Best Director (the Oscar went to Kevin Costner for “Dancing With Wolves”).

The rest of his career showed his ability to balance between ambitious Hollywood projects like the comedy-drama “Hero” (1992) starring Dustin Hoffman and Geena Davis, or “Mary Reilly” (1996) starring Julia Roberts—although this one was shot in the U.K.—with more modest British film endeavours such as “The Snapper” (1994) or “The Van” (1996).

A wonderful blending of genre and social critique appears in “Dirty Pretty Things” (2002), a thriller starring French actress Audrey Tautou about undocumented immigrants in London. Here, Frears employs suspense conventions—shadowy interiors, tight pacing, moments of danger—while maintaining a grounded realism. The tension never overshadows the humanity of the characters, especially thanks to his empathy for marginalized characters.

Performance is always crucial in Frears’ work. He is widely regarded as an actor’s director, known for drawing nuanced and restrained performances. In “The Queen” (2006), for example, which earned Helen Mirren as Queen Elizabeth II an Academy Award for Best Actress, he examines the British royal family’s response to Princess Diana’s death in 1997. Frears adopts a calm, observational tone; the cinematography is understated, often favoring medium shots and natural lighting. Rather than dramatizing events through sensationalism, Frears allows subtle gestures, pauses, and shifts in expression to convey tension. His trust in actors to communicate complexity has been his trademark since his early films.

For “The Queen” he earned his second Academy Award nomination for Best Director; Martin Scorsese won for “The Departed.”

Frears’ attention to character extends to his exploration of other real-life figures in his films. In his British-Irish film “Philomena” (2013), Frears balances humor and sorrow in recounting a woman’s search for her lost son when he tells the true story of Philomena Lee, an Irish woman who fell victim to the convents and laundries of the notorious Magdalene Sisters. Played by Judi Dench as an elderly woman, she was forced to give up her toddler son nearly fifty years ago; she kept it a secret from her family, but has been searching for him ever since, with Steve Coogan (a highly underrated actor, he also co-wrote the screenplay) playing a disillusioned and cynical journalist, who decides to set off with her and tries to help her find her lost son.

Shot in the U.K. and in the U.S., the film’s tonal control is particularly notable. Moments of warmth and wit coexist with profound injustice and grief. Frears avoids heavy-handed moralizing, instead presenting the emotional truth of the story through dialogue-driven scenes and intimate framing.

“Philomena” (2013, trailer)

Another defining aspect of Frears’ work is moral ambiguity. His films rarely divide characters into heroes and villains. In “High Fidelity” (2000, another American film of his) starring John Cusack, for example, he explores romantic immaturity with humor and irony, yet without condemning his protagonist outright. The film’s playful direct address to the audience contrasts with the more restrained style of his dramas, illustrating Frears’ adaptability. Even in lighter material, he maintains psychological insight and emotional authenticity.

Several of his projects are based on or inspired by true events, as most of his work during the past decade indicates, with films such as “The Program” (2015), starring American actor Ben Foster portraying former cyclist Lance Armstrong; “Florence Foster Jenkins” (2016) which earned Meryl Streep her twentieth Academy Award nomination for playing the title character, a New York heiress (1868-1944) and an aspiring opera singer, despite her poor singing abilities; the historical drama “Victoria & Abdul” (2017) about the real-life relationship between Queen Victoria (played by Judi Dench) and her Indian Muslim servant Abdul Karim (role for Ali Fazal)—twenty years after Judi Dench was a Best Actress Oscar contender for her role as a younger version of Victoria in “Mrs. Brown”; and the three-part 2018 British television comedy-drama miniseries “A Very English Scandal,” a dramatization of the 1976–1979 Jeremy Thorpe scandal and more than 15 years of events leading up to it, starring Hugh Grant as the British politician.

Across his body of work, Frears demonstrates a consistent fascination with how institutions—whether political systems, class structures, religious organizations, or media cultures—shape individual behavior. His films are character-driven rather than plot-driven, and their emotional impact arises from subtle shifts in relationships rather than dramatic spectacle.

‘Making a film is a journey of discovery. It’s a way of learning about life,’ he repeatedly said in interviews. His long and rewarding career has seen him work in countless genres: westerns, detective stories, comedies. Contrary to his early years as a young filmmaker in the 1960s and early 1970, he was amused by the rise of the auteur theory, and the idea of directors as visionaries. ‘I never believed all that rubbish. I haven’t had a vision in my life,’ he told The Financial Times in 2015.

To this day, he still bounces back and forth between film and television, with the TV miniseries “The Regime” (2024), starring Kate Winslet and Matthias Schoenaerts, as one of his latest efforts for the small screen.

FILMS

MORGAN: A SUITABLE CASE FOR TREATMENT (1966) DIR Karel Reisz ASSISTANT DIR Stephen Frears [uncredited] PROD Leon Clore SCR David Mercer CAM Gerry Turpin, Larry Pizer ED Tom Priestley, Jack Harris MUS John Dankworth CAST Vanessa Redgrave, David Warner, Robert Stephens, Irene Handl, Bernard Bresslaw, Arthur Mullard, Newton Blick

IF…. (1968) DIR Lindsay Anderson ASSISTANT DIR Stephen Frears[uncredited] PROD Lindsay Anderson, Michael Medwin, Albert Finney SCR David Sherwin (original screenplay “Crusaders” by David Sherwin, John Howlett) CAM Miroslav Ondricek ED David Gladwell MUS Marc Wilkinson CAST Malcolm McDowell, Christine Noonan, Richard Warwick, David Wood, Robert Swann, Rupert Webster, Hugh Thomas

GUMSHOE (1971) DIR Stephen Frears PROD Michael Medwin SCR Neville Smith CAM Chris Menges ED Charles Rees MUS Andrew Lloyd Webber CAST Albert Finney, Billie Whitelaw, Frank Finlay, Janice Rule, Carolyn Seymour, Fulton Mackay, George Innes, George Silver, Bill Dean, Neville Smith

LONG SHOT (1978) DIR – PROD Maurice Hatton SCR Eoin McCann (story by Maurice Hatton) ED Howard Sharp MUS Terry Dougherty CAST Charles Gormley, Neville Smith, Ann Zelda, David Stone, Suzanne Danielle, Ron Taylor, Wim Wenders, Stephen Frears (Biscuit Man), Jim Haines, Maurice Bulbulian, William Forsythe, Alan Bennett, Susannah York, John Boorman

THE HIT (1984) DIR Stephen Frears PROD Jeremy Thomas SCR Peter Prince CAM Mike Molloy ED Mick Audsley MUS Paco de Lucía CAST John Hurt, Tim Roth, Laura del Sol, Terence Stamp, Jim Broadbent, Fernando Rey, Willoughby Gray, Bill Hunter

MY BEAUTIFUL LAUNDRETTE (1985) DIR Stephen Frears PROD Sarah Radclyffe, Tim Bevan SCR Hanif Kureishi CAM Oliver Stapleton ED Mick Audsley MUS Ludis Tonalus [Stanley Myers, Hans Zimmer] CAST Saeed Jaffrey, Roshan Seth, Daniel Day-Lewis, Gordon Warnecke, Shirley Anne Field, Derrick Branche, Souad Faress, Rita Wolf

PRICK UP YOUR EARS (1987) DIR Stephen Frears PROD Andrew Brown SCR Alan Bennett (book “Prick Up Your Ears: The Biography of Joe Orton” [1987] by John Lahr) CAM Oliver Stapleton ED Mick Audsley MUS Stanley Myers CAST Gary Oldman, Alfred Molina, Vanessa Redgrave, Wallace Shawn, Lindsay Duncan, Julie Walters, James Grant, Frances Barber, Derek Jarman

SAMMY AND ROSIE GET LAID (1987) DIR Stephen Frears PROD Sarah Radclyffe, Tim Bevan SCR Hanif Kureishi CAM Oliver Stapleton ED Mick Audsley MUS Stanley Myers CAST Shashi Kapoor, Frances Barker, Claire Bloom, Ayub Kahn Din, Roland Gift, Wendy Gazelle, Badi Uzzaman, Suzette Llewellyn

DANGEROUS LIAISONS (1988) DIR Stephen Frears PROD Norma Heyman, Hank Moonjean SCR Christopher Hampton (also play “Les Liaisons Dangereuses” [1985]; novel “Les Liaisons Dangereuses” [1782] by Pierre Choderlos de Laclos) CAM Philippe Rousselot ED Mick Audsley MUS George Fenton CAST Glenn Close, John Malkovich, Michelle Pfeiffer, Swoozie Kurtz, Keanu Reeves, Mildred Natwick, Uma Thurman, Peter Capaldi, Joe Sheridan, Valerie Gogan

THE GRIFTERS (1990) DIR Stephen Frears PROD Martin Scorsese, Martin A. Harris, Jim Painten SCR Donald E. Westlake (novel “The Grifters” [1963] by Jim Thompson) CAM Oliver Stapleton ED Mick Audsley MUS Elmer Bernstein CAST John Cusack, Anjelica Huston, Annette Bening, Jan Munroe, Stephen Tobolowsky, Jimmy Noonan, Henry Jones, Juliet Landau, Martin Scorsese (voice only)

HERO, U.K. title ACCIDENTAL HERO (1992) DIR Stephen Frears PROD Laura Ziskin SCR David Webb Peoples (story by David Webb Peoples, Alvin Sargent, Laura Ziskin) CAM Oliver Stapleton ED Mick Audsley MUS George Fenton CAST Dustin Hoffman, Geena Davis, Andy Garcia, Joan Cusack, Kevin J. O’Connor, Maury Chaykin, Stephen Tobolowsky, Christian Clemenson, Tom Arnold, Chevy Chase, Edward Herrmann

MARY REILLY (1996) DIR Stephen Frears PROD Norma Heyman, Nancy Graham Tanen, Ned Tanen SCR Christopher Hampton (novel “Mary Reilly” [1990] by Valerie Martin, inspired by the novella “Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde” [1886] by Robert Louis Stevenson) CAM Philippe Rousselot ED Lesley Walker MUS George Fenton CAST Julia Roberts, John Malkovich, George Cole, Michael Gambon, Kathy Staff, Glenn Close, Michael Sheen, Ciarán Hinds

THE VAN (1996) DIR Stephen Frears PROD Lynda Myles SCR Roddy Doyle (also novel “The Van” [1991]) CAM Oliver Stapleton ED Mick Audsley MUS Richard Hartley, Eric Clapton CAST Colm Meany, Donal O’Kelly, Ger Ryan, Caroline Rothwell, Neilí Conroy, Rúaidhrí Conroy, Brendan O’Carroll, Stuart Dunne, Jack Lynch

THE HI-LO COUNTRY (1998) DIR Stephen Frears PROD Martin Scorsese, Tim Bevan, Barbara De Fina, Eric Fellner SCR Walon Green (novel by Max Evans) CAM Oliver Stapleton ED Masahiro Hirakubo MUS Carter Burwell CAST Woody Harrelson, Billy Crudup, Patricia Arquette, Penélope Cruz, Katy Jurado, Sam Elliott, Cole Hauser, Enrique Castillo, Darren E. Burrows, Jacob Vargas, Robert Knott

HIGH FIDELITY (2000) DIR Stephen Frears PROD Rudd Simmons, Tim Bevan SCR John Cusack, Scott Rosenberg, D. V. DeVincentis, Steve Pink CAM Seamus McGarvey ED Mick Audsley MUS Howard Shore CAST John Cusack, Jack Black, Lisa Bonet, Joelle Carter, Joan Cusack, Sara Gilbert, Iben Hjejle, Natasha Gregson Wagner, Tim Robbins, Catherine Zeta-Jones, Beverly D’Angelo, Bruce Springsteen

LIAM (2000) DIR Stephen FrearsPROD Martin Tempia, Colin McKeown SCR Jimmy McGovern CAM Andrew Dunn ED Kristina Hetherington MUS John Murphy CAST Anthony Borrows, Ian Hart, Claire Hackett, Dave Hart, Megan Burns, Anne Reid, Russell Dixon, Julia Deakin, Andrew Schofield

DIRTY PRETTY THINGS (2002) DIR Stephen Frears PROD Robert Jones, Tracey Seaward SCR Steven Knight CAM Chris Menges MUS Nathan Larson CAST Chiwetel Ejiofor, Audrey Tautou, Sergi López, Sophie Okonedo, Benedict Wong, Kriss Dosanjh, Zlatko Buric

MRS. HENDERSON PRESENTS (2005) DIR Stephen Frears PROD Norma Heyman SCR Martin Sherman (book by Sheila van Damm; idea from David Rose, Kathy Rose) CAM Andrew Dunn ED Lucia Zucchetti MUS George Fenton CAST Judi Dench, Bob Hoskins, Kelly Reilly, Christopher Guest, Will Young, Thelma Barlow, Anna Brewster, Rosalind Halstead, Sarah Solemani, Natalia Tena

THE QUEEN (2006) DIR Stephen Frears PROD Christine Langan, Tracey Seaward, Andy Harries SCR Peter Morgan CAM Affonso Beato ED Lucia Zucchetti MUS Alexandre Desplat CAST Helen Mirren, John Cromwell, Alex Jennings, Roger Allam, Sylvia Syms, Tim McMullan, Robin Soans, Douglas Reith, Michael Sheen, Helen McCrory

CHÉRI (2009) DIR Stephen FrearsPROD Tracey Seaward, Thom Mount, Bill Kenwright, Andras Hamori SCR Christopher Hampton (novels “Chéri” [1920] and “The Last of Chéri” [1926] by Colette) CAM Darius Khondji ED Lucia Zucchetti MUS Alexandre Desplat CAST Michelle Pfeiffer, Rupert Friend, Felicity Jones, Kathy Bates, Frances Tomelty, Tom Burke, Joe Sheridan, Toby Kebbell, Iben Hjejle, Stephen Frears (Narrator)

JEAN CHARLES (2009) DIR Henrique Goldman PROD Henrique Goldman, Luke Schiller, Carlos Nader EXEC PROD Stephen Frears, Raul Schmidt, Rebecca O’Brien, Tristan Whalley, Nicki Parfitt SCR Henrique Goldman, Marcelo Starobinas CAM Guillermo Escalon ED Kerry Kohler MUS Nitin Sawhney CAST Selton Mello, Renu Setna, Vanessa Giácomo, Marek Oravec, Bruno Bilotta, Daniel de Oliveira, Denise Stephenson, Julian Harries, Sidney Magal, Craig Henderson

TAMARA DREWE (2010) DIR Stephen Frears PROD Tracey Seaward, Paul Trijbits, Alison Owen SCR Moira Buffini (graphic novel by Poisy Simmonds) CAM Ben Davis ED Mick Audsley MUS Alexandre Desplat CAST Gemma Arterton, Roger Allam, Bill Camp, Dominic Cooper, Luke Evans, Tamsin Greig, Jessica Barden

LAY THE FAVORITE (2012) DIR Stephen Frears PROD D. V. DeVincentis, Paul Trijbits, Anthony Bregman, Randall Emmett, George Furla SCR D. V. DeVincentis (memoir “Lay the Favorite” [2010] by Beth Raymer) CAM Michael McDonough ED Mick Audsley MUS James Seymour Brett CAST Bruce Willis, Rebecca Hall, Vince Vaughn, Catherine-Zeta Jones, Joshua Jackson, Joel Murray, Corbin Bernsen, Frank Grillo

PHILOMENA (2013) DIR Stephen Frears PROD Steve Coogan, Tracey Seaward, Gabrielle Tana SCR Steve Coogan, Jeff Pope (book “The Lost Child of Philomena Lee” [2009] by Martin Sixsmith) CAM Robbie Ryan ED Valerio Bonelli MUS Alexandre Desplat CAST Judi Dench, Steve Coogan, Sophie Kennedy Clark, Mare Winningham, Barbara Jefford, Ruth McCabe, Peter Hermann, Sean Mahon

THE PROGRAM (2015) DIR Stephen Frears PROD Tracey Seaward, Tim Bevan, Eric Fellner, Kate Solomon SCR John Hodge (book “Seven Deadly Sins: My Pursuit of Lance Armstrong” [2012] by David Walsh) CAM Danny Cohen ED Valerio Bonelli MUS Alex Heffes CAST Ben Foster, Chris O’Dowd, Guillaume Canet, Jesse Plemons, Lee Place, Denis Ménochet, Edward Hogg, Dustin Hoffman, Elaine Cassidy

FLORENCE FOSTER JENKINS (2016) DIR Stephen Frears PROD Tracey Seaward, Michael Kuhn SCR Nicholas Martin, Julia Kogan CAM Danny Cohen ED Valerio Bonelli MUS Alexandre Desplat CAST Meryl Streep, Hugh Grant, Simon Hellberg, Rebecca Ferguson, Nina Arianda, Stanley Townsend, Allan Corduner, Christian McKay, David Haig

VICTORIA & ABDUL (2017) DIR Stephen Frears PROD Tracey Seaward, Tim Bevan, Eric Fellner, Beeban Kidron SCR Lee Hall (book “Victoria & Abdul: The True Story of the Queen’s Closest Confidant” [2010] by Shrabani Basu) CAM Danny Cohen ED Melanie Oliver MUS Thomas Newman CAST Judi Dench, Ali Fazal, Tim Pigott-Smith, Eddie Izzard, Adeel Akhtar, Michael Gambon, Paul Higgins, Olivia Williams, Fenella Woolgar

THE LOST KING (2022) DIR Stephen Frears PROD Steve Coogan, Christine Langan, Dan Winch SCR Steve Coogan, Jeff Pope (book “The King’s Grave: The Search for Richard III” [2013] by Philippa Langley, Michael Jones) CAM Zac Nicholson ED Pia Di Ciaula MUS Alexandre Desplat CAST Sally Hawkins, Steve Coogan, Harry Lloyd, Shonagh Price, Helen Katamba, Lewis Macleod, Jenny Douglas, Robert Jack

WILDER AND ME (2026) DIR Stephen Frears PROD Jeremy Thomas SCR Stephen Frears, Christopher Hampton CAST Maya Hawke, Christoph Waltz, Jon Hamm, John Turturro

TV MOVIES

DAFT AS A BRUSH (1975) DIR Stephen Frears PROD Graeme MacDonald TELEPLAY Adrian Mitchell CAM Brian Tufano CAST Lynn Redgrave, Jonathan Pryce, David Baker, Betsy Blair, Celia Hewitt, Harry Matkham, Christine Buckley, Jane Lowe, Peter Wallis

THREE MEN IN A BOAT (1975) DIR Stephen Frears PROD Rosemary Hill TELEPLAY Tom Stoppard (book “Three Men in a Boat” [1889] by Jerome K. Jerome) CAM Brian Tufano ED Robin Sales, Ken Pearce MUS David Fanshawe CAST Tim Curry, Michael Palin, Stephen Moore, Bill Stewart, Michael Elphick, John Blain, George Innes, Russell Dixon, Mary MacLeod

BLACK CHRISTMAS (1977) DIR Stephen Frears PROD Tara Prem TELEPLAY Michael Abbensetts CAM John Williams ED Andrew Page CAST Carmen Munroe, Norman Beaton, Shope Shodeinde, Janet Bartley, Stefan Kalipha, Linda Goddard

ME! I’M AFRAID OF VIRGINIA WOOLF (1978) DIR – PROD Stephen Frears TELEPLAY Alan Bennett CAM Barry Noakes ED Jon Costelloe MUS George Fenton CAST Neville Smith, Julie Walters, Frank Middlemass, Robert Longden, Olga Grahame, Rosa Roberts, Thora Hird, Carol MacReady, Margaret Courtenay

DORIS AND DOREEN (1978) DIR – PROD Stephen Frears TELEPLAY Alan Bennett ED Graham Roberts MUS George Fenton CAST Prunella Scales, Patricia Routledge, Pete Postlethwaite, Joan Sanderson

AFTERNOON OFF (1979) DIR – PROD Stephen Frears TELEPLAY Alan Bennett CAM Charles Stewart ED Andrew Page MUS George Fenton CAST Henry Man, Benjamin Whitrow, Angela Morant, Pasquale Perrino, Philip Jackson, Harold Innocent, Pete Postlethwaite, Stan Richards, Harry Markham, Jackie Shinn, Elizabeth Spriggs, Alan Bennett

ALL DAY ON THE SANDS (1979) DIR Giles Foster PROD Stephen FrearsTELEPLAY Alan Bennett CAM Barry Noakes, Paul Bond ED Jon Costelloe MUS George Fenton CAST Marjorie Yates, Alun Armstrong, Gary Carp, Susan Hopkins, Jane Freeman, Ken Jones, Helene Palmer, Lynne Carol, Clifford Kershaw

THE OLD CROWD (1979) DIR Lindsay Anderson PROD Stephen FrearsTELEPLAY Alan Bennett MUS George Fenton CAST John Moffat, Isabel Dean, Philip Stone, Frank Grimes, Peter Jeffrey, Rachel Roberts, Jill Bennett, Peter Bennett, Valentine Dyall, Cathleen Nesbitt, Adele Leigh, David King

ONE FINE DAY (1979) DIR – PROD Stephen Frears TELEPLAY Alan Bennett CAM Charles Stewart, Diane Tammes ED Andrew Page, Udayan Prasard MUS George Fenton CAST Dave Allen, Robert Stephens, Dominic Guard, Barbara Leigh-Hunt, Leslie Sands, Harold Innocent, Benjamin Whitrow, Edward de Souza, Toby Salaman

BLOODY KIDS (1980) DIR Stephen Frears PROD Barry Hanson TELEPLAY Stephen Poliakoff (also original idea) CAM Chris Menges ED Peter Coulson MUS George Fenton CAST Derrick O’Connor, Gary Holton, Richard Thomas, Peter Clark, Gwyneth Strong, Caroline Embling, Jack Douglas, Mel Smith, Brenda Fricker

WALTER (1982) DIR Stephen Frears PROD Nigel Evans TELEPLAY David Cook (also novel “Walter” [1978]) CAM Chris Menges ED Mick Audsley MUS George Fenton CAST Ian McKellen, Barbara Jefford, Arthur Whybrow, Tony Melody, David Ryall, Londa Polan, Keith Allen, Lesley Clare O’Neil, Jim Broadbent

WALTER & JUNE (1983) DIR Stephen Frears PROD Richard Creasey TELEPLAY David Cook (also novel “Winter Doves” [1981]) CAM Chris Menges ED Mick Audsley MUS George Fenton CAST Ian McKellen, Sarah Miles, John Gordon Sinclair, Tony Doyle, Jim Broadbent, Christine Hargreaves, Katherine Schofield, Debby Bishop, Rowan Wylie

THE LAST COMPANY CAR (1983) DIR Stephen Frears PROD Lynn Horsford TELEPLAY Mike Stott CAST Paul Jesson, Kevin Kennedy, Melanie Kilburn, Kevin Lloyd, Eileen O’Brien, Duncan Preston, David Ross, Brian Southwood

SAIGON: YEAR OF THE CAT (1983) DIR Stephen Frears PROD Michael Dunlop, Verity Lambert TELEPLAY David Hare CAM Jim Howlett ED Oscar Webb MUS George Fenton CAST Judi Dench, Frederic Forrest, Roger Rees, Chic Murray, Yim Hoontrakul, Pichit Bulkul, Wallace Shawn, Manning Redwood, Rong Wongsawan, Josef Sommer, E.G. Marshall

DECEMBER FLOWER (1984) DIR Stephen Frears PROD Roy Roberts TELEPLAY Judy Allen CAM Ray Goode ED Edward Mansell MUS Richard Hartley CAST Mona Washbourne, Jean Simmons, Bryan Forbes, June Ritchie, Ann-Marie Gwatkin, Richard Werner, Richard Hope, Jim Carter

BEYOND FEAR (1997) DIR Jenny Wilkes PROD Jill Green EXEC PROD Stephen Frears, Linda James, Julia Weston TELEPLAY Don Shaw (book by Stephanie Slater, Pat Lancaster) CAM Nina Kellgren ED Budge Tremlett MUS Robert Lockhart CAST Sylvester McCoy, Phil Croft, Gina McKee, Bob Mason, Davyd Harries, Martin Nee, Iain Rogerson, James Grant

FAIL SAFE (2000) DIR Stephen Frears, Martin Pasetta PROD Tom Park TELEPLAY Walter Bernstein (novel “Fail-Safe” [1962] by Eugene Burdick, Harvey Wheeler) CAM John A. Alonzo CAST Richard Dreyfuss, George Clooney, Brian Dennehy, James Cromwell, Noah Wyle, Norman Lloyd, Hank Azaria, Don Cheadle, Harvey Keitel

THE DEAL (2003) DIR Stephen Frears PROD Christine Langan TELEPLAY Peter Morgan (book “The Rivals: The Intimate Story of a Political Marriage” [2001] by James Naughtie) CAM Alwin H. Küchler ED Lucia Zucchetti MUS Nathan Larson CAST David Morrissey, Matt Blair, Michael Sheen, Dexter Fletcher, Philippe De Grossouvre, Eilidh Fraser, Frank Kelly, Stauart McQuarrie, Peter Morgan

SKIP TRACER (2008) DIR Stephen Frears PROD Patty Long TELEPLAY Robin Green, Mitchell Burgess ED Alan Heim CAST Stephen Dorff, Diedrich Bader, Martha Higareda, Beverly D’Angelo, Michael Trotter, Steffany Huckaby, Natasha Gregson Wagner, John Heard

MUHAMMAD ALI’S GREATEST FIGHT (2013) DIR Stephen Frears PROD Scott Ferguson TELEPLAY Shawn Slovo (book “Muhammad Ali’s Greatest Fight: Cassius Clay vs. the United States of America” [2000] by Mark Wallace, Howard L. Bingham) CAM Jim Denault ED Mick Audsley MUS George Fenton CAST Christopher Plummer, Frank Langella, Ed Begley Jr., Peter Gerety, Barry Levinson, John Bedford Lloyd, Fritz Weaver, Danny Glover

TV MINISERIES

A VERY ENGLISH SCANDAL (2018) DIR Stephen Frears [3/3 episodes] PROD Dan Winch EXEC PROD Stephen Frears, Russell T. Davies, Peter Czernin, Graham Broadbent, Dominic Treadwell-Collins, Lucy Richer, Diarmuid McKeown TELEPLAY Russell T. Davies (book “A Very English Scandal: Sex, Lies and a Murder Plot at the Heart of the Establishment” [2016] by John Preston) CAM Danny Cohen ED Pia Di Ciaula MUS Murray Gold CAST Hugh Grant, Ben Whishaw, Alex Jennings, Patricia Hodge, Paul Hilton, Naomi Battrick, Michele Dotrice, Blake Harrison, Andrew French

THE LOUDEST VOICE (2019) DIR Stephen Frears [1/7 episodes] PROD Tamara Isaac TELEPLAY Gabriel Sherman, Jennifer Stahl, Laura Eason, John Harrington Bland, Tom McCarthy, Alex Metcalf (book “The Loudest Voice in the Room: How the Brilliant, Bombastic Roger Ailes Built Fox News – and Divided a Country” [2014] and New York magazine articles by Gabriel Sherman) CAM William Rexer, Nim Norman, Eigil Bryld ED Padriac McKinley, Matthew Woolley, Vanessa Procopio, Greg O’Bryant MUS Marcelo Zarvos CAST Russell Crowe, Sienna Miller, Seth MacFarlane, Annabelle Wallis, Simon McBurney, Aleksa Palladino, Josh Stamberg, Naomi Watts

QUIZ (2020) DIR Stephen Frears [3/3 episodes] PROD Alice Pearse EXEC PROD Stephen Frears, James Graham, Dan Winch, William Village, Andy Harries TELEPLAY James Graham (book “Bad Show: The Quiz, The Cough, The Millionaire Major” [2015] by James Plaskett, Bob Woffinden; inspired by the play “Quiz” [2017] by James Graham) CAM Hubert Taczanowski ED Pia Di Ciaula MUS Murray Gold CAST Michael Sheen, Matthew Macfadyen, Sian Clifford, Mark Bonnar, Aisling Bea, Elliot Levey, Risteard Cooper, Trystan Gravelle, Michael Jibson, Helen McCrory

THE REGIME (2024) DIR Stephen Frears [3/6 episodes] PROD Seth Reiss EXEC PROD Stephen Frears, Kate Winslet, Tracey Seaward, Will Tracy, Frank Rich, Jessica Hobbs TELEPLAY Will Tracy, Sarah DeLappe, Seth Reiss, Gary Shteyngart, Jen Spyra, Juli Weiner CAM Alwin H. Küchler ED Peter Lambert, Paolo Pandolpho MUS Alexandre Desplat, Alex Heffes CAST Kate Winslet, Matthias Schoenaerts, Guillaume Gallienne, Danny Webb, Andrea Riseborough, Henry Goodman, David Bamber, Rory Keenan, Louie Mynett

BRIAN AND MAGGIE (2025) DIR Stephen Frears [2/2 episodes] PROD Dan Winch EXEC PROD Stephen Frears, Steve Coogan, James Graham, Harriet Walter, Delyth Scudamore, Sarah Monteith, Rupert Majendie TELEPLAY James Graham (book “Why Is This Lying Bastard Lying to Me? 25 Years of Searching for the Truth on Political TV” [2023] by Rob Burley) CAM Nathalie Pitters ED Anne Sopel MUS Murray Gold CAST Steve Coogan, Harriet Walter, Karan Gill, Ross Armstrong, Tom Mothersdale, Paul Clayton, Emma Sidi, Oliver Devoti

Whenever a winner is announced, the recipient gives a speech before a worldwide audience, and then goes to the press room for a short press conference. Next stop is the so-called engraving bar for the Oscar’s finishing touch where the winner’s engraved nameplates are attached onto their statuettes at the Governors Ball.

The company that manufactures the Oscar statuettes also creates the nameplates—for all nominees—in advance. These small metal plates are designed to fit perfectly on the base of the Oscar statuette. Each engraving mentions ‘Academy Award to,’ followed by the film title, category, name of the recipient, and year.

Once the Oscar winners get to the engraving bar, they say their name and in less than no time they can read what their nameplate says, only to confirm that the information on the plaque is correct, and their engraved plate is securely attached to the base of the statuette. This step transforms the generic trophy into a unique and official record of achievement in film history.

The Oscar gets a quick polish, and is handed back to the Oscar winner. Surrounded by professional photographers—along with selfies taken with their iPhones—they all capture that precious moment of glory.

The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences introduced this procedure in 2010, as reported by The Hollywood Reporter. Previously, Oscar winners had to bring their trophies to the Academy so the personalized nameplates could be attached.

“One Battle After Another” came into the night with the second most nominations (thirteen), and took home six Academy Awards: Best Picture, Best Director, Best Adapted Screenplay, Best Supporting Actor (with Sean Penn winning his third Oscar), Best Editing, and the newly created Best Casting—the first new category at the Academy Awards in twenty-five years, and the first competitive category added by the Academy since Best Animated Feature was introduced in 2001.

“Sinners” had the most nominations of any movie ever with sixteen, breaking the record for the most Oscar nominations, which was previously held by “All About Eve” (1950), “Titanic” (1997) and “La La Land” (2016) with fourteen nominations each.

“Gone With the Wind” (1939), still considered to be one of the most successful films ever made, had a total of thirteen nominations. Other films with thirteen nominations are “From Here to Eternity” (1953), “Mary Poppins” (1964), “Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf?” (1966), “Forrest Gump” (1994), “Shakespeare in Love” (1998), “The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Rings” (2001), “Chicago” (2002), “The Curious Case of Benjamin Button” (2008), “The Shape of Water” (2017), “Émilia Perez” (2024), and “One Battle After Another” (2025).

“Sinners” won four Oscars, including for Best Actor and Best Cinematography, with Autumn Durald Arkapaw becoming the first woman to win that award.

Since 2002, the Academy Awards have been held at the Dolby Theatre in Hollywood (called the Kodak Theatre prior to Kodak’s filing for bankruptcy in 2012). Previous venues for the ceremony have included Grauman’s Chinese Theatre on Hollywood Boulevard (1944–46), the Marquis Theater (1948), and the Los Angeles County Music Center (1969).

See the full list of nominees and winners at the 98th Academy Awards below; winners indicated in bold.

Film

“Bugonia” directed by Yorgos Lanthimos; produced by Ari Aster, Ed Guiney, Lars Knudsen, Jerry Kyoungboum Ko, Yorgos Lanthimos, Mikey Lee, Andrew Lowe, Emma Stone
“F1” directed by Joseph Kosinski; produced by Jerry Bruckheimer, Dede Gardner, Lewis Hamilton, Jeremy Kleiner, Joseph Kosinski, Chad Oman
“Frankenstein” directed by Guillermo del Toro; produced by J. Miles Dale, Guillermo del Toro, Scott Stuber
“Hamnet” directed by Chloé Zhao; produced by Nicolas Gonda, Pippa Harris, Liza Marshall, Sam Mendes, Steven Spielberg
“Marty Supreme” directed by Josh Safdie; produced by Ronald Bronstein, Eli Bush, Timothée Chalamet, Anthony Katagas, Georgina Pope, Josh Safdie
♦ “One Battle After Another” directed by Paul Thomas Anderson; produced by Paul Thomas Anderson, Sara Murphy, Adam Somner
“Oh Agente Secreto”/“The Secret Agent” directed by Kleber Mendonça Filho; produced by Emilie Lesclaux, Kleber Mendonça Filho
“Affeksjonsverdi”/“Sentimental Value” directed by Joachim Trier; produced by Maria Ekerhovd, Andrea Berentsen Ottmar
“Sinners” directed by Ryan Coogler; produced by Ryan Coogler, Zinzi Coogler, Sev Ohanian
“Train Dreams” directed by Clint Bentley; produced by Michael Heimler, Will Janowitz, Marissa McMahon, Ashley Schlaifer, Teddy Schwarzman

International feature film

“Oh Agente Secreto”/“The Secret Agent” (Brazil) directed by Kleber Mendonça Filho
“Yek tasadof-e sadeh”/“It Was Just an Accident” (France) directed by Jafar Panahi
♦ “Affeksjonsverdi”/“Sentimental Value” (Norway) directed by Joachim Trier
“Sirât” (Spain) directed by Oliver Laxe
“Sawt Hind Rajab”/“The Voice of Hind Rajab” (Tunisia) directed by Kaouther Ben Hania

Animated feature

“Arco” directed by Ugo Bienvenu, Gilles Cazaux; produced by Ugo Bienvenu, Félix de Givry, Sophie Mas, Natalie Portman
“Elio” directed by Adrian Molina, Madeline Sharafian, Domee Shi; produced by Mary Alice Drumm
♦ “Kpop Demon Hunters” directed by Chris Appelhans, Maggie Kang; produced by Michelle L. M. Wong
“Amélie et la métaphysique des tubes”/“Little Amélie or the Character of Rain” directed by Liane-Cho Han Jin Kuang, Maïlys Vallade; produced by Claire La Combe, Edwina Liard, Henri Magalon, Nidia Santiago, Stephanie Sheh, Michael Sinterniklaas
“Zootopia 2” directed by Jared Bush, Byron Howard; produced by Yvett Merino

Director

♦ Paul Thomas Anderson (“One Battle After Another”)
Ryan Coogler (“Sinners”)
Josh Safdie (“Marty Supreme”)
Joachim Trier (“Affeksjonsverdi”/“Sentimental Value”)
Chloé Zao (“Hamnet”)

Actor in a leading role

Timothée Chalamet (“Marty Supreme”)
Leonardo DiCaprio (“One Battle After Another”)
Ethan Hawke (“Blue Moon”)
♦ Michael B. Jordan (“Sinners”)
Wagner Moura (“Oh Agente Secreto”/“The Secret Agent”)

Actress in a leading role

♦ Jessie Buckley (“Hamnet”)
Rose Byrne (“If I Had Legs I’d Kick You”)
Kate Hudson (“Song Sung Blue”)
Renate Reinsve (“Affeksjonsverdi”/“Sentimental Value”)
Emma Stone (“Bugonia”)

Actor in a supporting role

Benicio Del Toro (“One Battle After Another”)
Jacob Elordi (“Frankenstein”)
Delroy Lindo (“Sinners”)
♦ Sean Penn (“One Battle After Another”)
Stellan Skarsgård (“Affeksjonsverdi”/“Sentimental Value”)

Actress in a supporting role

Elle Fanning (“Affeksjonsverdi”/“Sentimental Value”)
Inga Ibsdotter Lilleaas (“Affeksjonsverdi”/“Sentimental Value”)
♦ Amy Madigan (“Weapons”)
Wunmi Mosaku (“Sinners”)
Teyana Taylor (“One Battle After Another”)

Casting (new category)

Gabriel Domingues (“Oh Agente Secreto”/“The Secret Agent”)
Nina Gold (“Hamnet”)
♦ Cassandra Kulukundis (“One Battle After Another”)
Francine Maisler (“Sinners”)
Jennifer Venditti (“Marty Supreme”)

Original screenplay

♦ Ryan Coogler (“Sinners”)
Robert Kaplow (“Blue Moon”)
Jafar Panahi (“Yek tasadof-e sadeh”/“It Was Just an Accident”)
Josh Safdie, Ronald Bronstein (“Marty Supreme”)
Joachim Trier, Eskil Vogt (“Affeksjonsverdi”/“Sentimental Value”)

Adapted screenplay

♦ Paul Thomas Anderson (“One Battle After Another”)
Clint Bentley, Greg Kwedar (“Train Dreams)
Guillermo del Toro (“Frankenstein”)
Will Tracy (“Bugonia”)
Chloé Zhao, Maggie O’Farrell (“Hamnet”)

Original score

Alexandre Desplat (“Frankenstein”)
Jerskin Fendrix (“Bugonia”)
♦ Ludwig Goransson (“Sinners”)
Jonny Greenwood (“One Battle After Another”)
Max Richter (“Hamnet”)

Original song

Music by Nick Cave, Bryce Dessner; lyrics by Nick Cave (“Train Dreams” from “Train Dreams”)
♦ Music and lyrics by EJAE, Mark Sonnenblick, Joong Gyu Kwak, Yu Han Lee, Hee Dong Nam, Jeong Hoon Seo, Teddy Park (“Golden” from “Kpop Demon Hunters”)
Music and lyrics by Nicholas Pike (“Sweet Dreams of Joy” from “Viva Verdi!”)
Music and lyrics by Raphael Saadiq, Ludwig Goransson (“I Lied to You” from “Sinners”)
Music and lyrics by Diane Warren (“Dear Me” from “Diane Warren: Relentless”)

Cinematography

♦ Autumn Durald Arkapaw (“Sinners”)
Michael Bauma (“One Battle After Another”)
Darius Khondji (“Marty Supreme”)
Dan Laustsen (“Frankenstein”)
Adolpho Veloso (“Train Dreams”)

Editing

Olivier Bugge Coutté (“Affeksjonsverdi”/“Sentimental Value”)
♦ Andy Jurgensen (“One Battle After Another”)
Stephen Mirrione (“F1”)
Josh Safdie, Ronald Bronstein (“Marty Supreme”)
Michael P. Shawver (“Sinners”)

Production design

Production design by Hannah Beachler; set decoration by Monique Champagne (“Sinners”)
Production design by Fiona Crombie; set decoration by Alice Felton (“Hamnet”)
♦ Production design by Tamara Deverell; set decoration by Shane Vieau (“Frankenstein”)
Production design by Jack Fisk; set decoration by Adam Willis (“Marty Supreme”)
Production design by Florencia Martin; set decoration by Anthony Carlino (“One Battle After Another”)

Costume design

Miyako Bellizzi (“Marty Supreme”)
Ruth E. Carter (“Sinners”)
♦ Kate Hawley (“Frankenstein”)
Deborah L. Scott (“Avatar: Fire and Ash”)
Malgosia Turzanska (“Hamnet”)

Sound

♦ Gareth John, Al Nelson, Gwendolyn Yates Whittle, Gary A. Rizzo, Juan Peralta (“F1”)
Greg Chapman, Nathan Robitaille, Nelson Ferreira, Christian Cooke, Brad Zoern (“Frankenstein”)
José Antonio García, Christopher Scarabosio, Tony Villaflor (“One Battle After Another”)
Chris Welcker, Benjamin A. Burtt, Felipe Pacheco, Brandon Proctor, Steve Boeddeker (“Sinners”)
Amanda Villavieja, Laia Casanovas, Yasmina Praderas (“Sirât”)

Visual effects

♦ Joe Letteri, Richard Baneham, Eric Saindon, Daniel Barrett (“Avatar: Fire and Ash”)
Charlie Noble, David Zaretti, Russell Bowen, Brandon K. McLaughlin (“The Lost Bus”)
Michael Ralla, Espen Nordahl, Guido Wolter, Donnie Dean (“Sinners”)
Ryan Tudhope, Nicolas Chevallier, Robert Harrington, Keith Dawson (“F1”)
David Vickery, Stephen Aplin, Charmaine Chan, Neil Corbould (“Jurassic World Rebirth”)

Makeup and hairstyling

Ken Diaz, Mike Fontaine, Shunika Terry (“Sinners”)
Thomas Foldberg, Anne Cathrine Sauerberg (“Den stygge stesøsteren”/“The Ugly Stepsister”)
♦ Mike Hill, Jordan Samuel, Cliona Furey (“Frankenstein”)
Kazu Hiro, Glen Griffin, Bjoern Rehbein (“The Smashing Machine”)
Kyoko Toyokawa, Naomi Hibino, Tadashi Nishimatsu (“Kokuho”)

Documentary feature

“The Alabama Solution” directed by Andrew Jarecki, Charlotte Kaufman; produced by Andrew Jarecki, Charlotte Kaufman
“Come See Me in the Good Light” directed by Ryan White; produced by Jessica Hargrave, Tig Notaro, Ryan White, Stef Willen
“Cutting Through Rocks” directed by Mohammedreza Eyni, Sara Khaki; produced by Mohammedreza Eyni, Sara Khaki
♦ “Mr. Nobody Against Putin” directed by David Borenstein, Pavel Talankin; produced by David Borenstein
“The Perfect Neighbor” directed by Geeta Gandbhir; produced by Sam Bisbee, Geeta Gandbhir, Nikon Kwantu, Alisa Payne

Documentary short

“The Devil Is Busy” directed by Geeta Gandbhir, Christalyn Hampton; produced by Amber Fares, Christalyn Hampton
“Perfectly a Strangeness” directed by Alison McAlpine; produced by Alison McAlpine
“Children No More: ‘Were and Are Gone’” directed by Hilla Medalia; produced by Hilla Medalia, Sheila Nevins, Yael Melamede
“Armed Only with a Camera: The Life and Death of Brent Renaud” directed by by Brent Renaud, Craig Renaud; produced by Tami Alpert, Juan Arredondo, Jeff Newton, Christof Putzel, Mami Kuwano Renaud
♦ “All the Empty Rooms” directed by Joshua Seftel; produced by Trevor Burgess, James Costa, Conall Jones, Joshua Seftel

Live action short

“A Friend of Dorothy” directed by Lee Knight; produced by James Dean, Scottie Fotré, Max Marlow
“Butcher’s Stain” directed by Meyer Levinson-Blount; produced by Oron Caspi
“Jane Austen’s Period Drama” directed by Julia Aks, Steve Pinder; produced by Elli Legerski
♦ “The Singers” directed by Sam A. Davis; produced by David Breschel, Charlie Cohen, Sam A. Davis, Jack Piatt
♦ “Deux personnes échangeant de la salive”/“Two People Exchanging Saliva” directed by Natalie Musteata, Alexandre Singh; produced by Carol Cohen, Violeta Kreimer, Natalie Musteata, Alexandre Singh

Animated short

“Papillon”/“Butterfly” directed by Florence Miailhe; produced by Luc Camilli, Ron Dyens
“Forevergreen” directed by Nathan Engelhardt, Jeremy Spears; produced by Steph Gortz, Jennifer Gandrup Sackheim
♦ “The Girl Who Cried Pearls” directed by Chris Lavis, Maciek Szczerbowski; produced by Marc Bertrand, Christine Noël, Julie Roy
“Retirement Plan” directed by John Kelly; produced by Andrew Freedman, Julie Murnaghan
“The Three Sisters” directed by Konstantin Bronzit

Ms. Chaplin is the daughter of Charlie Chaplin (1889-1977); she was his fourth child, and the first of eight children with his fourth wife, Oona O’Neill (1925-1991). She first pursued a career as a dancer. Then she became a fashion model until she was discovered by filmmaker David Lean, who cast her as Tonya in the screen classic “Doctor Zhivago” (1965) opposite Omar Sharif and Julie Christie. It was the beginning of a long career in films, first as a leading lady in American and European films, and then as a renowned international character actress.

“LUKA” (2023, trailer)

Ms. Chaplin stars with Dutch actor Jonas Smulders (b. 1994) in this English-language film about Luka, a young and ambitious soldier, who embeds himself in the legendary Fort Kairos where heroic warriors, under the command of the General, played by Chaplin, defend the remains of civilization. His hopes to serve as an elite sniper are crushed when he is assigned to maintenance and must submit to the code of Kairos: obedience, endurance, sacrifice. As he rises through the ranks, Luka finds joy and strength in friendships with Konstantin (played by Samvel Tadevossian), an enigmatic radar engineer, and Geronimo (Django Schrevens), a light-hearted private.

Screen Daily wrote in its January 29, 2023, film review that the film is ‘elevated by spectacular settings and a magnetic supporting turn by iconic veteran Geraldine Chaplin.’ The International Cinephile Society concludes its review that ‘a uniformly strong cast of character actors like Jan Bijvoet and Sam Louwyck, and particularly the actors portraying those in charge, turn “LUKA” into a bizarre but beautiful meditative film about the fight between dogma and truth and perhaps a more poignant commentary on the stasis of Western society than one might think at first.’

Ms. Chaplin attended the Ostend Film Festival in January 2023 with Jessica Woodworth and several cast members, where “LUKA” was screened and where this interview was conducted.

Ms. Chaplin, how do you explain the chemistry between you and “LUKA” director Jessica Woodworth?

I don’t know. She’s just great, and she makes you feel what you have to feel. Maybe you don’t know what it is, maybe she even doesn’t know what it is, but it comes out. It comes through. There’s something about her that’s just magical. I didn’t know she was going to cast me for this film, but she did. She hopped out of the train station in Vevey and said, ‘Would you like to be in my next film?’ And I asked, ‘But isn’t it only men?’ She said, ‘Yes! Can you play a man??’ So, okay. The character I play doesn’t, in fact, come out as a man; it comes out as a sort of reptile—some strange being. I accepted the part because of Jessica; I greatly admire her work. So when she asked me, I thought, ‘Oh, another one! Good!’

Being the experienced actress you are, do you still need a lot of direction?

Of course. The director is the boss, so I obey the director. I was taught to obey the director. You transmit what the director is feeling. So, of course, I need direction. And with Jessica, it’s such a gift. I mean, she is so extraordinary.

How do you prepare for a role or a scene?

I used to write down everything, remember it, and I thought that was useful. Then you go through different stages of your career, and now I don’t prepare any more. Now I rely on the director. Many directors give you the dialogue in the morning, so you have to learn and use what you have. We rehearsed a lot, and although there was never enough time, we had that feeling, and that’s when you have to shoot. And with Jessica, it works. “LUKA” is a weird movie, but we live in very strange times. For me, it was a very emotional movie; the journey and the adventure were extraordinary. And from the first moment when you hear Luka’s voice saying ‘Mother’–that word alone, to me, that’s a killer. And until the last moment when he turns his back, and he leaves, that’s hope. I guess there is hope. I’m inclined to think there is hope.

You have worked with many great film directors, including David Lean. How do you remember working with him?

He was extraordinary—obviously. He didn’t want to mix with the actors. With Jessica, we have lunch, we have dinner. We do everything together, but he didn’t. He would stay in a different hotel; after the film, we became friends, and I asked him, ‘David, why did you never mix in with the actors?’ He said, ‘The script is there, the written word is there. You actors have very strong personalities, and I don’t want your personalities to rubble on your roles.’ So he was very distant. Some people said that he was very cold; he would go off into the desert and think. The producers were going mad until he came up with something. I loved working with him. Every director is a world. David Lean is one world. Jessica is another world.

And your father’s creative world remains as unique now as it was a century ago, right?

Yes, to me, it is. I never get tired of seeing his films. I’ve seen them all numerous times. What he could do with just one close-up… There’s that wonderful close-up in “The Great Dictator” [1940] during the last speech when he’s the little Jewish barber and then he becomes Hynkel, the dictator, and slowly his face becomes… it’s Charlie Chaplin, and he is bringing his message to the world. There’s hope in that message.

You inherited that craftmanship from him?

No, no. The only thing he taught was his discipline; he had great discipline. He was always the first on the set and the last to leave. He was such a disciplinarian. Unfortunately for us children he was also a disciplinarian with his kids, but he was Victorian and gave us good advice. He was able to express so much. You know, that scene in “City Lights” [1931] with the blind girl [played by Virginia Cherrill], how come she would think he was a rich man? It was driving him crazy. He did a million different things until he suddenly thought, ‘I know.’ She hears the car door that slams, and she thinks it’s a rich man’s car. That is pure genius, but I think he spent like three years or something finding that solution. How can you explain that she thinks he’s this rich man? How do you do that? The sound of a door banging. He never gave up.

Do you have his sense of perfectionism?

Definitely not, but I try to be perfect in everything that I do. It doesn’t usually turn out that way [laughs].

Your performances are always very enriching.

Well, the character I play in “LUKA” is so strange. That reptile—it’s not a man, we don’t know what it is—is so strange. We thought of all sorts of solutions. It was written as a man, but it comes out as some strange hybrid. I asked Jessica, ‘What can I do? Should I shave my head?’ Because I can shave my head, my hair will grow back. Then Jessica said, ‘No, that’s not necessary.’ I also worked on my voice; Jessica always said, ‘The voice. Lower, lower.’

What was it like to be a leading lady during the 1960s and 1970s?

It was always exciting; there was always something new, something to discover. There still is, I suppose. But in those days, there was alwayssomeone new to work with. It’s becoming less and less; I have less and less work now. The parts get shorter. I did a film called “Seneca” [a.k.a. “Seneca: On the Creation of Earthquakes,” 2023] with John Malkovich. When I read the script, my character disappears sort of halfway through the film. I thought, ‘Do I want to do that?’ Then I read it again and thought, ‘Hey, being a before-Christ drug addict, that’s not bad! I can try that!’ And that’s what it is, it’s a beastie druggie [laughs]. That’s something new. I mean, there are so many human beings, so there’s always another human being you can try to portray. Human beings are so rich—and weird. That’s the beauty of being an actor; you can research that person and find out what are the emotions of that person, and with the help of the director, obviously, try to get it right.

Is there a role you have played that you’re very proud of?

I think this one in “LUKA” is pretty good; I have played a man before. I played a children’s organ trafficker once, but this one was interesting. That whole military world, my God. It’s very relevant. We were in paradise, an emotional paradise when we made “LUKA.” The landscapes are amazing; that’s thanks to Jessica, she discovered them. We had the dam, but there’s no water, there’s nothing. With the stones from the quarry, they had rebuilt Siracusa. I believe they also shot the last “Indiana Jones” [“Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny,” 2023] there immediately afterward. Jessica said, ‘Thank God, they would have bought it’ [laughs].

Was it a difficult film to make?

Yes, I think it was for everyone. It was an adventure; we were all in it together. We knew it had to happen, and we had to get it right. It was a completely isolated area, also emotionally very isolating. The loneliness of that book is devastating. I think that when Jessica read the book, that must have been what came out. The film is so lonely, it’s heartbreaking and beautiful. And suddenly there’s that horse—it’s so strange.

Your father was one of the founders of United Artists in 1919. Do you know if he stayed in touch with his co-founders Douglas Fairbanks, Mary Pïckford, and D.W. Griffith for the rest of their lives?

I don’t know if they stayed in touch; I think there was a friction with Mary Pickford somewhere along the line. She wanted to buy half of United Artists, I think. My father had told her, ‘Name a price, give or take. Either I pay it, or you pay it.’ He always said that Douglas Fairbanks was his best friend. I don’t know if my father stayed in touch with D.W. Griffith. I wonder. My father would have mentioned it in his autobiography [“Charles Chaplin: My Autobiography,” 1964] or the biography by David Robinson [“Chaplin: His Life and Art,” 1985]. I don’t think they did, I don’t know why. They created United Artists against the big studios, which was amazing. That was very brave.

But of all the pioneers, your father was the only one who kept working his whole life.

Yes, he did. In the final years, when couldn’t really move much, he created the music for all his first films. Such a signature; when you hear that music, ‘Oh, that’s Charlie Chaplin.’

Also the fact that songs he wrote became hits during the pop-rock era.

Yes, Petula Clark was number one [with “This Is My Song,” from Chaplin’s final film “The Countess from Hong Kong,” 1967], before The Beatles. She kept coming back; I think she wanted some more songs [laughs]. Just dropping in, ‘Charlie, how are you doing?’ [Laughs.] And a song like ‘Smile’… that’s eternal. I remember my daughter and I had to sing it once; we did the Rod Stewart version. It still hits the Top Ten occasionally; it’s a beautiful song. When he wrote his songs, he would sit down at the piano. He didn’t know how to read music; he had never studied music. But then he would just sing along and use the tape recorder. Then something would come out and he’d get a music writer to write the music down. My father could play the piano, the violin, the cello, and he instinctively knew the range of each musical instrument. He’d say, ‘Now I want some violins, the hobos…’ That’s how he wrote his music.

Film Festival Ostend,
January 30, 2023

FILMS

LIMELIGHT (1952) DIR – PROD – MUS Charles Chaplin SCR Charles Chaplin (also original story) CAM Karl Struss ED Joe Inge CAST Charles Chaplin, Claire Bloom, Nigel Bruce, Buster Keaton, Sydney Chaplin, Norman Lloyd, Marjorie Bennett, Charles Chaplin Jr., Geraldine Chaplin (Little Girl on the Steps), Josephine Chaplin, Michael Chaplin, Oona Chaplin, Edna Purviance

PAR UN BEAU MATIN D’ÉTÉ, a.k.a. CRIME ON A SUMMER MORNING(1965) DIR Jacques Deray PROD Raymond Borderie, Paul-Edmond Decharme, Beniro Perojo SCR Jacques Deray, James Hadley Chase, Arturo Rigel, Didier Goulard, Marice Fabre, Georges Bardawill, M. Andriard (novel by James Hadley Chase) CAM Juan Julio Baena, Jean Charvein ED Monique Kirsanoff MUS Michel Magne CAST Jean-Paul Belmondo, Sophie Daumier, Geraldine Chaplin (Zelda), Alania Cade, Gabriele Ferzetti, Adolfo Celi, Akim Tamiroff

DOCTOR ZHIVAGO (1965) DIR David Lean PROD Carlo Ponti SCR Robert Bolt (novel by Boris Pasternak) CAM Freddie Young ED Norman Savage MUS Maurice Jarre CAST Geraldine Chaplin (Tonya), Julie Christie, Omar Sharif, Tom Courtenay, Alec Guinness, Shiobhan McKenna, Ralph Richardson, Rod Steiger, Rita Tushingham, Ingrid Pitt, Klaus Kinski, Adrienne Corri, Jack MacGowran

THE DOCTOR AND THE DEVIL (1965) DIR Nicholas Ray PROD Nicholas Ray, Raymond Brandt SCR Gore Vidal, Dylan Thomas CAST Geraldine Chaplin, Laurence Harvey, Barbara Steele, Susannah York, Margaret Johnston, Maximilian Schell, James Mason

ANDREMO IN CITTÀ (1966) DIR Nelo Risi PROD Franco Cancellieri SCR Nelo Risi, Edith Bruck, Jerzy Stefan Stawinski, Cesare Zavattini (story by Edith Bruck) CAM Tonino Dello Colli ED Giacinto Solito MUS Ivan Vandor CAST Geraldine Chaplin (Lenka Vitas), Nino Castelnuovo, Federico Scrobogna, Stefania Careddu, Aleksander Gavric

A COUNTESS FROM HONGKONG (1967) DIR – SCR – MUS Charles Chaplin PROD Charles Chaplin [uncredited], Jerome Epstein CAM Arthur Ibbetson ED Gordon Hales CAST Marlon Brando, Sophia Loren, Sydney Chaplin, Tippi Hedren, Patrick Cargill, Oliver Johnston, Margaret Rutherford, Geraldine Chaplin (Girl at Dance), Josephine Chaplin, Victoria Chaplin, Charles Chaplin

CASINO ROYALE (1967) DIR John Huston, Ken Hughes, Joseph McGrath, Robert Parrish, Richard Talmadge PROD Jerry Bresler, Charles K. Feldman SCR Wolf Mankowitz, John Law, Michael Sawyers (novel ‘Casino Royale’ [1953] by Ian Fleming) CAM Jack Hildyard ED Bill Lenny MUS Burt Bacharach CAST Peter Sellers, Ursula Andress, David Niven, Orson Welles, Joanna Pettet, Woody Allen, Deborah Kerr, William Holden, Charles Boyer, John Huston, George Raft, Jean-Paul Belmondo, Jacqueline Bisset, Geraldine Chaplin (Keystone Kop [uncredited]), Mireille Darc, Anjelica Huston, Caroline Munro, Peter O’Toole

J’AI TUÉ RASPOUTINE, a.k.a. I KILLED RASPUTIN (1967) DIR Robert Hossein EXEC PROD Maurice Jacquin SCR Robert Hossein, Alain Decaux, Claude Desailly (book by Paola Sanjust, Feliks Yusupov) CAM Henri Persin ED Jacqueline Thiédot MUS André Hossein CAST Gert Fröbe, Peter McEnery, Robert Hossein, Geraldine Chaplin (Mounia Golovine), Ivan Desny, Roger Pigaut, Feliks Yusupov

STRANGER IN THE HOUSE (1967) DIR Pierre Rouve PROD SCR Pierre Rouve (novel ‘Les Inconnus de la Maison’ by Georges Simenon) CAM Ken Higgins ED Ernest Walter MUS Patrick John Scott CAST James Mason, Geraldine Chaplin (Angela Sawyer), Bobby Darin, Paul Bertoya, Ian Ogilvy, Bryan Stanyon, Pippa Steel, Clive Morton

PEPPERMINT FRAPPÉ (1967) DIR Carlos Saura PROD Elías Querejeta SCR Carlos Saura, Rafael Azcona, Angelino Fons (story by Carlos Saura) CAM Luis Cuadrado ED Pablo G. del Amo MUS Luis de Pablo CAST Geraldine Chaplin (Elena/Ana), José Luis López, Alfredo Mayo, Emiliano Redondo, Ana María Custodio, María José Charfole

STRESS-ES TRES-TRES, a.k.a. STRESS IS THREE (1968) DIR Carlos Saura PROD Elías Querejeta SCR Carlos Saura, Angelino (story by Carlos Saura) Fons CAM Luis Cuadrado ED Pablo G. del Amo MUS Jaime Pérez CAST Geraldine Chaplin (Teresa), Juan Kuis Galiardo, Fernando Cebrián, Porfiria Sanchíz, Charo Soriano, Humberto Sempere

LA MADRIGUERA, a.k.a. HONEYCOMB (1969) DIR Carlos Saura PROD Elías Querejeta SCR Geraldine Chaplin, Carlos Saura, Rafael Azcona (idea by Carlos Saura) CAM Luis Cuadrado ED Pablo G. del Amo MUS Luis de Pablo CAST Geraldine Chaplin (Teresa), Per Oscarsson, Teresa del Río, Julia Peña, Emiliano Redondo, María Elena Flores, Jesús Nieto

THE HAWAIIANS (1970) DIR Tom Gries PROD Walter Mirisch SCR James R. Web (novel by James A. Michener) CAM Lucien Ballard, Philip H. Lathrop ED Ralph E. Winters, Byron Brandt MUS Henry Mancini CAST Charlton Heston, Geraldine Chaplin (Purity Hoxworth), John Phillip Law, Mako, Tina Chen, Alec McCowen, Don Knight, Miko Mayama

EL JARDÍN DE LAS DELICIAS, a.k.a. THE GARDEN OF DELIGHTS (1970) DIR Carlos Saura PROD Elías Querejeta SCR Carlos Saura, Rafael Azcona (idea by Carlos Saura) CAM Luis Cuadrado ED Pablo G. del Amo MUS Luis de Pablo CAST José Luis López Vázquez, Luchy Soto, Francisco Pierrá, Charo Soriano, Lina Canalejas, Julia Peña, Mayrata O’Wisiedo, Geraldine Chaplin (Guest [uncredited])

SUR UN ARBRE PERCHÉ, a.k.a. PERCHED ON A TREE (1971) DIR Serge Korber PROD Raymond Danon SCR Pierre Roustang (adaptation by Serge Korber, Jean Halain) CAM Edmond Séchan ED Marie-Claire Korber MUS Alain Goraguer CAST Louis de Funès, Geraldine Chaplin (Madame Muller), Alice Sapritch, Paul Préboist, Hans Meyer, Olivier de Funès

LA CASA SIN FRONTERAS, a.k.a. THE HOUSE WITHOUT FRONTIERSand A HOUSE WITHOUT BOUNDARIES (1972) DIR Pedro Olea EXEC PROD Imanol Olea, Jesús Sánchez SCR Pedro Olea, Juan Antonio Porto (story ‘Lluvia’ by José Agustín) CAM Luis Cuadrado ED José Antonio Rojo MUS Carmelo A. Bernaola CAST Geraldine Chaplin (Lucía Alfaro), Tony Isbert, Viveca Lindfors, José Orjas, Patty Shepard, Julio Peña, Luis Ciges, María Arias

Z.P.G. (1972) DIR Michael Campus PROD Tom Madigan SCR Max Ehrich, Frank De Felitta CAM Michael Reed ED Dennis Lanning MUS Jonathan Hodge CAST Oliver Reed, Geraldine Chaplin (Carol), Don Gordon, Diane Cilento, David Markham, Bill Nagy, Sheila Reid, Aubrey Woods

INNOCENT BYSTANDERS (1972) DIR Peter Collinson PROD George H. Brown SCR James Mitchell (also novel) CAM Brian Probyn ED Alan Patillo MUS Johnny Keating CAST Stanley Baker, Geraldine Chaplin (Miriam Loman), Donald Pleasence, Dana Andrews, Sue Lloyd, Derren Nesbitt, Vladek Sheybal

ANA Y LOS LOBOS, a.k.a. ANA AND THE WOLVES (1973) DIR Carlos Saura PROD Elías Querejeta SCR Carlos Saura, Rafael Azcona (story by Carlos Saura) CAM Luis Cuadrado ED Pablo G. del Amo MUS Luis de Pablo CAST Geraldine Chaplin (Ana), Fernando Fernán Gómez, José María Prada, José Vivó, Rafaela Aparicio, Charo Soriano

VERFLUCHT, DIES AMERIKA, a.k.a. YANKEE DUDLER and JAIDLER’S GANG (1973) DIR Volker Vogeler PROD Elías Querejeta SCR Volker Vogeler, Ulf Miehe, Bernardo Fernández (story by Volker Vogeler, Ulf Miehe, Bernardo Fernández) CAM Luis Cuadrado ED Pablo G. del Amo MUS Luis de Pablo CAST Geraldine Chaplin (Kate Elder), William Berger, Francisco Algora, Arthur Brauss, Sigi Graue, Joaquín Rodríguez, Fred Stillkrauth

THE THREE MUSKETEERS (1973) DIR Richard Lester PROD Ilya Salkind SCR George MacDonald Fraser (novel by Alexandre Dumas) CAM David Watkin ED John Victor Smith MUS Michel Legrand CAST Oliver Reed, Raquel Welch, Richard Chamberlain, Michael York, Frank Finlay, Christopher Lee, Geraldine Chaplin (Queen Anne), Simon Ward, Faye Dunaway, Charlton Heston, Jean-Pierre Cassel, Spike Mulligan, Roy Kinnear, Joss Ackland, Sybil Danning

LE MARIAGE À LA MODE (1973) DIR – SCR Michel Mardure PROD Véra Belmont CAM Alain Derobe CAST Catherine Jourdan, Yves Beneyton, Maurice Bénichou, Sylvette Cabrisseau, Geraldine Chaplin, Philippe Clévenot

SOMMERFUGLENE, a.k.a. SUMMER OF SILENCE (1974) DIR Chris Boger CAST Geraldine Chaplin (Anne Zimmler), Sally Newton, Jonas Bergström, Marit Halset, Lars Nordrum, Paul Kael, Aud Fosse, Tor Åge Bringsværd

¿… Y EL PRÓJIMO? (1974) DIR Ángel del Pozo PROD Tadeo Villalba SCR Ángel del Pozo (also story) CAM José Luis Alcaine ED Pablo G. del Amo MUS Emilio de Diego CAST Geraldine Chaplin (Luisa), Antonio Ferrandis, Julián Mateos, Fernando Rey, Charo Soriano, Margot Cottens, Eduardo Fajardo, Juan Diego

THE FOUR MUSKETEERS (1974) DIR Richard Lester PROD Ilya Salkind, Michael Salkind SCR George MacDonald Fraser (novel by Alexandre Dumas) CAM David Watkin ED John Victor Smith MUS Lalo Schifrin CAST Oliver Reed, Raquel Welch, Richard Chamberlain, Michael York, Frank Finlay, Christopher Lee, Geraldine Chaplin (Queen Anne), Jean-Pierre Cassel, Simon Ward, Faye Dunaway, Charlton Heston, Roy Kinnear, Ángel del Pozo, Sybil Danning, Joss Ackland

NASHVILLE (1975) DIR – PROD Robert Altman SCR Joan Tewkesbury CAM Paul Lohman ED Sidney Levin, Dennis M. Hill MUS Arlene Barnett, Jonnie Barnett, Karen Black, Ronee Blakley, Gary Busey, Keith Carradine, Juan Grizzle, Allan F. Nicholls, Dave Peel, Joe Rapaso CAST Keith Carradine, Karen Black, Ronee Blakley, Shelley Duvall, Geraldine Chaplin (Opal), Scott Glenn, Jeff Goldblum, Barbara Harris, Lily Tomlin, Keenan Wynn, Elliott Gould, Julie Christie, Joan Tewkesbury

CRÍA CUERVOS (1976) DIR – SCR Carlos Saura PROD Elías Querejeta CAM Teo Escamalli ED Pablo G. del Amo CAST Geraldine Chaplin (María/Ana), Ana Torrent, Conchita Pérez, Mayte Sanchez, Mónica Randall, Florinda Chico, Josefina Díaz

BUFFALO BILL AND THE INDIANS, OR SITTING BULL’S HISTORY LESSON (1976) DIR – PROD Robert Altman SCR Robert Altman, Alan Rudolph (play ‘Indians’ by Arthur Koppit) CAM Paul Lohmann ED Dennis M. Hill, Peter Appleton MUS Richard Baskin CAST Paul Newman, Joel Grey, Kevin McCarthy, Harvey Keitel, Burt Lancaster, Geraldine Chaplin (The Sure Shot/Annie Oakley), Shelley Duvall, Bert Remsen

SCRIM, a.k.a. CAUGHT (1976) DIR Jacob Bijl SCR Jacob Bijl, James Brockway CAM Eduard van der Enden, Robert Altena CAST Geraldine Chaplin (Ann), Jessamin Stärcke, Bruce Gray

WELCOME TO L.A. (1976) DIR – SCR Alan Rudolph PROD Robert Altman CAM David Myers ED Tom Walls, William A. Sawyer MUS Richard Baskin CAST Keith Carradine, Sally Kellerman, Geraldine Chaplin (Karen Hood), Harvey Keitel, Lauren Hutton, Viveca Lindfors, Sissy Spacek, Denver Pyle, John Considine, Richard Baskin, Diahnne Abbott, Ron Silver

NOROÎT (1976) DIR Jacques Rivette PROD Stéphane Tchalgadjieff SCR Jacques Rivette, Eduardo de Gregorio, Marilù Parolini (play by Cyril Tourneur) CAM William Lubtchansky ED Nicole Lubtchansky MUS Daniel Ponsard, Robert Cohen-Solal, Jean Cohen-Solal CAST Geraldine Chaplin (Morag), Bernadette Lafont, Kika Markham, Humbert Balsan, Larrio Ekson, Anne-Marie Reynaud, Babette Lamy

ELISA, VIDA MÍA, a.k.a. ELISA, MY LIFE and ELISA, MY LOVE (1977) DIR Carlos Saura PROD Elías Querejeta SCR Carlos Saura (also story) CAM Teo Escamilla ED Pablo G. del Amo MUS Giorgio Mainiero CAST Fernando Rey, Geraldine Chaplin (Elisa/Madre de Elisa), Isabel Mestres, Joaquín Hinojosa, Norman Briski, Francisco Guijar, Ana Torrent

IN MEMORIAM (1977) DIR Enrique Brasó PROD José Luis Borau, Emiliano Piedra SCR Enrique Brasó, Adolfo Bioy Casares, José María Carreño, Juan Tébar CAM Teo Escamilla ED Guillermo S. Maldonado MUS Luis Eduardo Aute CAST Geraldine Chaplin (Paulina Arevalo), José Luis Gómez, Eusebio Poncela, Eusibio Poncela, José Orjas, Eduardo Calvo

ROSELAND (1977) DIR James Ivory PROD Ismail Merchant SCR Ruth Prawer Jhabvala CAM Ernest Vincze ED Humphrey Dixon, Richard Schmiechen MUS Michael Gibson CAST Teresa Wright, Christopher Walken, Geraldine Chaplin (Marilyn/The Hustle), Lou Jacobi, Don De Natale, Louise Kirtland,

UNE PAGE D’AMOUR, a.k.a. ONE PAGE OF LOVE (1978) DIR – PROD Maurice Rabinowicz SCR Maurice Rabinowicz, Yvette Michelems CAM Yves Vandermeeren, Joel Marcipont, Jean-Jacques Mathy ED Jean-Claude Bonfanti MUS Marc Hérouet CAST Geraldine Chaplin (Lise), Sami Frey, Marcel Dalio, Jan Decleir, Quentin Milo, Guy Pion, Ève Bonfanti, Monette Loza, Chantal Lempereur

REMEMBER MY NAME (1978) DIR – SCR Alan Rudolph PROD Robert Altman CAM Tak Fujimoto ED Tom Walls, William A. Sawyer MUS Alberta Hunter, Kenneth Wannberg CAST Geraldine Chaplin (Emily), Anthony Perkins, Moses Gunn, Jeff Goldblum, Berry Berenson, Tim Thomerson, Alfre Woodard

LOS OJOS VENDADOS, a.k.a. BLINDFOLDED EYES (1978) DIR Carlos Saura PROD Elías Querejeta SCR Carlos Saura (also story) CAM Teo Escamilla ED Pablo G. del Amo CAST Geraldine Chaplin (Emilia), José Luis Gómez, Xabier Elorriaga, Lola Cardona, André Falcon, Manuel Guitián, Carmen Maura

A WEDDING (1978) DIR – PROD Robert Altman SCR Robert Altman, John Considine, Patricia Resnick, Allan F. Nicholls (story by Robert Altman, John Considine) CAM Charles Rosher Jr. ED Tony Lombardo CAST Desi Arnaz Jr., Carol Burnett, Geraldine Chaplin (Rita Billingsley), Howard Duff, Mia Farrow, Vittorio Gassman, Lillian Gish, Lauren Hutton, Viveca Lindfors, Pat McCormick, Dina Merrill, Nina Van Pallandt, Paul Dooley, Dennis Christopher, Peggy Ann Garner, Bert Remsen, Joan Allen, John Malkovich, Laurie Metcalf, Gary Sinise

L’ADOPTION, a.k.a. ADOPTION (1979) DIR Marc Grunebaum PROD Jacques Perrin, Arthur Cohn SCR Marc Grunebaum, Magdeleine Dailloux, Peter Krall, Bernard Stora ED Kenout Peltier MUS Michel Portal CAST Geraldine Chaplin (Catherine), Jacques Perrin, Patrick Norbert, Gérard Lorin, May Chartrette, Chloé Caillat, Monique Delaroche

MAIS OÙ ET DONC ORNICAR (1979) DIR Bertrand Van Effenterre PROD Bertrand Van Effenterre, Herbert De Zaltza SCR Bertrand Van Effenterre, Dominique Woldon CAM Nurith Aviv ED Joële Van Effenterre MUS Antoine Duhamel CAST Geraldine Chaplin (Isabelle), Brigitte Fossey, Jean-François Stévenin, Didier Flamand, Jean-Jacques Biraud, Anna Prucnal, Claudine Renaux, Marie-Thérèse Saussure, Claire Denis

MAMÁ CUMPLE 100 AÑOS, a.k.a. MAMA TURNS 100 (1979) DIR – SCR Carlos Saura PROD Elías Querejeta CAM Teo Escamilla ED Pablo G. del Amo CAST Geraldine Chaplin (Ana), Amparo Muñoz, Fernando Fernán Gómez, Norman Briski, Rafaela Aparicio, Charo Soriano, José Vivó, Ángeles Torres, Elisa Nandi

LA VIUDA DE MONTIEL, a.k.a. THE WIDOW MONTIEL (1979) DIR Miguel Littin PROD Hernán Littin SCR Miguel Littin, José Agustín (short story by Gabriel García Márquez) CAM Patricio Castilla ED Nelson Rodríguez MUS Leo Brouwer CAST Geraldine Chaplin (Adelaida), Nelson Villagra, Katy Jurado, Eduardo Gil, Pilar Romero, Ernesto Gómez Cruz, Reynaldo Miravalles

LE VOYAGE EN DOUCE, a.k.a. A SWEET JOURNEY (1980) DIR – SCR Michel Deville PROD Maurice Bernart CAM Claude Lecomte ED Raymonde Guyot MUS Catherine Ardouin CAST Dominique Sanda, Geraldine Chaplin (Lucie), Jacques Zabor, Jean Crubelier, Valerie Masterson, Cécile Le Bailly, Jacqueline Parent

THE MIRROR CRACK’D (1980) DIR Guy Hamilton PROD John Barbourne, Richard Goodwin SCR Jonathan Hales, Barry Sandler (novel ‘The Mirror Crack’d’ [1962] by Agatha Christie) CAM Christopher Challis ED Richard Marden MUS John Cameron CAST Angela Lansbury, Geraldine Chaplin (Ella Zielinsky), Tony Curtis, Edward Fox, Rock Hudson, Kim Novak, Elizabeth Taylor, Wendy Morgan, Margaret Courtenay, Charles Gray, Pierce Brosnan

LES UNS ET LES AUTRES, a.k.a. BOLERO and BOLERO: DANCE OF LIFE (1981) DIR – PROD – SCR Claude Lelouch CAM Jean Boffety ED Hugues Darmois, Sophie Bhaud MUS Francis Lai, Michel Legrand CAST Robert Hossein, Nicole Garcia, Geraldine Chaplin (Suzan/Sara Glenn), Jacques Villeret, Fanny Ardant, Evelyne Bouix, Jean-Claude Brialy, Jean-Pierre Kalfon, Francis Huster, Alexandra Stewart, James Caan, Sharon Stone, Simon Lelouch

LA VIE EST UN ROMAN, a.k.a. LIFE IS A BED OF ROSES (1983) DIR Alain Resnais PROD Philippe Dussart SCR Jean Gruault CAM Bruno Nuytten ED Jean-Pierre Besnard, Albert Jurgenson MUS Philippe-Gérard CAST Vittorio Gassman, Ruggero Raimondi, Geraldine Chaplin (Nora Winkle), Fanny Ardant, André Dussollier, Sabine Azéma, Robert Manuel

L’AMOUR PAR TERRE, a.k.a. LOVE ON THE GROUND (1984) DIR Jacques Rivette PROD Arthur Kohn SCR Jacques Rivette, Suzanne Schiffman, Pascal Bonitzer, Marilù Parolini CAM Wiliam Lubtchansky ED Nicole Lubtchansky CAST Jane Birkin, Geraldine Chaplin (Charlotte), André Dussollier, Jean-Pierre Kalfon, Isabelle Linnartz, Sandra Montaigu, Barbet Schroeder

WHITE MISCHIEF (1987) DIR Michael Radford PROD Simon Perry SCR Michael Radford, Jonathan Gems (novel by James Fox) CAM Roger Deakins ED Tom Priestley MUS George Fenton CAST Greta Scacchi, Charles Dance, Joss Ackland, Sarah Miles, Geraldine Chaplin (Nina Soames), Ray McAnally, Murray Head, John Hurt, Trevor Howard, Hugh Grant

THE MODERNS (1988) DIR Alan Rudolph PROD David Blocker, Carolyn Pfeiffer SCR Alan Rudolph, Jon Bradshaw CAM Toyomichi Kurita ED Debra T. Smith, Scott Brock MUS Mark Isham CAST Keith Carradine, Linda Fiorentino, Geneviève Bujold, Geraldine Chaplin (Nathalie de Ville), Wallace Shawn, Kevin J. O’Connor, John Lone

THE RETURN OF THE MUSKETEERS (1989) DIR Richard Lester PROD Pierre Spengler SCR George MacDonald Fraser (book by Alexandre Dumas) CAM Bernard Lutic ED John Victor Smith MUS Jean-Claude Petit CAST Michael York, Oliver Reed, Frank Finlay, Thomas C. Howell, Kim Catrall, Geraldine Chaplin (Queen Anne), Roy Kinnear, Christopher Lee, Philippe Noiret, Richard Chamberlain, Jean-Pierre Cassel

I WANT TO GO HOME (1989) DIR Alain Resnais PROD Marin Karmitz SCR Jules Feiffer CAM Charles Van Damme ED Albert Jurgenson MUS John Kander CAST Adolph Green, Gérard Depardieu, Linda Lavin, Micheline Presle, Laura Benson, Geraldine Chaplin (Terry Armstrong), John Ashton, Caroline Silhol, Ludivine Sagnier

THE CHILDREN (1990) DIR – ED Tony Palmer PROD Andrew Montgomery SCR Timberlake Wertenbaker (novel by Edith Wharton) CAM Nicholas D. Knowland MUS Evelyn Glennie CAST Ben Kingskey, Kim Novak, Joe Don Baker, Geraldine Chaplin (Joyce Wheater), Britt Ekland, Karen Black, Siri Neal

GENTILE ALOUETTE (1990) DIR Sergio M. Castilla CAM Patricio Castilla CAST héctor Alterio, Geraldine Chaplin (Angela Duverger), John Leguizamo

BUSTER’S BEDROOM (1991) DIR Rebecca Horn PROD Luciano Gloor SCR Rebecca Horn, Martin Mosebach CAM Sven Nykvist ED Barbara von Weiterhausen MUS Sergei Kuryokhin CAST Donald Sutherland, Geraldine Chaplin (Diana Daniels), Amanda Ooms, Valentina Cortese, David Warrilow, Taylor Mead

HORS SAISON, a.k.a. OFF SEASON (1992) DIR Daniel Schmid PROD Marcel Hoehn SCR Daniel Schmid, Martin Suter CAM Renato Berta ED Daniela Roderer MUS Peter Raben CAST Sami Frey, Carlos Devesa, Ingrid Caven, Geraldine Chaplin (Anarchist), Andréa Ferréol, Marisa Paredes

CHAPLIN (1992) DIR Richard Attenborough PROD Richard Attenborough, Mario Kassar SCR Bryan Forbes, William Goldman, William Boyd (story by Diana Hawkins; books by Charles Chaplin, David Robinson) CAM Sven Nykvist ED Anne V. Coates MUS John Barry CAST Robert Downey Jr., Dan Aykroyd, Geraldine Chaplin (Hannah Chaplin), Kevin Dunn, Anthony Hopkins, Milla Jovovich, Moira Kelly, Kevin Kline, Diane Lane, Penelope Ann Miller, Paul Rhys, Marisa Tomei, Nancy Travis, James Woods, Karen Lewis-Attenborough

THE AGE OF INNOCENCE (1993) DIR Martin Scorsese PROD Barbara De Fina SCR Martin Scorsese, Jay Cocks (novel by Edith Wharton) CAM Michael Ballhaus ED Thelma Schoonmaker MUS Elmer Bernstein CAST Daniel Day-Lewis, Michelle Pfeiffer, Winona Ryder, Geraldine Chaplin (Mrs. Welland), Mary Beth Hurt, Alec McCowen, Richard E. Grant, Stuart Wilson, Alexis Smith, Norman Lloyd, Claire Bloom, Martin Scorsese, Joanne Woodward (voice only)

WORDS UPON THE WINDOW PANE (1994) DIR Mary McGuckian PROD Mary McGuckian, Anna J. Devlin SCR Mary McGuckian (play by William Butler Yates) CAM Des Whelan ED Kant Pan MUS Niall Byrne CAST Geraldine Chaplin (Miss McKenna), Brid Brennan, Geraldine James, Hugh O’Conor, Brendan Conroy, Donal Donnelly, Mikel Murfi

HOME FOR THE HOLIDAYS (1995) DIR Jodie Foster PROD Jodie Foster, Peggy Rajski SCR W. D. Richter (short story by Chris Radant) CAM Lajos Koltai ED Lynzee Klingman MUS Mark Isham CAST Holly Hunter, Robert Downey Jr., Anne Bancroft, Charles Durning, Geraldine Chaplin (Aunt Glady), Dylan McDermott, Steve Guttenberg, Claire Danes, David Strathairn

PARA RECIBIR EL CANTO DE LOS PÁJAROS, a.k.a. HEAR THE BIRDS SINGING (1995) DIR – SCR Jorge Sanjinés PROD Beatriz Palacios CAM César Pérez, Raúl Rodriguez, Guillermo Ruiz ED Jorge Sanjinés, Pedro Chaskel MUS Cergio Prudencio CAST Guido Arce, Marcelo Guzmán, Reynoldo Yujra, Geraldine Chaplin (Catherine), Lineth Herbas, Fernando Illanes

JANE EYRE (1996) DIR Franco Zeffirelli PROD Dyson Lovell SCR Franco Zeffirelli, Hugh Whitemore (novel by Charlotte Brontë) CAM David Watkin ED Richard Marden MUS Alessio Vlad, Claudio Capponi CAST William Hurt, Charlotte Gainsbourg, Joan Plowright, Anna Paquin, Geraldine Chaplin (Miss Scatcherd), Elle Macpherson, Fiona Shaw, Billie Whitelaw, Charlotte Attenborough, Maria Schneider

OS OLHOS DA ÁSIA, a.k.a. THE EYES OF ASIA (1996) DIR João Mário Grilo PROD Paulo Branco SCR João Mário Grilo, Paulo Filipe CAM Jean-Paul Rosa da Costa ED Christian Dor MUS Jorge Arriagada CAST José Abreu, Geraldine Chaplin (Jane Powell), António Cordeiro, Marques D’Arede, José Eduardo, Rui Gomes, Kyioto Harada, Edward Ishta

CRIMETIME (1996) DIR George Sluizer PROD David Pupkewitz SCR Brendan Somers CAM Jules van den Steenhoven ED Fabienne Rawley MUS David A. Stewart CAST Stephen Baldwin, Pete Postlethwaite, Sadie Frost, Geraldine Chaplin (Thelma), Karen Black, James Faulkner, Phil Davis, Marianne Faithfull, Emma Roberts

COUSIN BETTE (1998) DIR Des McAnuff PROD Sarah Radclyffe SCR Lynn Siefert, Susan Tarr (novel by Honoré de Balzac) CAM Andrzej Sekula ED Tariq Anwar, Barry Alexander Brown MUS Simon Boswell CAST Jessica Lange, Elisabeth Shue, Bob Hoskins, Aden Young, Kelly Macdonald, Geraldine Chaplin (Adeline), Hugh Laurie

FINISETERRE, DONDE TERMINA EL MUNDO, a.k.a. LA BUSQUEDA (1998) DIR Xavier Villaverde PROD Xavier Villaverde, Pancho Casal, Gerardo Herrero SCR Xavier Villaverde, Ruth Toledano, Miguel Anxo Murado CAM Javier Salmones ED Carmen Frías MUS José Nieto CAST Nancho Novo, Elena Anaya, Enrique Alcides, Geraldine Chaplin (Madre), Chete Lera, Manuel Manquiña

TO WALK WITH LIONS (1999) DIR Carl Schultz PROD Julie Allan, Pieter Kroonenburg SCR Sharon Buckingham, Keith Ross Leckie CAM Jean Lépine ED Angelo Corrao MUS Alan Reeves CAST Richard Harris, Ian Bannen, John Michie, Kerry Fox, Honor Blackman, Geraldine Chaplin (Victoria Anrecelli), Hugh Quarshie, Guy Williams

BERESINA ODER DIE LETZTEN TAGE DER SCHWEIZ (1999) DIR Daniel Schmid PROD Marcel Koehn SCR Martin Suter CAM Renato Berta ED Daniela Roderer MUS Carl Hänggi CAST Elena Panova, Nartin Benrath, Geraldine Chaplin (Charlotte De), Ulrich Noethen, Iván Darvas, Marina Confalone, Stefan Kurt

¿TÚ QUÉ HARÍAS POR AMOR?, a.k.a. JUST RUN! (2000) DIR Carlos Saura Medrano PROD Eduardo Campoy SCR Carlos Saura Medrano, Antón Casariego, Nicolás Casariego (novel by Martín Casariego) CAM Teo Delgado, José-Luis López-Linares ED José Salcedo MUS Carlo Siliotto CAST Fele Martínez, Silke, Geraldine Chaplin (Madre), Francisco Rabal, Patxi Freytez, Aitor Merino, Alberto Escobar

EN LA CIUDAD SIN LÍMITES, a.k.a. THE CITY OF NO LIMITS (2002) DIR Antonio Hernández PROD José Velasco SCR Antonio Hernández, Enrique Brasó CAM Unax Mendia ED Patricia Enis, Javier Laffaille MUS Victor Reyes CAST Leonardo Sbaraglia, Fernando Fernán Gómez, Geraldine Chaplin (Marie), Ana Fernández, Adriana Ozores, Leticia Brédice, Roberto Álvarez

LAS CARAS DE LA LUNA, a.k.a. THE FACES OF THE MOON (2002) DIR Guita Schyfter EXEC PROD Guita Schyfter, Alejandro Clancy SCR Hugo Hiriart CAM Jaime Reynoso ED Carlos Puente MUS Eduardo Gamboa CAST Diana Bracho, Carmen Montejo, Geraldine Chaplin (Joan Turner), Ana Torrent, Haydee de Lev, Nora Velázquez, Gonzalo Vega

HABLE CON ELLA, a.k.a. TALK TO HER (2002) DIR – SCR Pedro Almodóvar EXEC PROD Agustín Almodóvar CAM Javier Aguirresarobe ED José Salcedo MUS Alberto Iglesias CAST Javier Cámara, Leonor Watling, Darío Gradinetti, Rosario Flores, Geraldine Chaplin (Katerina Bilova), Mariola Fuentes, Pina Bausch, Paz Vega

THE BRIDGE OF SAN LUIS REY (2004) DIR Mary McGuckian PROD Mary McGuckian, Garrett McGuckian, Michael Cowan, Denise O’Dell SCR Mary McGukian (novel by Thornton Wilder) CAM Javier Aguirresarobe ED Kant Pan MUS Lalo Schifrin CAST Robert De Niro, Bates, Gabriel Byrne, Harvey Keitel, F. Murray Abraham, Geraldine Chaplin (The Abbess), Émilie Dequenne, Samuel Le Bihan, Pilar López de Ayala, Jim Sheridan

HEIDI (2005) DIR Paul Marcus PROD Christopher Figg, Martyn Atherton SCR Brian Finch (novel by Johanna Spyri) CAM Peter Sinclair ED David Rees MUS Jocelyn Pook CAST Emma Bolger, Max von Sydow, Geraldine Chaplin (Rottenmeier), Diana Rigg, Pauline McLynn, Sam Friend, Jessica Claridge

OCULTO, a.k.a. THE HIDDEN (2005) DIR Antonio Hernández PROD José Velasco, Antonio Saura, José Nolla, Albert Martinez Martin SCR Antonio Hernández, Enrique Brasó CAM Unax Mendia ED Javier Laffaille CAST Laia Marull, Angie Cepeda, Leonardo Sbaraglia, Geraldine Chaplin (Adele), Joaquín Climent, Gerardo Malla, William Miller, Emma Cohen

BLOODRAYNE (2005) DIR Uwe Boll PROD Uwe Boll, Shawn Williamson SCR Guinevere Turner CAM Mathias Neumann MUS Henning Lohner CAST Kristanna Loken, Michael Madsen, Ben Kingsley, Michelle Rodriguez, Geraldine Chaplin (Fortune Teller), Udo Kier, Meat Loaf, Michael Paré, Billy Zane

MELISSA P. (2005) DIR Luca Guadagnino PROD Claudio Amendola, José Ibáñez, Francesca Neri SCR Luca Guadagnino, Barbara Alberti, Christiana Farina (story by Luca Guadagnino, Christiana Farina; memoir by Melissa Panarello) CAM Mario Amura ED Walter Fasano MUS Lucio Gogoy CAST María Valverde, Letizia Ciampa, Primo Reggiani, Geraldine Chaplin (Nonna Elvira), Nilo Zimmerman, Claudio Santamaria, Carlo Antonelli

MIGUEL Y WILLIAM, a.k.a. MIGUEL AND WILLIAM (2007) DIR Inés París PROD Antonio Saura, José Velasco, Juan Luis Galiardo SCR Inés París (story by Inés París, Miguel Ángel Gómez, Tirso Calero, Eva Cruz) CAM Néstor Calvo ED Julia Juaniz MUS Stephen Warbeck CAST Elena Anaya, Juan Luis Galiardo, Will Kemp, Josep Maria Pou, Geraldine Chaplin (Dueña), Malena Alterio, Miriam Giovanelli, Jorge Calvo

LES BOÎTES, a.k.a. BOXES (2007) DIR – SCR Jane Birkin PROD Emmanuel Giraud CAM François Catonné ED Marie-Josée Audiard MUS Frank Eulry CAST Geraldine Chaplin (Maman), Michel Piccoli, Jane Birkin, Natacha Régnier, Lou Doillon, Adèle Exarchopoulos, John Hurt, Maurice Bénichou, Annie Girardot

TERESA, EL CUERPO DE CRISTO, a.k.a. THERESA: THE BODY OF CHRIST (2007) DIR – SCR Ray Loriga PROD Ximo Pérez, Andrés Vicente Gómez CAM José Luis Alcaine ED Pablo Blanco MUS Ángel Illarramendi, Michael Nyman CAST Paz Vega, Leonor Watling, Geraldine Chaplin (Priora), Eusebio Poncela, Ampero Valle, Manuel Morón, Francesc Garrido

EL ORFANATO, a.k.a. THE ORPHANAGE (2007) DIR J.A. Bayona PROD Álvaro Augustin, Joaquín Padró, Mar Targarona SCR Sergio G. Sánchez CAM Oscar Faura ED Elena Ruiz MUS Fernando Velázquez CAST Belén Rueda, Fernando Cayo, Roger Príncep, Óscar Casas, Geraldine Chaplin (Aurora), Edgar Vivar, Montserrat Carulla

LOS TOTENWACKERS, a.k.a. THE TOTENWACKERS (2007) DIR – PROD Ibon Cormenzana SCR Ibon Cormenzana, David Muñoz, Antonio Trashorras (original story by David Muñoz, Antonio Trashorras) CAM Joan Benet ED José Luis Romeu MUS Eugenio Mira CAST Josep Julien, Hamid Krim, Azzdine Benaji, Mar Regueras, Elisa Drabben, Natalia Sánchez, Iván Morales, Geraldine Chaplin (Salgado), Celso Bugallo

PARLAMI D’AMORE, a.k.a. TELL ME ABOUT LOVE (2008) DIR Silvio Muccino PROD Marco Chimenz, Giovanni Stabilini, Riccardo Tozzi SCR Silvio Muccino, Carla Vangelista (novel by Silvio Muccino, Carla Vangelista) CAM Arnaldo Catinari ED Patrizio Marone MUS Andrea Guerra CAST Silvio Muccino, Aitana Sánchez-Gijón, Carolina Crescentini, Andrea Renzi, Max Mazzotta, Flavio Parenti, Geraldine Chaplin (Amelie), Giorgio Colangeli

INCONCEIVABLE (2008) DIR – SCR Mary McGuckian PROD Mary McGuckian, Jeff Abberley, Martin Katz CAM Mark Wolf ED David Freemantle, Tad Seaborn MUS Kevin Banks CAST Jennifer Tilly, Andie MacDowell, Geraldine Chaplin (Frances Church-Chappel), Elizabeth McGovern, Colm Feone, Kerry Fox, Amanda Plummer, Oona Chaplin, Greta Scacchi

PARC (2008) DIR – ED Arnaud des Pallières PROD Serge Lalou, Marie Guirauden SCR Arnaud des Pallières (novel by John Cheever) CAM Jeanne Lapoirie MUS Martin Wheeler CAST Sergi López, Jean-Marc Barr, Nathalie Richard, Laurent Delbecque, Dephine Chuillot, Jean-Pierre Kalfon, Geraldine Chaplin (Marteau’s Mother), Judith Henry

RAMÍREZ (2008) DIR – SCR – ED Albert Arizza PROD Albert Arizza, Monica Goyanes CAM Albert Arizza, Dimas Almendros MUS Juan Belda CAST Christian Magaloni, Zoe Berriatúa, Sara Martin, Geraldine Chaplin (Galerist), Tacuara Casares, Huichi Chiu, Gaëlle Diego

DIARIO DE UNA NINFÓMANA, a.k.a. DIARY OF A NYMPHOMANIAC(2008) DIR Christian Molina PROD Fernando Monje SCR Cuca Canals (novel by Valérie Tasso) CAM Javier Salmones ED Luis de la Madrid MUS Mariano Marín, Roque Baños CAST Belén Fabra, Leonardo Sbaraglia, Llum Barrera, Ángela Molina, Geraldine Chaplin (Marie Tasso/Abuela de Valére), Pedro Gutiérrez, José Chaves

IMAGO MORTIS (2009) DIR Stefano Bessoni PROD Sonia Raule SCR Stefano Bessoni, Luiso Berdejo (story by Stefano Bessoni, Giulia Graglia, Filippo Meneghetti, Piero Tomaselli, Giovanni Antonio Marchesi) CAM Arnaldo Catinari ED Raimondo Aiello MUS Zacarias M. de la Riva CAST Alberto Amarilla, Oona Chaplin, Leticia Dolera, Álex Angulo, Francesco Carnelutti, Paolo De Vita, Franco Pistoni, Geraldine Chaplin (Countess Orsini), Silvia De Santis

LA ISLA INTERIOR, a.k.a. THE ISLAND INSIDE (2009) DIR – SCR Dunia Ayaso, Félix Sabroso PROD José Herrero de Egaña, Juan Romero CAM Juan Antonio Castaño ED Ascen Marchena MUS Lucas Vidal CAST Candela Peña, Alberto San Juan, Cristina Marcos, Celso Bugallo, Antonio de la Torre, Geraldine Chaplin (Victoria), Emy Cazorla

THE WOLFMAN (2010) DIR Joe Johnston PROD Benicio Del Toro, Sean Daniel, Rick Yorn, Scott Stuber SCR David Self, Andrew Kevin Walker (screenplay of THE WOLFMAN [1941] by Curt Siodmak) CAM Shelly Johnson ED Walter Murch, Dennis Virkler MUS Danny Elfman CAST Benicio Del Toro, Anthony Hopkins, Emily Blunt, Hugo Weaving, Art Malik, Geraldine Chaplin (Maleva), David Schofield, Max von Sydow

THE MAKING OF PLUS ONE (2010) DIR – SCR Mary McGuckian PROD Mary McGuckian, Jeff Abberley, Martin Katz CAM Mark Wolf ED Mary McGuckian, Matthew Booth, Alain Jakubowicz, David Freemantle CAST Lothaire Bluteau, Geraldine Chaplin (Geri, Casting Director), Donna D’Errico, Michael Eklund, Jordi Molla, Suzan-Lori Parks, Amanda Plummer, John Sessions, Sara Stockbridge, Jennifer Tilly

L’IMBROGLIO NEL LENZUOLO, a.k.a. THE TRICK IN THE SHEET (2010) DIR Alfonso Arau PROD Maria Grazia Cuninotta SCR Maria Grazia Cuninotta, Giovanni Cucinotta, Francesco Costa, Chiara Clini, Romina Nardozi CAM Vittorio Storaro ED Consuelo Catucci, Roberto Perpignani MUS Ruy Folguera, Maria Entraigues CAST Geraldine Chaplin (Alma), Maria Grazia Cuninotta, Miguel Ángel Silvestre, Anne Parillaud, Ángelica Aragón, Giselda Volodi

LA MOSQUITERA, a.k.a. THE MOSQUITO NET (2010) DIR – SCR Agustí Vila PROD Lluis Miñarro CAM Neus Ollé ED Martí Roca CAST Emma Suárez, Eduard Fernández, Martina García, Fermí Reixach, Geraldine Chaplin (María), Marcos Franz, Anna Ycobalzeta

THERE BE DRAGONS (2011) DIR – SCR Roland Joffé PROD Roland Joffé, Guy J. Louthan, Ignacio Núñez CAM Gabriel Beristain MUS Stephen Warbeck, Robert Folk ED Richard Nord CAST Charlie Cox, Wes Bentley, Dougray Scott, Rodrigo Santoro, Jordi Mollà, Derek Jacobi, Golshifteh Farahani, Geraldine Chaplin (Abileyza), Unax Ugalde

¿PARA QUÉ SIRVE UN OSO? (2011) DIR – SCR Tom Fernández PROD Jaume Roures, Enrique González Macho CAM Arnau Valls Colomer ED Ángel Hernández Zoido MUS Mauricio Villavecchia CAST Javier Cámara, Emma Suárez, Geraldine Chaplin (Josephine), Jesse Johnson, Oona Chaplin, Gonzalo de Castro, Sira García

LA MOINE, a.k.a. THE MONK (2011) DIR Dominik Moll PROD Michel Saint-Jean SCR Dominik Moll, Anne-Louise Trividic (novel by Matthew Lewis) CAM Patrick Blossier ED Sylvie Lager, François Gédigier MUS Alberto Iglesias CAST Vincent Cassel, Déborah François, Joséphine Japy, Sergi López, Catherine Mouchet, Jordi Dauder, Geraldine Chaplin (The Abbess), Roxane Duran

ET SI ON VIVAIT TOUS ENSEMBLE?, a.k.a. AND IF WE ALL LIVED TOGETHER and ALL TOGETHER (2011) DIR – SCR Stéphane Robelin PROD Aurélia Grossmann, Philippe Gompel, Christophe Bruncher CAM Dominique Colin ED Patrick Wilfert MUS Jean-Philippe Verdin CAST Guy Bedos, Daniel Brühl, Geraldine Chaplin (Annie Colin), Jane Fonda, Claude Rich, Pierre Richard, Bernard Malaka, Camino Fernández

AMERICANO (2011) DIR – PROD – SCR Mathieu Demy CAM Georges Lechaptois ED Jean-Baptiste Morin MUS Grégoire Hetzel CAST Mathieu Demy, Geraldine Chaplin (Linda), Chiara Mastroianni, Carlos Bardem, Jean-Pierre Mocky, Salma Hayek, André Wilms

MEMORIA DE MIS PUTAS TRISTES (2011) DIR Henning Carlsen PROD Nina Crone, Vicente Aldape, Enrique Hernández, Raquel Guajardo, Norbert Llaràs, Jordi Rediu, Leonardo Villareal SCR Henning Carlsen, Jean-Claude Carrière (novel by Gabriel García Márquez) CAM Alejandro Martínez ED Anders Refn CAST Emilio Echevarría, Paola Medina, Ángela Molina, Geraldine Chaplin (Rosa Cabarcas/Brothel Madam), Luis Miguel Lombana

O APÓSTOLO, a.k.a. THE APOSTLE (2012, animated) DIR – SCR Fernando Cortizo PROD Susan Gee, Jacqueline Scott, Solomon J. LeFlore CAM Matthew Hazelrig ED Fernando Alfonsín MUS Philip Glass, Arturo Vaquero, Xavi Font CAST (voice only) Carlos Blanco, Xosé Manuel Olveira ‘Pico’, Paul Naschy, Geraldine Chaplin (Darinda), Manuel Manquiña, Luis Tosar

LO IMPOSIBLE, a.k.a. THE IMPOSSIBLE (2012) DIR J. A. Bayona PROD Ghislain Barrois, Belén Atienza, Álvaro Augustin SCR Gergio G. Sánchez (story by María Belón) CAM Oscar Faura ED Elena Ruiz, Bernat Vilaplana MUS Fernando Velázquez CAST Naomi Watts, Ewan McGregor, Tom Holland, Samuel Joslin, Oaklee Pendergast, Marta Etura, Sönke Möhring, Geraldine Chaplin (Old Woman), Ploy Jindachote

UN AMOR DE PELÍCULA (2012) DIR – SCR Diego Musiak PROD Maria Garcia Cucinotta CAM Ferran Paredes ED Chiara Griziotti CAST Antonio Chamizo, Maria Grazia Cucinotta, Geraldine Chaplin (Jean), Juan Fernández, Jorge Perugorría, Miguel Ángel Rodríguez

TRES 60, a.k.a. THREE-60 (2013) DIR Alejandro Ezcurdia PROD Luiso Berdejo, Mercedes Gamero, Santiago Segura, Mikel Lejerza SCR Luiso Berdejo CAM Johnny Yebra ED Fran Amaro MUS Roque Baños CAST Raúl Mérida, Guillermo Estrella, Sara Sálamo, Joaquim de Almeida, Geraldine Chaplin (Jean Christophe), Adam Jezierski, Manuel Morón

ANOTHER ME (2013) DIR Isabel Coixet PROD Mariela Besuievsky, Nicole Carmen-Davis, Rebekah Gilbertson SCR Isabel Coixet (novel “Another Me” by Cathy MacPhail) CAM Jean-Claude Larrieu ED Elena Ruiz MUS Michael Price CAST Claire Forlani, Sophie Turner, Jonathan Rhys Meyers, Ivana Baquero, Rhys Ifans, Geraldine Chaplin (Mrs. Brennan), Gregg Sulkin, Charlotte Vega

PANZER CHOCOLATE, a.k.a. PANZER (2013) DIR – PROD Robert Figueras SCR Robert Figueras, Gemma Dunjo, Pep Garrido CAM Íñigo Zubicaray ED Regino Hernández MUS Pep Sala CAST Melina Matthews, Geraldine Chaplin (Frau Frida), Ariadna Cabrol, Tony Corvillo, Mark Schardan, Josep Seguí, Richard Felix

WAX (2014) DIR Victor Matellano PROD Andrés Acevedo SCR Victor Matellano, Hugo Stuven (original idea by Victor Matellano) CAM Daniel Salas Alberola ED Abián Molina MUS Sergio Jiménez Lacima CAST Jimmy Shaw, Geraldine Chaplin (Producer), Jack Taylor, Denis Rafter, Alito Rodgers, Yolanda Font, Almudena León

AMAPOLA (2014) DIR – SCR Eugenio Zanetti PROD Gonzalo Vila CAM Ueli Steiger ED Jane Miran MUS Emilio Kauderer CAST Camilla Belle, François Arnaud, Geraldine Chaplin, Leonor Benedetto, Lito Cruz, Elena Roger, Nicolas Scarpino, Esmeralda Mitre

DÓLARES DE ARENA, a.k.a. SAND DOLLARS (2014) DIR Israel Cárdenas, Laura Amelia Guzmán SCR Israel Cárdenas, Laura Amelia Guzmán (novel by Jean-Noël Pancrazi) CAM Israel Cárdenas, Jaime Guerra ED Andrea Kleinman MUS Ramón Cordero, Benjamin De Menil, Edilio Paredes CAST Geraldine Chaplin (Anne), Yanet Mojica, Ricardo Ariel Toribio, Bernard Bizel, Maria Gabriella Bonetti, Ramón Cordero

VALENTIN VALENTIN (2014) DIR Pascal Thomas PROD Saïd Ben Saïd, Nathalie Lafaurie, Michel Merkt SCR Pascal Thomas, Nathalie Lafaurie, Clémence de Biéville, François Caviglioli, Pascal Bonitzer (novel by Ruth Rendell) CAM Jean-Marc Fabre ED Yann Dedet MUS Reinhardt Wagner CAST Marilou Berry, Vincent Rottiers, Marie Gillain, Geraldine Chaplin (Jane), Arielle Dombasle, Christian Vadim, Felix Moati, Christian Morin, Louis-Do de Lencquesaing, Alexandra Stewart

THE FORBIDDEN ROOM (2015) DIR Guy Maddin, Evan Johnson PROD Guy Maddin, Phoebe Greenberg, Phyllis Laing, Penny Mancuso SCR Guy Maddin, Evan Johnson, Bob Kotyk CAM Benjamin Kasulke, Stéphanie Anne, Weber Biron ED John Gurdebeke MUS Guy Maddin, Jason Staczek, Galen Johnson CAST Roy Dupuis, Charlotte Rampling, Mathieu Amalric, Amira Casar, Louis Negin, Clara Furey, Geraldine Chaplin (The Master Passion/Nursemaid/Aunt Chance), Ariane Labed, Udo Kier

MARGUERITE ET JULIEN (2015) DIR Valérie Donzelli PROD Alice Girard, Edouard Weil SCR Valérie Donzelli, Jérémie Elkaïm (original screenplay by Jean Gruault) CAM Céline Bozon ED Pauline Gaillard MUS Yuksek CAST Anaïs Demoustier, Jérémie Elkaïm, Frédéric Pierrot, Aurélia Petit, Catherine Mouchet, Raoul Fernandez, Sami Frey, Geraldine Chaplin (Lefebvre’s Mother)

ICH UND KAMINSKI, a.k.a. ME AND KAMINSKY (2015) DIR Wolfgang Becker PROD Frank Tönsmann, Uwe Schott, Barbara Buhl, Stefan Arndt SCR Wolfgang Becker, Thomas Wendrich (novel by Daniel Kehlmann) CAM Jürgen Jürges ED Peter R. Adam, Christoph Strothjohann MUS CAST Daniel Brühl, Jesper Christensen, Amira Casar, Geraldine Chaplin (Therese), Denis Lavant, Bruno Cathomas, Jördis Triebel, Jan Decleir

SEANCES (2016) DIR Guy Maddin PROD Phyllis Lang SCR Guy Maddin, Evan Johnson, Bob Kotyk CAM Benjamin Kasulke ED John Gurdebeke CAST Mathieu Amalric, Deena Aziz, Vasco Bailly-Gentaub, Jacques Bonnaffé, Céline Bonnier, Amira Casar, Geraldine Chaplin, Udo Kier, Charlotte Rampling

A MONSTER CALLS (2016) DIR J. A. Bayona PROD Belén Atienza SCR Patrick Ness (novel by Patrick Ness; original idea by Siobhan Dowd) CAM Oscar Faura ED Jaume Marti, Bernat Vilaplana MUS Fernando Velázquez CAST Sigourney Weaver, Felicity Jones, Lewis MacDougall, Toby Kebbell, Dominic Boyle, Geraldine Chaplin (Head Teacher), Liam Neeson (voice only)

ANCHOR AND HOPE (2017) DIR Carlos Marques-Marcet PROD Sophie Venner, Tono Folguera, Sergi Moreno SCR Carlos Marques-Marcet, Jules Nurrish CAM Dagmar Weaver-Madsen ED Carlos Marques-Marcet, Juliana Montañés MUS Merche Blasco CAST Oona Chaplin, Natalia Tena, David Verdaguer, Geraldine Chaplin (Germaine), Lara Rossi, Charlotte Atkinson, Trevor White, David Verdaguer

THE BROKEN KEY (2017) DIR – ED Louis Nero EXEC PROD Louis Nero, Gary Collins, Jason Wood SCR Louis Nero, As Chianese, Giancarlo Guerreri CAM Louis Nero, Davide Borsa MUS Lamberto Curtoni CAST Rutger Hauer, Michael Madsen, Geraldine Chaplin (Tower Woman), Christopher Lambert, William Baldwin, Maria de Medeiros, Kabir Bedi, Franco Nero

JURASSIC WORLD: FALLEN KINGDOM (2018) DIR J. A. Bayona PROD Patrick Crowley, Belén Atienza EXEC PROD Steven Spielberg, Colin Trevorrow SCR Colin Trevorrow, Derek Connolly (characters created by Michael Crichton) CAM Oscar Faura ED Bernart Vilaplana MUS Michael Giacchino CAST Chris Pratt, Bryce Dallas Howard, Rafe Spall, Justice Smith, Daniella Pineda, James Cromwell, Jeff Goldblum, Geraldine Chaplin (Iris)

RED LAND (ROSSO ISTRIA), a.k.a. RED LAND (2018) DIR Maximiliano Hernando Bruno PROD Maximiliano Hernando Bruno, Alessandro Centenaro SCR Maximiliano Hernando Bruno, Antonello Belluco CAM Giovanni Andreotta ED Marco Spoletini, Francesco Tasselli MUS Fabrizio Castania CAST Francesco Amodio, Enrico Bergamasco, Valentina Bivona, Vincenzo Bocciarelli, Eleanora Bolla, Vittorio Boscolo, Maximiliano Hernando Bruno, Geraldine Chaplin (Giulia Visantrin Adulta)

CAMINO SINUOSE, a.k.a. SINUOUS ROAD (2018) DIR – SCR Juan Pablo Kolodziej PROD Jorge Gundín CAM Horacio Maira ED Pablo Mari MUS Fito Páez CAST Juan Viale, Arturo Puig, Geraldine Chaplin (Miny Barrios), María Marull, Hugo Arana, Javier Drolas, Gustavo Pardi

HOLY BEASTS (2019) DIR – SCR Israel Cárdenas, Laura Amelia Guzmán PROD Israel Cárdenas, Laura Amelia Guzmán, Rafael Elias Munoz CAM Israel Cárdenas ED Israel Cárdenas, Pablo Chea, Andrea Kleinman MUS Leandro de Loredo CAST Geraldine Chaplin (Vera), Udo Kier, Luis Ospina, Jaime Piña, Jackie Ludueña, Pau Bertolini, Jeradin Asencio, Fifi Poulakidas

THE BAREFOOT EMPEROR (2019) DIR – PROD – SCR Peter Brosens, Jessica Woodworth CAM Tom Peters ED David Verdurme CAST Peter Van den Begin, Lucie Debay, Udo Kier, Geraldine Chaplin (Lady Liz), Bruno Georis, Titus De Voogdt, Pieter van der Houwen

LOS RODRÍGUEZ Y EL MÁS ALLÁ, a.k.a. THE RODRIGUEZ AND BEYOND (2019) DIR – PROD – SCR Paco Arango CAM Charles Gusi ED Renato Sanjuán MUS Nathan Wang CAST Edu Soto, Mariana Treviño, Geraldine Chaplin (Isabel), Plácido Domingo, Santiago Segura, Rossy De Palma, Omar Chaparro, Rodrigo Simón

THE WIND BLEW ON (2020) DIR – PROD Katrin Ólafsdóttir CAM Mauro Herce, Arnar Thor Thorisson CAST Geraldine Chaplin, Elina Löwensohn, Ángela Molina, Matthew Barney, Floki Molina

SIMONE (2020) DIR Betty Kaplan PROD Betty Kaplan, Peter Rawley, Robert Katz SCR Betty Kaplan, Eduardo Lalo MUS Geronimo Mercado CAST Steph Song, Geraldine Chaplin (Bookseller), Armando Riesco, Caterina Murino, Esai Morales, Jon Arias

98 SEGUNDOS SIN SOMBRA, a.k.a. 99 SECONDS WITHOUT SHADOW (2021) DIR Juan Pablo Richter PROD Paola Gosalvez CAM Luis Otero Prada ED Eliane Katz MUS Gabriel Lema SCR Juan Pablo Richter (novel “98 segundos sin sombra” [2014] by Giovanna Rivero) CAST Irán Zeitun, Quim del Rio, Patricia García, Fernando Arze Echalar, Luciana Carrasco, Florencia Ramirez, Geraldine Chaplin (Clara Luz)

LUKA (2022) DIR Jessica Woodworth PROD Peter Brosens SCR Jessica Woodworth (novel “Il deserto dei Tartari” [1940] by Dino Buzzati) CAM Virginie Surdej ED David Verdurme MUS Teho Teardo CAST Jonas Smulders, Geraldine Chaplin (The General), Jan Bijvoet, Samvel Tadevossian, Django Schrevens, Sam Louwyck, Valentin Ganev, Hal Yamanouchi

SENECA: ON THE CREATION OF EARTHQUAKES (2023) DIR Robert Schwentke PROD Frieder Schlaich, Irene von Alberti SCR Robert Schwentke, Matthew Wilder CAM Benoît Debie ED Michael Czarnecki MUS Martin Todsharow CAST John Malkovich, Geraldine Chaplin (Cecilia), Tom Xander, Louis Hofmann, Lilith Stangenberg, Alexander Fehling, Andrew Koji, Mary-Louise Parker

TV MOVIES

DER KURZE BRIEF ZUM LANGEN ABSCHIED, a.k.a. SHORT LETTER TO THE LONG GOODBYE (1978) DIR Herbert Vesely PROD Jörn Schröder, Wili Segler TELEPLAY Herbert Vesely (novel by Peter Handke) CAM Petrus R. Schlömp ED Christa Pohland MUS Brian Eno CAST Geraldine Chaplin (Judith Seldan), Thomas Astan, Alexandra Hay, Fritz Schwennicke, Elisabeth Schwenicke, Miguel Canteras

THE HOUSE OF MIRTH (1981) DIR Adrian Hall TELEPLAY Adrian Hall, Richard Cumming (novel by Edith Wharton) CAM Paul Goldsmith, Hart Perry ED Charlotte Zwerin CAST William Atherton, Geraldine Chaplin (Lily Bart), Barbara Blossom, Lois Smith, Timothy Crowe, Barbara Damashek, Virginia Donaldson, Tim Donoghue

THE CORSICAN BROTHERS (1985) DIR Ian Sharp PROD David A. Rosemont TELEPLAY Robin Muller (novel by Alexandre Dumas) CAM Frank Watts ED David Spiers, Alan Pattillo MUS Allyn Ferguson CAST Trevor Eve, Olivia Hussey, Geraldine Chaplin (Madame Savilia de Franchi), Nicholas Clay, Jean Marsh, Benedict Taylor, Simon Ward, Donald Pleasence, Patsy Kensit

DUEL OF HEARTS (1991) DIR – PROD John Hough TELEPLAY Terence Feely (novel by Barbara Cartland) CAM Terry Cole ED Peter Weatherley MUS Laurie Johnson CAST Alison Doody, Michael York, Geraldine Chaplin (Mrs. Miller), Benedict Taylor, Billie Whitelaw, Virginia McKenna, Richard Johnson, Jeremy Kemp, Beryl Reid

MOTHER TERESA: IN THE NAME OF GOD’S POOR (1997) DIR Kevin Connor PROD Peter Shepherd, Leslie McRay TELEPLAY Dominique Lapierre, Carol Kaplan (story by Dominique Lapierre, Jan Hartman) CAM Mike Frift ED Barry Peters MUS Irwin Fisch CAST Geraldine Chaplin (Mother Teresa), Keene Curtis, Helena Carroll, David Byrd, William Katt, Ravindra Randeniya

MARY, MOTHER OF JESUS (1999) DIR Kevin Connor PROD Howard Ellis TELEPLAY Albert Ross CAM Elemér Ragályi ED Barry Peters MUS Ken Thorne CAST Christian Bale, Pernilla August, Melinda Kinnaman, David Threfall, Simone Bendix, Hywell Bennett, Geraldine Chaplin (Elizabeth)

WINTER SOLSTICE (2003) DIR Martyn Friend PROD Verena von Heeremann, David Cunliffe TELEPLAY William Corlett (novel by Rosamunde Pilcher) CAM Simon Kossoff ED Josh Cunliffe MUS Alan Parker CAST Jan Niklas, Geraldine Chaplin (Gloria Bludell), Sinéad Cusack, Emilia Streets, Sophie Schütt, Ralf Bauer, Peter Ustinov, Jean Simmons

A CHRISTMAS CAROL (2004) DIR Arthur Allan Seidelman PROD Howard Ellis, Steven North TELEPLAY Lynn Ahrens (musical by Lynn Ahrens, Mike Ockrent; novel by Charles Dickens) CAM Hanania Baer ED Bert Glatstein MUS Alan Menken CAST Kelsey Grammer, Jesse L. Martin, Jane Krakowski, Jennifer Love Hewitt, Geraldine Chaplin (Ghost of Christmas Future/Blind Beggerwoman), Jason Alexander, Brian Bedford

LES AVENTURIERS DES MERS DU SUD, a.k.a. THE STEVENSONS (2006) DIR Daniel Vigne PROD François Sauvagnargues TELEPLAY Jean-François Goyet, Jean-Claude Baillon (story by Daniel Vigne, Michel Le Bris) CAM Flore Thulliez ED Thierry Simonnet MUS Michel Portal CAST Stéphane Freiss, Jane Birkin, Geraldine Chaplin (Maggie), Karine Belly, Stéphane Medez, John Potini, Maria Teresa Carrasco, Pablo Guevera

TV MINI-SERIES

THE WORD (1978) DIR Richard Berg, Robert L. Joseph, Richard Lang PROD David Manson TELEPLAY Richard Berg, Robert L. Joseph, Irving Wallace, Richard Fielder, S. S. Schweitzer CAM Michel Hugo ED Thomas Fries, Anthony DiMarco MUS Alex North CAST David Janssen, James Whitmore, Florinda Bolkan, Eddie Albert, Geraldine Chaplin (Naomi Dunn), John Huston, John McEnery, Ron Moody, Diana Muldaur, Janice Rule

MY COUSIN RACHEL (1983) DIR Brian Farnham PROD Richard Beynon TELEPLAY Daphne Du Maurier, Hugh Whitemore ED Tariq Anwar MUS Patrick Gowers CAST Geraldine Chaplin (Contessa Rachel Sangalletti), Christopher Guard, Jamie Cresswell, Charles Kay, Amanda Kirby, Bert Parnaby, John Shrapnel

LES UNS ET LES AUTRES (1981) DIR – PROD – TELEPLAY Claude Lelouch CAM Jean Boffety ED Hugues Darmois, Sophie Bhaud MUS Francis Lai, Michel Legrand CAST James Caan, Fanny Ardant, Jorge Donn, Robert Hossein, Nicole Garcia, Richard Bohringer, Evelyne Bioux, Geraldine Chaplin (Sara Glenn), Francis Huster, Jacques Villeret

GULLIVER’S TRAVELS (1996) DIR Charles Sturridge PROD Duncan Kenworthy TELEPLAY Simon Moore (novel by Jonathan Swift) CAM Howard Atherton ED Peter Coulson MUS Trevor Jones CAST Ted Danson, Mary Steenburgen, Ned Beatty, Geraldine Chaplin (Empress Munodi), Graham Crowden, Edward Fox, John Gielgud, Isabelle Huppert, Kristin Scott Thomas, Omar Sharif, Peter O’Toole

THE ODYSSEY (1997) DIR Andrey Konchalovskiy PROD Dyson Lovell TELEPLAY Andrey Konchalovskiy, Chris Solimine (epic poem by Homer) CAM Sergei Kozlov ED Michael Ellis MUS Eduard Artemev CAST Armand Assante, Greta Scacchi, Isabella Rossellini, Bernadette Peters, Eric Roberts, Irene Papas, Jeroen Krabbé, Geraldine Chaplin (Eurycleia), Christopher Lee, Vanessa Williams

IN THE BEGINNING (2000) DIR Kevin Connor PROD Paul Lovin TELEPLAY John Goldsmith CAM Elemér Ragályi ED Barry Peters, Bill Blunden MUS Ken Thorne CAST Martin Landau, Jacqueline Bisset, Billy Campbell, Eddie Cibrian, Frederick Weller, Alan Bates, Steven Berkoff, Geraldine Chaplin (Yocheved), Christopher Lee, Diana Rigg, David Warner

DINOTOPIA (2002) DIR Marco Brambilla PROD Dusty Symonds, William P. Cartlidge TELEPLAY Simon Moore, James Gurney CAM Tony Pierce-Roberts ED Oral Norrie Ottey MUS Trevor Jones CAST David Thewlis, Katie Carr, Alice Krige, Wentworth Miller, Colin Salmon, Geraldine Chaplin (Oriana), Lee Evans, Terry Jones

AU-DELÀ DES MURS (2016) DIR Hervé Hadmar TELEPLAY Sylvie Chanteux (created by Hervé Hadmar, Marc Herpoux) CAM Philippe Piffeteau ED Aurique Delannoy, Emmanuelle Labbé, Diane Logan MUS Éric Demarsan CAST Veerle Baetens, François Deblock, Geraldine Chaplin(Rose), Lili-Rosa Gilberti, Georges Siatidis, Cédric Lechapelier

It results in a film that is an intimate and honest, and is an insightful exploration of human beings and the complexities of love and relationships. Set in Paris, “Passages” follows the shifting dynamics of a romantic triangle that is fueled by love, desire, and a longing for the unattainable.

It’s Mr. Sachs’s eighth feature film, and he works in a cinematic tradition that prizes attentiveness, immediacy, and beauty by creating images that are rich in meaning as he tells a very human-scaled story. In collaboration with a European all-star cast of three extraordinary and adventurous actors—Franz Rogowski plays Tomas, a German film director; Ben Whishaw is Martin, an artist and his husband; Adèle Exarchopolous portrays Agathe, the young woman, a schoolteacher—Sachs builds a world where fictional narrative is enriched by the personal experience that all bring to their craft.

“Passages” (2023, trailer)

The NC-17-rated portrait of three people tangled in their own desires is Mr. Sachs’s fifth film with his co-screenwriter Mauricio Zacharias, and his first feature since “Frankie” (2019), starring Isabelle Huppert. His previous films are “The Delta” (1997), “Forty Shades of Blue” (2005), “Married Life” (2007), “Keep the Lights On” (2012), “Love Is Strange” (2014), and “Little Men” (2016). His actors in those sharply observed independent films include Marisa Tomei, Rachel McAdams, Patricia Clarkson, Pierce Brosnan, Chris Cooper, and screen veteran Rip Torn.

American film critic Glenn Kenny states in his “Passages” review on rogerebert.com that ‘Ira Sachs is one of American cinema’s most reliable crafters of human-scaled cinematic dramas.’ Mr. Sachs is also the founder and executive director of Queer/Art, a non-profit arts organization based in New York City that supports LGBTQ+ artists across disciplines and generations.

The following interview with Mr. Sachs was conducted in Brussels last June during the Brussels International Film Festival where “Passages” was screened. The film is now playing in theaters in various territories.

Mr. Sachs, in your films, the characters are always vulnerable and sensitive. That’s your niche, isn’t it?

Some people go to films to be carried away, and others go to films to see themselves. I’m more interested in the kinds of films where you identify with the details of experiences that are betrayed in the film. There are films where you are taken away from your life; I’m drawn to films that bring you closer to life.

You’re a highly acclaimed film director for the character studies you make in various settings. In “Frankie” [2019], for example, you have these beautiful and magical sceneries, while the setting for “Passages” is the opposite. It’s much more limited, it’s very tight.

Yes, the rooms are small, particularly in Agathe’s home. It’s a box; there’s no way out. But I look at them as different kinds of films. “Passages” is an action film; it’s a film about the present. There is no past in that film. “Frankie” is a film in which the past and storytelling is really central to the experience. For example, when I shot “Passages,” there is a scene that was like storytelling where two characters were describing sort of why they were who they were, and I had to remove it from the film. It’s a different kind of storytelling; it didn’t work. The film is only in the present, and each scene is an event that occurs only once.

And each scene is also very crucial, although some of them might seem a little bit trivial on the surface. But if you take the dinner scene with Agathe’s parents, it comes at the right moment when her mother questions Tomas’s intentions and what kind of future her daughter will have.

Yes, and that scene is very well acted. Everyone is at the top of their game, and I think they bring each other to a higher point. That’s something you can hope for, but you can’t count on. But it also means the stakes of each day of shooting are very high because if nothing happens, then you have nothing there. That’s why each scene has to count. But it also has to count without effort—you can’t see the effort. That’s the challenge in the act of directing: to figure out how to elevate the experience of everyday life to the level of cinema. Not easy.

How do you make it work?

I rely on risk, meaning I haven’t rehearsed in advance. I’ve never heard the lines read in advance, the actors have not practiced with each other. This is crucial because it means that the experience of shooting is the possibility of capturing something that will only happen once—it’s the opposite of theater. So I resist conversations about motivation, for example, I resist subtext as a conversation because as soon as something is described, then it’s made literal and becomes less complex. If I would make things literal, I would be a novelist. I would have a different career. I’m looking for the things that go unspoken, so I have to create an environment for that. And I think that for actors, it’s very exciting to know that I will create a world that is very real for them, so they know the other actors will be good. I ask them to imagine as little as possible; I try to give them everything. The relationship that I have with my actors is based on mutual trust. When we shot the sex scenes, the actors established boundaries for me; there was no conversation about what will be and won’t be in the film. They shared with me what they were comfortable with.

And since you don’t rehearse, casting is crucial to you.

Yes, it is crucial, but I also trust my process. The hardest thing to cast are people playing small roles because it’s very challenging for people to come into an environment that everybody’s living day after day and for them to enter that in an authentic way. It’s easier in some ways for the lead actors. Also, I really know what I’m looking for when I cast a lead actor. I’ve seen what they can do on screen and I’m trying to access something that’s very easy for them. I don’t want them to transform; I feel that I use costumes and sets as a way of transforming individuals into characters. I want them to show up as themselves. As a director, you try to set up a reality using a group of people, a group of technicians, a group of artists, and you try to set something up that works a little bit like a documentary, which doesn’t mean that a craft is involved. When I say I don’t rehearse, it doesn’t mean I don’t block and it doesn’t mean that I spend an endless number of hours trying to figure out how I am going to shoot the film. Because I storyboard my films completely without being locked into a storyboard, but I’ve done hours and hours of preparation. So when I arrive on the set, I have a plan of attack, and if I didn’t, I would be in up shit creek, as we say [laughs]. So I don’t rehearse my actors in preproduction, but I spend like five hours a day with my cinematographer [Josée Deshaies], day after day after day, trying to figure out the visual language of the film and of each scene.

So she’s your most important collaborator?

I’m a very collaborative artist, I work in collaboration, and I make three films: I write one film, I shoot another, and then edit the final film. Each one is different, and I have a different marriage in each stage. I work with a co-writer, and we create a script together; then I work with the cinematographer, and we create and produce the film together. She is my other half; I can’t do the work without her. And then I edit with a third person [Sophie Reine], and we really are like a couple creating the film. We’re a couple, but I have a little more power which I think they enjoy in the sense that the relationship is not equal. We have different roles.

You have more power. Does that mean that you have carte blanche?

Well, only to a certain point because I can’t act, or I can’t light. In filmmaking, I have great pleasure that people will bring things to me that I can’t do myself. So I’m creating the possibility for freedom and that freedom is really essential to the actors’ film. So I don’t direct the way Tomas does in the beginning of the film. It’s me in the sense that I’m a white male film director with a certain amount of power in the world, and the film is about me losing power. That’s the whole story, from someone seemingly with all the power to someone on the ground. That’s it. You’ve got to get from the stairwell to the floor. The film is really a remake of Luchino Visconti’s “L’innocente” [1976, a.k.a. “The Innocent,” starring Giancarlo Giannini and Laura Antonelli]. In that film, he ends up on the floor, and he shoots himself. In my film, I don’t do that, but it’s the same story. It’s about a man with power who loses it.

Are you more attracted to European filmmakers than American filmmakers? Also, because “Passages” looks pretty European.

Since the pandemic, I have enjoyed watching many films with my family and my children, and I have discovered the American cinema of the 1930s. I discovered Westerns and gangster films in a new way; they’re so easy and so incredible. There’s so much richness and so much depth. That was a brilliant period. So I’m impressed by American cinema. But visually I’m more engaged with European cinema, and Asian cinema, too, with Yasujirō Ozu or Hou Hsiao-hsien. But the most direct line for me is through French cinema, which I come back to often.

Is that also the reason why you shot “Passages” in Paris?

I think it’s not an academic approach. In Paris, I’ve had a life. I lived there when I was twenty. I didn’t speak French too well, I didn’t know anyone there, so what did I do? I went to the movies and saw two or three films a day. Paris is a city of cinema that changed my life, and where I had relationships, break-ups, friendships, and I’m very familiar with life experiences in Paris. Unlike anywhere else—besides New York and Memphis, the two other places where I have made a number of films. So Paris does not feel foreign to me.

You just mentioned a few filmmakers. I compare you with Samuel Fuller. You’re both passionate and independent filmmakers who make very personal films, and actors are key in your films.

“Passages” is an action movie in a way that Fuller did. It’s a film of impact, and the impact is relentless. You mention Samuel Fuller, but I was also watching James Cagney movies, thinking about go bold, go strong. He was someone Orson Welles said was the greatest actor ever in front of the camera. I think Samuel Fuller is a punk rock filmmaker, and I’m much more bourgeois than he is, but it’s an energy that I can gain from.

What also makes “Passages” very interesting, you have the character of Tomas who is very dominant and wants people to behave the way he wants, and Agathe is the opposite. She’s a very low-key character. As a filmmaker, I imagine you must find a perfect balance between your characters to make the story work. How do you do that?

That’s the dynamic of the film: contrast and conflict. What’s interesting is what’s written, but also what Adèle Exarchopoulos brings to the role of Agathe. When I started writing, I had passive characters and had passive people play them. That was not as interesting as writing possibly passive characters and having very active people play them. Adèle is extraordinary. She’s the Jeanne Moreau of our time: she’s of the earth and of the sky. She is all present, and there’s nothing recessive about her. There’s the tension between what she’s doing and who she is that makes it very compelling, and ultimately she’s very decisive in the film. She recognizes something she wants because this man happens to be married, but that doesn’t stop her. She’s equally directed by her desires more than her beliefs. Which I think is common among the three of them.

When you finish your screenplay and start shooting, do you think about all that?

No. That’s why I find talking about the film so stimulating; it’s narcistically appealing and it’s pleasurable to meet people who care about the same things you do. There’s not that many of us. There’s not a world full of people who want to talk about Samuel Fuller. But I don’t talk about any of these things with my actors, and in a way, I don’t articulate them to myself. I tend to follow the script and figure out what the story is—that’s instinctual more than intellectual—and in this process, you’re speaking in a way that’s not unnatural to me. But we’re talking about a film that exists, and that makes me a critic too.

From a practical point of view, when did you shoot the film? During the pandemic?

Are we still in the pandemic now? [Laughs.] I mean, I went to the Berlin Film Festival last February, and the day I got home, I had Covid. So, I don’t know. When we made the film, we were more in the pandemic than we are now. It was between two peaks in Paris, but everyone on set wore masks except for the actors. So I guess it was a pandemic film. What’s interesting is that we’ve erased the pandemic in the film. I think one person on the street is wearing a mask because in Paris, people were still wearing masks regularly.

Do you remember what the timeline was like?

After “Frankie,” I worked on a new script with my co-writer Mauricio Zacharias. When it was done, something happened to me that has never happened before: I didn’t want to make it. It was like a crisis in our relationship—not personally, but creatively. Because we had spent a year and a half writing on something that didn’t work. That was towards the end of 2019. Then we saw “L’innocente” and said, ‘Okay, now we have structure.’ In general, my films are remakes; they’re all versions of other films. “Passages” is “L’innocente” and “Loulou” [1980, directed by Maurice Pialat, starring Isabelle Huppert and Gérard Depardieu] in inspiration—triangle films, bourgeois films, intruder films, family films, bedroom films, body films, sex films, all these things. So I thought, ‘I want to make one of those.’ We outlined the film until the day before the pandemic, and then we separated because we were in lockdown. Then there was this long pause when I wasn’t sure if there would be cinema anymore, and I wasn’t sure if Mauricio and I could make cinema anymore. In the middle of 2020, he presented the first draft of the script—which I’m supposed to have this week for my next film with him, so that’s nice. That’s always a big moment: he writes the first draft. That first draft was very encouraging. From then, it was a process of raising the money and putting everything together. So from the middle of 2020, I felt like I had something to do.

How many days did it take you to shoot the film?

We shot it in twenty-eight days, which is kind of normal. I would have been happier with thirty-one and would have loved thirty-five [laughs]. Twenty-eight is hard. But I don’t think the film would have been any better if we had a few more days. There’s just one or two scenes… No, it wouldn’t have been better, I don’t think so. I edit before I shoot so I know what I need. And I never say, ‘Okay, we gotta do seven takes in five hours!’ That’s not possible; I would never do that. I know what it takes; we need a certain amount of time, and we had that time. That’s the experience I feel I have in this film. This is a film in which my craft caught up with my instincts. My instincts are the same as when I was twenty-five or thirty, and I went back to those instincts with a new level of craft. That was exciting.

You show your soul in your films. What does it take to be such a truthful director?

Thank you. I think I’m rigorous in my preparation, and I have a focus which allows me to pay attention to what’s happening in front of me. I just worked with young filmmakers for the Sundance Institute—I was their mentor. I noticed that when they started shooting, they stopped paying attention to what was happening in front of them. They thought, ‘Okay, I have a script, I have actors, I have a camera, so this is what it is.’ But the hardest thing is to be constantly paying attention to what’s happening in the moment, to use those tools on set and adjust them so that they have a life. That’s the hardest thing. Sometimes it’s about moving the camera or changing the lens; sometimes it’s about removing a piece of dialogue or about suggesting a pause. That’s the kind of craft stuff that is hard to teach.

Other than that, filmmaking is natural to you, right?

Yes, I think so. I think that I work well with other people. I think the only other job I could have had would be a psycho-analyst. That’s the only other thing I have the temperament and the personality for—and they’re very similar. For me, particularly, considering that I don’t rehearse with actors. I create the opportunity for the actors to discover the unexpected in an environment in which they feel safe. Is that psycho-analysis? But I get to talk more than an analyst does, and I get to manipulate in a much more active way… [Pauzes.] Have you ever read Peter Bogdanovich’s “Who the Devil Made It” [1997]?

Yes, I have.

Isn’t that a great book? I love that book. It’s incredibly brilliant! It’s out of print in the U.S.

Did you also read his follow-up book, “Who the Hell’s In It” [2004]?

Yes. For some reason, I didn’t find it as amazing, but maybe it was the moment. It must have been just as good, right? He was an incredible interviewer. His depth of knowledge was extraordinary, and he was never showing off.

Brussels International Film Festival
June 30, 2023

FILMS

THE DELTA (1996) DIR – SCR Ira Sachs PROD Margot Bridger CAM Benjamin P. Speth ED Affonso Gonçalves MUS Michael Rohatyn CAST Shayne Gray, Thang Chan, Rachel Zan Huss, Colonious David, Charles J. Ingram, Mai Ballard

FORTY SHADES OF BLUE (2005) DIR Ira Sachs PROD Ira Sachs, Mary Bing, Margot Bridger, Donald Rosenfeld, Jawal Nga SCR Ira Sachs, Michael Rohatyn CAM Julian Whatley ED Affonso Gonçalves MUS Dickon Hinchliffe CAST Rip Torn, Dina Korzun, Darren E. Burrows, Andrew Lawrence Henderson, Elizabeth Morton, Joanne Pankow, Arielle Kight, Red West, Jenny O’Hara

MARRIED LIFE (2007) DIR Ira SachsPROD Ira Sachs, Jawal Nga, Sidney Kimmel, Steve Golin SCR Ira Sachs, Oren Moverman (novel “Five Roundabouts to Heaven” [1953] by John Bingham) CAM Peter Deming ED Affonso Gonçalves MUS Dickon Hinchliffe CAST Pierce Brosnan, Chris Cooper, Patricia Clarkson, Rachel McAdams, Annabel Kershaw, Sheila Paterson

KEEP THE LIGHTS ON (2012) DIR Ira Sachs PROD Ira Sachs, Marie Therese Guirgis, Lucas Joaquin SCR Ira Sachs, Mauricio Zacharias CAM Thimios Bakatakis ED Affonso Golçalves MUS Arthur Russell CAST Thure Lindhardt, Zachaey Booth, Marilyn Neimark, Paprika Steen, Sebastian La Cause, Julianne Nicholson, Sarah Hess, Jamie Petrone

LOVE IS STRANGE (2014) DIR Ira Sachs PROD Ira Sachs, Lucas Joaquin, Lars Knudsen, Jay Van Hoy SCR Ira Sachs, Mauricio Zacharias CAM Christos Voudouris ED Affonso Golçalves, Michael Taylor CAST John Lithgow, Alfred Molina, Marisa Tomei, Charlie Tahan, Tatyana Zbirovskaya, Darren E. Burrows, Harriet Sansom Harris

LITTLE MEN (2016) DIR Ira SachsPROD Ira Sachs, Lucas Joaquin, Jim Lande, Christos V. Konstantakopoulos, L.A. Teodosio SCR Ira Sachs, Mauricio Zacharias CAM Óscar Durán ED Affonso Gonçalves MUS Dickon Hinchliffe CAST Greg Kinnear, Jennifer Ehle, Paulina García, Alfred Molina, Theo Taplitz, Michael Barbieri

FRANKIE (2019) DIR Ira Sachs PROD Saïd Ben Saïd, Michel Merkt SCR Ira Sachs, Mauricio Zacharias CAM Rui Poças ED Sophie Reine MUS Dickon Hinchliffe CAST Isabelle Huppert, Brendan Gleeson, Marisa Tomei, Jérémie Renier, Pascal Greggory, Greg Kinnear, Sennia Nanua, Ariyon Bakare, Vinette Robinson

PASSAGES (2023) DIR Ira Sachs PROD Saïd Ben Saïd, Michel Merkt SCR Ira Sachs, Mauricio Zacharias CAM Josée Deshaies ED Sophie Reine CAST Franz Rogowski, Ben Whishaw, Adèle Exarchopoulos, Erwan Kepoa Falé, Arcadi Radeff, Léa Boublil, Théo Cholbi, William Nadylam, Tony Daoud, Sarah Lisbonis

After directing the blockbuster “Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom” (2018), it was a walk in the park for him, so to speak, to helm the first two out of eight episodes of Amazon’s “The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power” (2022), the most expensive TV series of all time.

His next and upcoming screen effort is “Society of the Snow,” his second survival movie after “The Impossible” (2012), based on the experience of María Belón and her family during the 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami. “Society of the Snow,” made for Netflix, is inspired by the real story of Uruguayan Air Force Flight 571 which carried an entire rugby team and, en route to Santiago, Chile, crashed on an Andes’ glacier in 1972. The flight had 45 passengers and crew; only 29 survived the crash. During the following 72 days, the survivors found themselves in one of the world’s toughest environments with an avalanche and starvation, which lead to the death of 13 more passengers. The other survivors were forced to take extreme measures—including cannibalism—to stay alive. The Andes flight disaster was previously filmed in 1993 with Frank Marshall’s “Alive.”

“Society of the Snow” is Mr. Bayona’s return to Spanish-speaking filmmaking since “The Orphanage”; the film is based on the book “La sociedad de la nieve” by Uruguayan author and journalist Pablo Vierci, and locations for the movie included Andalucia (Spain), Uruguay and other locations throughout the Andes, including the actual crash site. Mr. Bayona shot the film with a cast of unknown Uruguayan and Argentinian actors. “I consider myself very lucky to be able to work in Hollywood and at the same time go back home and produce my own films in my own language,” he said during our interview.

Nevertheless, his most famous work so far is “Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom,” the sequel to “Jurassic World” (2015), the second installment in the “Jurassic World” trilogy, and the fifth installment overall in the “Jurassic Park” film series. “Fallen Kingdom” was the second most expensive film ever made, but it grossed over $1.3 billion worldwide and became the highest-grossing film of 2018 and, at the time, the 12th-highest-grossing movie of all time. And that film was only Mr. Bayona’s fourth feature.

In April 2023, he was invited to the Brussels International Fantastic Film Festival and was the BIFFF’s guest of honor, where I joined him during a roundtable interview.

Mr. Bayona, a number of your films are inspired by fairy tales. What attracts you to this kind of storytelling?

Fairy tales are very interesting because of the way they connect with the audience. Fairy tales help children to understand the world they live in and to process it in a way that seems very primal but, at the same time, very truthful. In that sense, I have always been very attracted to fairy tales, especially when I did “A Monster Calls” [2016]. I read more about fairy tales and how smartly these kinds of stories connect to the primal and conscious part of your brain and the way you process the reality you live in. I would also like to add that intuition is one of the most important tools a director has. In that sense, I never plan what will be my next movie. Also, when you do your next movie, you’re influenced by the previous one because that lifts your spirits in a way that I would never be able to choose what my next movie will be without finishing the one that I’m doing at the moment.

After working in your home country [Spain], you decided to go to America. Can you tell something about that?

I did “Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom” [2018] after I did three movies in my own country. After those movies, I decided to say ‘Yes’ to Hollywood. I was attracted to the idea of going there and see what would happen—also, the idea of working with Steven Spielberg was fantastic to me because he always had a huge influence on me.

Is your working method as a film director any different if you do a film based on true events compared to a work of fiction?

That’s a very interesting question. You always try to connect with the story, and I love to do a lot of research. When you have a true story, it’s a lot easier because you have all the material you need. I just did “Society of the Snow” about the plane that crashed in the Andes in the 1970s; when I was working on that film, I was in contact with all the survivors—every day of the shoot. So that gives you the source of material that you’re looking for when you’re working on that film. If it’s not a true story, the kind of research I do is different. But to me, it’s all about getting as much information as I can, and from there, you try to enhance the story that you are telling.

What about the difference between making a film in Spain and the U.S.?

There is a difference. When I did “Jurassic World,” I knew I was at the service of the franchise. There were four movies before, three directors, and I sat down with some of them. I put my skills at the service of the franchise. At the same time, if you want to be at your best, you need to put yourself in the story and enrich the material with yourself. That’s the only way I can give my best in the story. I was lucky enough to keep my tone. It was funny because it was the weirdest “Jurassic” movie ever done—it looked like a fairy tale and like a horror film, but some of the filmmakers supported me. I remember I was talking to Steven Spielberg, and he was very happy that I was able to put my stamp on it. When I talked to the composer [Michael Giacchino], I remember we were talking about the score and one day I told him, ‘This sounds like the score of a “Dracula” movie, not a “Jurassic World,”’ and he said, ‘Great! This is what you did; this is exactly the movie that you did!’

In each film of yours, a family plays a key role. Is that a coincidence?

No, because emotions are very important to me. When I talk about following your intuition, most of the time, intuition is pursuing something that connects with the most human aspect of human psychology. That is very important. But I don’t have a plan. It’s funny; every time I do a film, there is something that guides me. I don’t know what it is, but I find out when I’m filming. It’s like when you have a dream; if you find out what the dream was all about and what it meant, you can enhance its visuals. I also like to think that movies can connect even when there’s no sound. There are so many films in theaters that feel like television; if you disconnect the sound, you don’t understand anything, or the camera doesn’t really tell you the story—while that is what moviemaking is all about. Sound and visuals—the way you tell the story with the camera—are so important.

You are a successful and bankable film director. Does that also mean you have carte blanche?

When you talk about Hollywood, during the 1940s and 1950s, film directors began working in a way that they made a film for the studio, and one for them, one for the studio, one for them. To me, movies are about visuals and sound, but to the industry, movies are about sound, visuals and money. So you need to navigate to find that balance. I always tried to find enough elements to enjoy my work when I did “Jurassic World” or “The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power”—when I was at someone else’s service.

What kind of films did you see when you were young?

I grew up watching the classics and a lot of blockbusters, mostly on television. But I really enjoy the experience of going to a theater. There is no better way than watching a movie on a big screen with a lot of people around you. There is nothing better than that. I go to the cinema once or twice a week, and I think the number of young people going to the movies is increasing too. In my late teens, I began working as a journalist—or at least I pretended to be a journalist—and went to several film festivals to get free tickets. Genre festivals like this one are very important to keep cinema alive. I would never have been able to make “The Orphanage” [2007] if I didn’t meet Guillermo del Toro at a film festival—as a journalist asking him questions. We became friends, and three or four years later, he was producing “The Orphanage.”

Do you think artificial intelligence can be useful for your work as a director?

I think it’s too early now to think about it, and I’m not very familiar with it. The things that I heard feel to me like a more sophisticated way of doing things than the way we are doing now. The whole artificial intelligence that is developing is unknown to me, so I don’t have enough information to talk about it.

Brussels International Fantastic Film Festival
April 15, 2023

FILMS

EL ORFANATO, a.k.a. THE ORPHANAGE (2007) DIR J.A. BayonaPROD Álvaro Augustin, Joaquín Padró, Mar Targarona SCR Sergio G. Sánchez CAM Oscar Faura ED Elena Ruiz MUS Fernando Velázquez CAST Belén Rueda, Fernando Cayo, Roger Príncep, Óscar Casas, Mabel Rivera, Montserrat Carulla, Andrés Gertrúdix, Geraldine Chaplin

LO IMPOSSIBLE, a.k.a. THE IMPOSSIBLE (2012) DIR J.A. Bayona PROD Belén Atienza, Álvaro Augustin, Ghislain Barrios SCR Sergio G. Sánchez (story by María Belón) CAM Oscar Faura ED Elena Ruiz, Bernat Vilaplana MUS Fernando Velázquez CAST Naomi Watts, Ewan McGregor, Tom Holland, Samuel Joslin, Oaklee Pendergast, Marta Etura, Sönke Möhring, Geraldine Chaplin, Ploy Jindachote, Jomjaoi Sae-Limh, Johan Sundberg, Jan Roland Sundberg, La-Orng Thongruang, Tor Klathaley, Douglas Johansson, Emilio Riccardi, Vorarat Jutakeo, Karun Konsaman, Nicola Harrison

A MONSTER CALLS (2016) DIR J.A. Bayona PROD Belén Atienza SCR Patrick Ness (novel “A Monster Calls” [2011] by Patrick Ness; from an original idea by Siobhan Dowd) CAM Oscar Faura ED Jaume Martí, Bernat Vilaplana MUS Fernando Velázquez CAST Sigourney Weaver, Felicity Jones, Lewis MacDougall, Liam Neeson, Toby Kebbell, Ben Moor, James Melville, Oliver Steer, Dominic Boyle, Jennifer Lim, Max Gabbay, Morgan Symes, Max Golds, Frida Palsson, Wanda Opalinska

JURASSIC WORLD: FALLEN KINGDOM (2018) DIR J.A. BayonaPROD Belén Atienza, Frank Marshall, Patrick Crowley SCR Colin Trevorrow, Derek Connolly (characters created by Michael Crichton) CAM Oscar Faura ED Bernart Vilaplana MUS Michael Giacchino CAST Chris Pratt, Bryce Dallas Howard, Rafe Spall, Justice Smith, Daniella Pineda, James Cromwell, Toby Jones, Ted Levine, Jeff Goldblum, Geraldine Chaplin

SOCIETY OF THE SNOW (2023) DIR J.A. Bayona PROD Belén Atienza, Sandra Hermida, Benjamín Segura SCR J.A. Bayona, Bernat Vilaplana, Nicolás Casariego, Jaime Marques (book “La sociedad de la nieve” [a.k.a. “The Snow Society: The Definitive Account of the World’s Greatest Survival Story”] by Pablo Vierci) CAST Enzo Vogrincic Roldán, Matías Recalt, Tomas Wolf, Diego Ariel Vegezzi, Agustín Pardella, Francisco Romero, Rafael Federman, Felipe González Otaño, Esteban Kukuriczka, Agustín Della Corte, Valentino Alonso, Simón Hempe, Jerónimo Bosia, Fernando Contigiani García

As a member of other bands, including Dark Rooms (since 2013), he released several records and studio albums, including his first solo record, “The Orientalist” (2011).

After film director David Lowery asked him to write the film score for his debut feaure, “St. Nick” (2009), they began collaborating and up until now, Mr. Hart scored all of Lowery’s films. In an undated interview with Filmmaker Magazine, Mr. Hart said that after working on Lowery’s short “Pioneer” (2011), ‘we started to develop a musical language that corresponded to David’s aesthetic as a filmmaker.’

In between, he also writes memorable film scores for other filmmakers, including “Comet” (2014), “Tumbledown” (2015), and “Return to Sender” (2015). Mr. Hart scores shorts, documentaries and TV shows as well.

In October 2023, both David Lowery and Daniel Hart were guests of honor at the latest Film Fest Ghent in Belgium. During a highly interesting masterclass, they talked about their working methods and approach as skilled and accomplished craftsmen.

At the Festival, Mr. Hart was also nominated for the World Soundtrack Award for Film Composer of the Year, and for Best Original Song for “Blome Swete Lilie Flour” from “The Green Knight” (2021).

During his visit to Belgium, I also had the opportunity to talk to Mr. Hart about his inspiring work as a film composer. Needless to say, I was all ears.

Mr. Hart, are you a film buff in the sense that you are also fascinated by film scores from the 1940s or 1950s?

I am. Recently I listened to the music from “A Place in the Sun” [1951] for the first time. Franz Waxman. I have never seen the film, but I heard the music and I love it. So now, I need to see the film. But a film buff… when I think of a film buff, I think of someone who knows more than I do about older films. Anything before the 1970s, I feel like I don’t know enough to consider myself a true film buff. But I love everything that I see and hear, and I try to listen to film music as much as possible—also the old stuff.

Are there other film composers from that era that you also like? You mentioned Franz Waxman, but what about Max Steiner or Bernard Herrmann, for example?

Yes, of course, the masters. Three men are responsible for the structure of modern film music: Max Steiner, Alfred Newman and Bernard Herrmann. Bernard Herrman is also one of my favorite composers of all time, from “Citizen Kane” [1941] all the way to “Taxi Driver” [1976]. It’s all impeccable, it can’t be beaten.

What about outsiders like Anton Karras who scored “The Third Man”?

I love that score, I’ve seen the film several times. Like “The Adventures of Robin Hood” [1938, music by Erich Wolfgang Korngold], “Citizen Kane,” “Casablanca” [1942, music by Max Steiner],… When I think of my favorite composers, they are all very identifiable. They have a particular style that spans across all of their work. But there are also some chameleons that I really like, and I feel a little bit like a chameleon myself because there are so many styles of music that I’m interested in, and there are so many styles of music that I spent time studying—or have been lucky enough to play them, or perform in some kind of group on live projects. So having all this exposure to music and being so interested in different kinds of music, I feel very lucky that I’ve been given so many opportunities in film to try new things, to explore and to express myself in so many different styles that I love.

What would you consider your best training ground?

I think it’s a combination of a few things. I grew up in a very musical household, I started playing the violin at a very young age, and I think it’s the violin, as opposed to the piano or even the cello, is ‘the concertmaster.’ When you think about how many violin concertos have been written over the centuries, it’s a very melodic instrument and the orchestra’s leader in some sense, right? So this kind of placement of the violin and its relationship to melody mean that it is key to being a good film composer. Ever since I started learning music or when I began to think in melodic terms and had the ability to have a relationship to strong melodies, I thought there’s that aspect of it. Also my love of theater, that’s the other side. My degree from university is for playwriting, not for music. So theater is my other passion. I think that my interest in character and dialogue and story art exposition—everything that goes into the other components of storytelling in film—were all things that I was passionate about and things that I studied. So when I am watching films, I’m looking for clues; I want a film to tell me what kind of music it needs, and I think this interest in the script and in character motivation helps me. It gives me an edge.

Looking at your scores, you wrote the score for “Pete’s Dragon” [2016] for a very large orchestra. What’s the difference between writing a score like that, compared to the music for a more intimate film like “The Old Man & the Gun” [2018]?

A score like “Pete’s Dragon” is more like a puzzle, but it’s also like if someone gave me an extra paintbrush and an extra palette of colors to choose from. While I love writing for ensembles of any size, I take great joy in the work that I did on a film like “The Old Man & the Gun”—jazz is something I spent quite a bit of time playing in live settings in my twenties, especially. It was the first music that I really felt a passionate connection to when I was sixteen or seventeen. So it’s very satisfying for me, and I wanted to write a jazz score for years before I wrote the score for “The Old Man & the Gun.” While that is so satisfying, if you give me a whole orchestra, many more layers of things can be said because there are so many more instruments involved. There’s more to choose from, there’s more to be communicated, and there’s also more pressure. You have to figure out what needs to be said by each instrument, how they go together, and how to use a large ensemble but still stay out of the way of the dialogue. Those are all challenges that maybe don’t have to be considered as much with a smaller ensemble. So I also love writing for orchestra; it’s so much fun because there are so many more colors and an extra paintbrush.

David Lowery directed the films you talk about now. What’s the secret of your chemistry? How do you collaborate?

It varies quite a bit from project to project. David is the main director that I work with and he’s the main person who has given me opportunities to explore all these different musical styles. He also doesn’t like repeating himself and he wants me to do different music for the next film than I did for the last film. It doesn’t only depend on what David wants, but also what the producers want and need. If you take a film like “Pete’s Dragon,” Disney expects to hear a demo that sounds as close to the orchestra as possible, and because technology is at the place it is now, this is possible to do. It takes a long time to use software making orchestra samples and make them sound very realistic, but that is the expectation. So for a score like for “Pete’s Dragon” there is software orchestra—not fully arranged because it has to go to an orchestrator before it gets recorded—but at least eighty percent in terms of the arrangements and of the orchestra, has to be heard beforehand to be approved. The days of Bernard Herrmann playing the piano for Alfred Hitchcock—and that was the only thing he heard before they recorded the entire score—those days are over. Except maybe for John Williams. Maybe he can still do that, but for the rest of us, those days are over [laughs]. So people know the technology is there to emulate what it would eventually sound like when it’s being recorded by other instruments. The expectation is that I would provide that ahead of time.

“A Ghost Story” [2017] was the next film you and David Lowery worked on after “Pete’s Dragon”? That’s another truly wonderful score. How did that come about?

We had no producers; A24 bought the film, but when we made it, it was only us making it. There was just David and I deciding what was approved and what was not approved. Just the two of us. In that case a lot of the score was self-recorded by me in my home studio and I played a lot of the instruments on the score. The demo that I sent to David could be the final product, or close to it. I keep this in mind when I’m recording myself. I want to make sure that everything is correct as if it could be the actual piece of music that ends up in the film. With “A Ghost Story,” eighty percent or so of the score were those demos that I made—the first version because we both felt that the music was right from the very beginning. In connection to the film, it was very easy for me to find the music that the film needed and then record it at home. It can go pretty quickly once I know what I want. So there’s quite a bit of difference between what I give to David—sometimes it’s a lot, sometimes it’s a little, sometimes it’s the final thing. In the case of “The Old Man & the Gun,” we both knew from the beginning that the score would be based around a piano trio—piano, base and drums, and they would all be recorded by professional jazz players, better jazz players than me at some point. So in making the demos for “The Old Man & the Gun,” I knew that everything I was writing—using software piano, software base and software drums—would all be eventually replaced. I didn’t take great care in making them sound as real as possible, just enough to give David the idea of what it would eventually sound like and then he’d use his imagination to get it right.

You just mentioned your music studio. I always think of film composers as isolated hermits who work all night long, with a pizza sliced under the door at five in the morning.

[Laughs.] Well, if there’s pizza, it’s because I went into the kitchen and prepared it for myself [laughs]. But otherwise, yes. Some composers have four teams of people working with them, but in the beginning, I do most of my work myself. If I have other people working with me, they’re working from their home studio and I’m working from mine. So yes, I’m always alone, working at home, locking myself into this room for hours at a time, and usually late at night until five in the morning sometimes, writing music, playing instruments. Violin, cello, guitar, base, percussion… So I have as many instruments as it’s safe to have that I wouldn’t trip over. I have them in a place where I can just grab them and start playing, or start recording.

Who is your most important collaborator? The editor maybe? Because you do most of your work during postproduction, I suppose?

Yes, but it feels to me like the director is usually my most important collaborator because he’s going to tell me what works and what doesn’t. Purely in terms of logistical needs and technical needs, the music editor is my savior [laughs], my closest working partner in terms of me sending off music to them, them cutting it to picture, and sending it to the director. But again, it all depends on the size of the film. Sometimes I’m just sending things to the director myself.

You don’t work with the picture editor?

Usually, I don’t work with the picture editor. In most of the projects that I’m working on, there’s a music editor. He’s there specifically to be the liaison between postproduction and me because the picture editor has too much to do for himself. But again, it varies. David is also a picture editor on most of his films, or he’s one of the picture editors. So we can send a lot of things back and forth just between the two of us, especially with “The Green Knight” [2021] when the process had been so long. When you work on a film for over a year, and the music editor only comes in at the very end of the process, I’m ready to record everything. So for most of the time, there was just David as the picture editor and the director, and me.

How did you get this authentic look and feel for “The Green Knight”?

Well, my parents were both musicians and they were very interested in medieval music. They belonged to the Church of England, so you could say the research for “The Green Knight” was already done when I was in the womb [laughs]. I sang in my mother’s church choir as a child, learning all this medieval Christian music, the melodies, the rhythm, the cadence. So that’s one part of it. I also did more research than I have ever done for any other film; that’s the other part, I guess. Research of Middle English because I had to write quite a few lyrics—there are quite a few songs in the film—research into Middle English poetry and music, language and syntax. I also had a couple of instruments built for me, like a Swedish medieval instrument called the nyckelharpa. There’s one person—or at least one person in the United States—who makes these. I had called him up and asked him to make me one. So he made me a nyckelharpa. It’s a medieval string instrument and it’s played with a bow, so it has some relationship to a violin. But it’s held across the chest like a guitar would be held. And instead of putting your fingers on the strings, the fingers press on wooden keys on the instrument’s side. So it’s like a part violin and part piano. It’s quite beautiful, and it was one of the main instruments used for the score of “The Witch” [2015], Robert Eggers’ film. Composer Mark Korven used a nyckelharpa for a lot of that. When you hear it, it feels old, like a medieval instrument. So I had this built for me, and I learned how to play it; I had the advantage of playing the violin for so long, so it was relatively easy to learn. But I think it gave a very medieval feeling.

When you watch a film of yours, are you critical of your own work?

I’m always critical because there is always room for improvement, I think. And I’m always changing and learning things. If I wasn’t critical, I’d be worried that I hadn’t learned anything new since I made that music [laughs].

And once the score is out of your hands, can you let it go?

It’s easier to let some things go than others. We worked so long on “The Green Knight” and I had to rewrite the music a couple of times because the edit changed so much. So that’s still there, it’s still in my head—even now. Also “A Ghost Story” because I connect with that film so much; I’m very proud of what we made and I’m very proud of the music that I wrote for it. That’s like a gift; it’s still in my head, and I like it that it’s still there. And then you can have projects that you weren’t that closely connected to, or because it went by in a rush when there was a very short schedule. I think about those less often. I would actually have to listen to the music again to remember. Sometimes I hear music that I have written and it takes me a minute to recognize it; sometimes I don’t remember things that I made.

Is there still time for you to record an album or do a concert?

Yes. Maybe not the last four months or so when I was working on a film and a TV show at the same time—they were both very intense projects—so not all the time. But my band Dark Rooms put out some music at the beginning of the year. As for performing, I have been very reluctant to perform during the pandemic. You can see I still have a mask on right now. I’m taking more precautions than perhaps a lot of people are taking at this point in 2022, so I have not performed during the pandemic, except for small things here and there. But I miss it terribly and I feel like there’s a hole that needs some filling. That makes me think we do need to play some more concerts soon. Maybe at the beginning of next year. I hope to always make time for a live performance. That’s the thing I did first for so long before I was scoring films. It’s one of my greatest loves and it’s a part of me.

Film Fest Ghent,
October 19, 2023

FILMS

ST. NICK (2009) DIR – SCR – ED David Lowery PROD James M. Johnston CAM Clay Liford MUS Daniel Hart CAST Savanna Sears, Tucker Sears, Monique Byars, Riley Cole, Harry Goaz, Barlow Jacobs, Andrew Sensening

AIN’T THEM BODIES SAINTS(2013) DIR – SCR David Lowery PROD Cassian Elwes, James M. Johnston, Amy Kaufman, Toby Halbrooks, Jay Van Hoy, Lars Knudsen CAM Bradford Young ED Craig McKay, Jane Rizzo MUS Daniel Hart CAST Casey Affleck, Rooney Mara, Ben Foster, Keith Carradine, Kennadie Smith, Jacklynn Smith, Nate Parker, Robert Longstreet, Charles Baker

COMET (2014) DIR – SCR Sam Esmail PROD Lee Clay, Chad Hamilton CAM Eric Koretz ED Franklin Peterson MUS Daniel Hart CAST Emmy Rossum, Justin Long, Eric Winter, Kayla Servi, Ben Scott, Lou Beatty Jr., Ben Pace, Nicole Lucas, Connie Jackson

TUMBLEDOWN (2015) DIR Sean Mewshaw PROD Margot Hand, Kristin Hahn, Aaron L. Gilbert SCR Desi van Til (story by Sean Mewshaw, Desi van Til) CAM Seamus Tierney ED Sandra Adair, Suzy Elmiger MUS Daniel Hart, Damien Jurado CAST Rebecca Hall, Jason Sudeikis, Blythe Danner, Dianna Agron, Joe Manganiello, Griffin Dunne, Richard Masur, Maggie Castle, Alex Quijano

RETURN TO SENDER (2015) DIR Fouad Mikati PROD Holly Wiersma SCR Joe Gossett, Patricia Beauchamp CAM Russell Carpenter MUS Daniel Hart CAST Rosamund Pike, Shiloh Fernandez, Nick Nolte, Camryn Manheim, Alexi Wasser, Rumer Willis, Ileana Douglas, Ryan Philippe

LOST IN THE SUN (2015) DIR – SCR Trey Nelson PROD Clay Floren, Aimee Shieh, Clay Pecorin CAM Robert Barocci ED Storm Choi [Michael Choi] MUS Daniel HartCAST Josh Duhamel, Josh Wiggins, Lynn Collins, Emma Fuhrmann, Al Hayter, Larry Jack Dotson, Luis Olmeda, Michael Anthony Jackson

HALF THE PERFECT WORLD (2016) DIR – SCR Cynthia Fredette PROD Cynthia Fredette, Kaer Vanice, Gregory Levitin CAM Ivan Cortazar ED Louise Ford MUS Daniel Hart CAST Heather Lind, Ryan O’Nan, Cara Buono, Janel Moloney, Remy Auberjonois, Clare Foley, Toby Leonard Moore, Kate Jennings Grant

PETE’S DRAGON (2016) DIR David Lowery PROD Jim Whitaker SCR David Lowery, Toby Halbrooks (screenplay PETE’S DRAGON [1977] by Malcolm Marmorstein; story by Seton I. Miller, S.S. Field) CAM Bojan Bazelli ED Lisa Zeno Churgin MUS Daniel Hart CAST Bryce Dallas Howard, Robert Redford, Oakes Fegley, Oona Laurence, Wes Bentley, Karl Urban, Isiah Whitlock Jr.

A GHOST STORY (2017) DIR – SCR – ED David Lowery PROD Adam Donaghey, James M. Johnston, Toby Halbrooks CAM Andrew Droz Palermo MUS Daniel Hart CAST Casey Affleck, Rooney Mara, McColm Cephas Jr., Kenneisha Thompson, Grover Coulson, Liz Franke, Barlow Jacobs, Richard Krause, David Lowery

THE OLD MAN & THE GUN (2018) DIR David Lowery PROD Robert Redford, James M. Johnston, James D. Stern, Jeremy Steckler, Dawn Ostroff, Anthony Mastromauro, Toby Halbrooks, Bill Holderman SCR David Lowery (article by David Grann) CAM Joe Anderson ED Lisa Zeno Churgin MUS Daniel Hart CAST Casey Affleck, Robert Redford, Sissy Spacek, Danny Glover, Elisabeth Moss, Tom Waits, Keith Carradine, John David Washington, Isiah Whitlock Jr.

LIGHT OF MY LIFE (2019) DIR – SCR Casey Affleck PROD Teddy Schwarzman, John Powers Middleton CAM Adam Arkapaw ED Christopher Tellefsen, Dody Dorn MUS Daniel Hart CAST Casey Affleck, Anna Pnioswky, Tom Bower, Elisabeth Moss, Hrothgar Mathews, Timothy Webber, Thelonius Serrell-Freed

THE LAST LETTER FROM YOUR LOVER (2021) DIR Augustine Frizzell PROD Pete Czernin, Jennifer Weiss, Simone Urdl, Graham Broadbent SCR Nick Payne, Esta Spalding (book “The Last Letter From Your Lover” [2011] by JoJo Moyes [Pauline Sara Jo Moyes]) CAM George Steel ED Melanie Oliver MUS Daniel Hart CAST Felicity Jones, Callum Taylor, Joe Alwyn, Nabhaan Rizwan, Shailene Woodley, Wendy Nottingham, Emma Appleton

THE GREEN KNIGHT (2021) DIR – SCR – ED David Lowery PROD Anjay Nagpal, James M. Johnston, Tim Headington, Toby Halbrooks CAM Andrew Droz Palermo MUS Daniel Hart CAST Dev Patel, Alicia Vikander, Joel Edgerton, Joe Anderson, Noelle Brown, Sarita Choudhury, Anaïs Rizzo, Nita Mishra, Tara Mae, Atheena Frizzell

PETER PAN & WENDY (2023) DIR David Lowery PROD Joe Roth, Jeff Kirschenbaum, Jim Whitaker SCR David Lowery, Toby Halbrooks (adaptation of PETER PAN [1953, animated] by J.M. Barrie; story by Ted Sears, Erdman Penner, Bill Peet, Winston Hibler, Joe Rinaldi, Milt Banta, Ralph Wright, William Cottrell) CAM Bojan Bazelli ED Lisa Zeno Churgin MUS Daniel HartCAST Alexander Molony, Ever Anderson, Jude Law, Yara Shahidi, Joshua Pickering, Jim Gaffigan, Noah Matthews Matofsky

She’s also the granddaughter of German actress Magda Schneider (1909-1996); that makes her a third generation actress in her family.

She first studied art and history at the Sorbonne in Paris, then studied acting at the Lee Strasberg Theatre and Film Institute in Los Angeles, and at the Actor’s Studio in New York.

As an author, she wrote “La beauté du ciel” (2021), reflecting on her mother and stating that ‘my mother is the beauty in the sky.’ She wrote the book at age 43—the age her mother had when she passed away after a cardiac arrest in her Paris apartment. By that time, Romy Schneider had worked and lived there for many years and proved that she had long since emerged from the candyfloss world of the “Sissi” films that made her a celebrity in the 1950s when she was still a teenager.

Sarah Biasini, now an actress in her own right, was invited to Brussels to introduce one of her mother’s French screen classics, Claude Sautet’s “César et Rosalie” (1972), during a retrospective at the Cinema Palace where the Romy Schneider Exhibition ran until June 25, 2023, and which displayed many items and memorabilia from Schneider’s professional and private life.

Ms. Biasini and Eric Franssen, the theater’s managing director, appeared on stage to introduce the film; their conversation, in French, that you can find here, has been slightly edited and condensed.

“César et Rosalie” (1972, trailer)

Why is “César et Rosalie” your favorite film in your mother’s entire body of work?

It’s the film that I’ve seen the most, and it’s the first one of her films that I saw as an adult. In the film, there’s no violence and no sex; after seeing the film maybe ten or fifteen times now, I know it by heart. The music is excellent, the dialogues are marvelous, and all the supporting roles are flawless. After the Exhibition of her work in Paris and the many screenings of her films on French television—on Arte, for example—her work and this film, in particular, were easily accessible. And when I watched “César et Rosalie” again, and I was amazed by the character of César, played by Yves Montand. I rediscovered it, and he is incredible in the film. When I used to watch my mother’s work, I always focused on the characters she played and didn’t pay too much attention to the other performances. But the role of César is compelling and very funny, and because of the way Yves Montand plays his character, I highly recommend this film for anyone to see. The film gives you an excellent idea of what life was like in France during the 1970s and what it was like to be a woman in that era.

After “Les choses de la vie” [1970] and “Max et les ferailleurs” [1971], this is the third film your mother made with Claude Sautet. She became a symbol for French women.

That’s right. Her collaboration with Claude Sautet was unique because they had found common ground. The roles he offered her were very substantial; she got to play women that made a difference, and that was something the audience could quickly identify with.

The Exhibition shows that your mother was in charge; she was in control, and she was an independent woman. So is her character in “César et Rosalie.”

Yes. Her character has a way of handling things that happen to her; it’s a very human character with its strength and shortcomings.

Are you currently involved with new projects?

I just finished touring with a play in France; I am writing, and for next year, I have another play coming up.

Cinema Palace, Brussels
April 4, 2023

FILMS

MON PETIT DOIGHT M’A DIT… (2005) DIR Pascal Thomas PROD Pascal Thomas, Alain Cadier SCR Pascal Thomas, Nathalie Lafaurie, François Caviglioli (novel “By the Pricking of My Thumbs” [1968] by Agatha Christie) CAM Renan Pollès ED Catherine Dubeau MUS Reinhardt Wagner CAST Catherine Frot, André Dussollier, Geneviève Bujold, Laurent Terzieff, Valérie Kaprisky, Bernard Verley, Alexandra Stewart, Sarah Biasini (Marie-Christine), François Bettens

UN HOMME ET SON CHIEN (2008) DIR Francis Huster PROD Jean-Louis Livi SCR Cesare Zavattini (adaptation by Francis Huster) CAM Vincent Jeannot ED Luciana Reali MUS Philippe Rombi CAST Jean-Paul Belmondo, Hafsia Herzi, Sarah Biasini (Young Woman), Sophie Bouilloux, Rachida Brakni, Nicole Calfan

BLIND TEST (2010) DIR – SCR Georges Ruquet CAM Christophe Blémon [Christophe Dewarne] CAST Sarah Biasini (Joyce), Manuel Blanc, Johan Libéreau

ASSOCIÉS CONTRE LE CRIME: L’OEUF D’AMBROISE (2012) DIR Pascal Thomas PROD Nathalie Lafaurie SCR Pascal Thomas, Clémence de Biéville, Nathalie Lafaurie (adaptation by Pascal Thomas, Clémence de Biéville, Nathalie Lafaurie; short story “The Case of the Missing Lady” in the collection “Partners in Crime” [1929] by Agatha Christie) ED Catherine Dubeau MUS Reinhardt Wagner CAST André Dussollier, Catherine Frot, Linh-Dan Pham, Nicolas Marié, Agathe de la Boulaye, Éric Nagger, Bernard Verley, Sarah Biasini (Marie-Christine), François Bettens

RECON: A FILMMAKER’S QUEST (2012) DIR – MUS – ED Mattia Ballerini PROD Mariana Ortega CAM Nicolas Beauchamp, Clyde Baxter CAST Stevie Guttman, Johnny Acero, Bobby Smith, Sarah Biasini, Simon Abkarian, Matthia Ballerini

DORS MON LAPIN (2013) DIR – SCR Jean-Pierre Mocky CAM Jean-Paul Sergent MUS Vladimir Cosma CAST Frédéric Diefenthal, Richard Bohringer, Sarah Biasini (Claire), Maxence Boulmé, Philippe Phaeton de Lasserre, Idriss, Karine Dogliani, Dominique McCormick

TV MOVIES

NOUS NOUS SOMMES TANT HAÏS (2007) DIR Franck Apprederis PROD Wolfgang Rest SCR Frank Apprederis, Jacqueline Cauët, Jean-Michel Gaillard, Sébastien Ossard CAM Flore Thulliez ED Hugues Orduna MUS Jean Musy CAST Sarah Biasini (Marie Destrade), Pawel Delag, Bernard-Pierre Donnadieu, François Marthouret, Christine Boisson

LE TEMPS DU SILENCE (2011) DIR Franck Apprederis PROD Sylvette Frydman, Jean-François Lepetit SCR Franck Apprederis, Jorge Semprún CAM Yves Dahan ED Laurence Leininger MUS Jean Musy CAST Loïc Corbery, Audrey Marnay, Barbara Cabrita, Arnaud Appréderis, Bernard Le Coq, Sarah Biasini (Julie), Anne Loiret

LE GÉNÉRAL DU ROI (2014) DIR Nina Companeez PROD Alain Bessaudou SCR (adaptation by Lina Companeez; novel “The King’s General” [1946] by Daphne Du Maurier) CAM Dominique Brabant ED Michèle Hollander CAST Louise Monot, Samuel Le Bihan, Natacha Lindinger, Jean-Pierre Lorit, Sarah Biasini (Marie-Anne), Christian Brendel

COULEUR LOCALE (2014) DIR Coline Serreau, Samuel Tasinaje PROD Philippe Schirrer, Serge Hugon SCR Coline Serreau (original idea by Samuel Tasinaje) CAM Bruno Privat ED Catherine Renault MUS Samuel Tasinaje, Philippe Begin CAST Isabelle Nanty, Valentin Bellegarde-Chappe, Alexandre Medvedev, Juliette Meyniac, Diego Bordonaro, Sarah Biasini (Charlotte)

TV SERIES

JULIE, CHEVALIER DE MAUPIN (2004), 2 episodes
SUITE NOIRE (2009), 1 episode

He was still is very bright, sharp, and energetic as someone half his age—or even younger. He’s an icon of activist cinema and one of the greatest filmmakers of our time, and since his debut as a film director with “Compartiment tueurs” (1965), he’s been one of French cinema’s most prolific filmmakers who has worked on both sides of the Atlantic—with much success, appreciation, and critical acclaim.

His early and formative years in his native Greece, though, when he was exposed to mostly Westerns and Errol Flynn movies, were very rough. After the German occupation of Greece during World War II, his father, a resistance fighter suspected of communism, was imprisoned during the country’s civil war, which lasted up until 1949, and as a result, Costa-Gavras was denied the right to higher education.

An avid moviegoer in his native country, he attempted to immigrate to the U.S. but, in the climate of the McCarthy era, he was denied a visa, so then he left for Paris in 1953, where he enrolled at the Sorbonne to study literature. After seeing Erich von Stroheim’s screen classic “Greed” (1924) at the Cinémathèque française, he realized that film was not just entertainment, it was also a way to say something substantially, and he switched to the French film school IDHEC (Institut des hautes études cinématographiques).

A French resident ever since and filmmaker since the mid-1960s who from time to time was lured to Hollywood and so far made six English-language films—working with actors such as Jack Lemmon, Dustin Hoffman, John Travolta, Debra Winger, Jessica Lange—he gained international recognition and worldwide fame with his second feature, the fast-paced political thriller “Z” (1969) which, among others, earned two Academy Awards (‘Best Editing’ and ‘Best Foreign Language Film’). His career was launched, and over the years, Mr. Gavras became one of the screen’s most prominent filmmakers, making films often associated with political subjects.

His first English-language film, “Missing” (1982), earned him an Academy Award in the category ‘Best Writing—Screenplay Based on Material from Another Medium,’ based on the book “The Execution of Charles Horman: An American Sacrifice” (1978) by Thomas Hauser. Jack Lemmon starred as a father in search of his missing son in a Latin American country.

“Missing” (1982, trailer)

His other—all highly acclaimed—English-language films are “Hanna K.” (1983), “Betrayed” (1988), “Music Box” (1989), “Mad City” (1997), and “Amen” (2002).

Mr. Gavras is the recipient of some of the most important film awards. Not only did he win an Oscar for “Missing,” but also a BAFTA (screenplay “Missing”), a Palme d’Or at the Cannes Film Festival (“Missing”), and two Césars (screenplays “Amen.” in 2003, and “Adults in the Room,” 2019). He was also nominated twice for an Academy Award for “Z” (1969) in the categories ‘Best Director’ and ‘Best Writing, Screenplay Based on Material from Another Medium.’

In 1968, Mr. Gavras married Michèle Ray, a former Chanel model who became a war correspondent and spent three weeks in Vietcong captivity during the Vietnam War; their two children, Julie Gavras and Romain Gavras, are also filmmakers. Since the mid-1970s, Mrs. Gavras has co-produced several of her husband’s films.

Because of the highly successful Romy Schneider Exhibition in Brussels, Mr. Gavras came over to the Cinema Palace in Brussels to introduce a screening of “Clair de femme” (1979, a.k.a. Womanlighting”) starring Romy Schneider, followed by a Q & A. That same evening, I got to sit down with the legendary filmmaker to talk about his craft as a screenwriter and film director. The interview was conducted in French.

“Clair de femme” (1979, a.k.a. “Womanlighting,” trailer)

The Romy Schneider Exhibition will also welcomed other guests in the upcoming days, including Sarah Baisini, Romy Schneider’s daughter.

Mr. Gavras, how do you remember Romy Schneider and working with her when you made “Claire de femme”?

I met her when Henri-Georges Clouzot was preparing “L’enfer” [1964, a.k.a. “Inferno”] for her, and she told me, ‘If you ever become a film director, I would like to make a film with you.’ Years later, when I was a film director, we met again, and we still wanted to make a film together. After I had read Romain Gary’s novel “Clair de femme” [1977], I thought it would make a great film, and I contacted her again. That’s how it all began. “Clair de femme” is a love story, but at the same time, it’s not. It could be a love story one day, but you don’t know for sure. It’s about two people who are unhappy and very unfortunate; that brings them together. So they get together and interact. They love each other in a certain way, but there’s no passionate love. It’s up to the audience to decide how they can work it out, and that’s what interested me: how can those two characters in pain connect with the audience? So it’s not a traditional love story. Yves Montand agreed to play the part right away, and when I suggested Romy play Lydia’s role, she asked me, ‘Do you want to make this film for Montand, or me?’ I told her, ‘For both of you, and also because of the story.’ When we shot the film, we got along very well, and so did Yves and Romy, as they had worked before already [“César et Rosalie,” 1972]. Romy was a very professional and skilled actress; she asked me a lot of questions and often wrote me notes when we finished shooting in the evening—also while I was preparing a scene, for example—and it was fascinating to see how she was absorbed by the story. I don’t know if she also wrote notes to other film directors; maybe she was attracted to this story in a particular way. But it was fascinating to work with her. It was quite different with Yves Montand because we had made several films together and knew each other very well.

What made Romy Schneider so exceptional as an actress?

She was very interested in the story. After we had finished shooting in the evening, everybody went home, and she wrote me those notes that she gave me the next day. She was intrigued by the story and wanted to play her character perfectly—the way she moved, behaved, and talked, she knew how to portray her character.

Actors often have different acting styles and working methods. Is there also a difference between European and American actors that you should know about as a film director before you start shooting?

Not really. The only difference is the language [laughs]. When you’re on set and talk with the actors about a scene and how it should play out, in the end, it’s the director who needs to make the final decision. I always make sure the actors know that from the beginning; even before they accept their part, I tell them that’s how I work. And they’re always okay with it—always. For me, that’s the best way to collaborate with them. Very often, actors come up with very interesting ideas or look at it from another angle, and that’s why I always like to listen to what they have to say. Actors are intelligent and sensible, and most of the time, they don’t think about their ego or how the audience will judge their role or performance; they simply focus on their character. Some actors like to play their roles the way the audience likes to see them. They keep on repeating themselves, so those characters are not valuable to the story you’re telling. They create and recreate their personality. John Wayne, for example, appeared in several great films, but he was always John Wayne in every film he made. Jean Gabin too, but he was very subtle. He played Gabin, and if necessary, he tried to adjust the story in terms of his character. But very often, he played Gabin because that’s what the people who went to the movies wanted to see.

Is it correct to say that you are a European filmmaker who makes world cinema?

I would instead consider myself a French film director because I learned my craft in France. On the other hand, I don’t make films like French film directors do because coming from Greece, I have a different background and another view since I don’t have this traditional historical French background. So those two identities define who I am and the films I make: I am French, but when I first arrived in France, my intellectual background was different, and that’s something you can’t change. It’s in your head, in your brain, in your heart. It’s not like if you’d take off your coat and put on another one. It doesn’t work like that.

“Z” (1969, trailer)

Was it a big step for you when you made your American films in the 1980s and 1990s? Because that’s yet another culture and another film industry.

No. They asked me early on to make films in the U.S., even after my third film, “Z” [1969]. But I always turned them down until I did my first American film, “Missing” [1982], because that story interested me tremendously. It was set in Chili, a country that I knew well. So I told the producer I would do it, on two conditions. I would write the screenplay, with an American because it was written in English, and I also wanted to do the entire post-production in France—and they agreed. That’s how I worked on every American film I did. We shot the films in America—in New York, Chicago, etc.—and I also wanted to work without any interference, so I could make the film that I wanted to make. If they wanted the film to look American, they didn’t need me; they could have hired an American director. So I wanted total autonomy—screenplay, editing, even casting. Of course, you talk about the editing, casting… When I was casting for “Missing,” I told them I wanted Jack Lemmon. And they said to me, ‘Why would you want Jack Lemmon? He makes comedies!’ I explained to them why I wanted him, but they didn’t like the idea. I insisted, and then the producer said, ‘Let’s see how that works.’ Later on, they were delighted, and Jack Lemmon won several awards for his role. So that’s how I made my four American films.

You just talked about your screenplays. You’re not only an august film director but also a very accomplished screenwriter. Is it easy, or maybe very logical, to combine both?

I can’t separate them. If you’re only a film director, you’re like an illustrator. You illustrate someone else’s story. If you like to tell a story that touches you, you need to work on the screenplay as well—maybe in collaboration with others, although I did a number of screenplays and adaptations on my own. But mostly, I like to work with someone else so you can exchange ideas and broaden your view. But I don’t like to make films that I didn’t write. When you write, you create the characters, and that’s crucial when you want to tell a story. So I need to be involved in that stage as well.

When you’re so closely involved with the whole project, when do you know that a scene you just shot is perfect and the way you want it…

…that’s exactly why writing is so crucial to me. When I’m working on a screenplay, I imagine what I’ll be shooting, the characters, the location—everything. I take precise notes and talk about them with the actors. Depending on what the actors suggest, things can change, or the location might look different. But generally, the film is even made before I start shooting. And when I’m shooting, I think about editing because that’s when you write the film for the last time. That’s the final version. So the screenplay can be adjusted along the way, depending on the actors, the cinematography, and the circumstances. But the basic concept—why you want to make the film and what you are telling—that doesn’t change. A screenplay is like a plan designed by an architect; you can move the furniture in the living room, but you can’t move the walls in a building—meaning that the work of a film director and an architect is done on paper. It would be best if you were consistent in what you do with it when you’re shooting and editing.

What film of yours would you consider the most difficult one you have done so far?

[Pauzes]. Each one has its own difficulties, but if you want me to give an example, there are two films, basically. The first one is “L’aveu” [1970, a.k.a. “The Confession,” about the 1952 show trial in Prague against Rudolf Slánský and other leading members of the Communist Party in former Czechoslovakia]. The screenplay that I had written with Jorge Semprún was fine, but when we began casting, several actors objected because they considered it anti-communist, and others did not approve of the story. When that happens early on, you must be very convinced of what you’re doing and the film you’re trying to make. And then you have to reassure the actors about the characters they’re playing—some evil characters because of their beliefs and opinions—and that was difficult. The other film was “Betrayed” [1988, with racism as the film’s main issue, based upon the terrorist activities of an American neo-Nazi supremacist and his group]. That film portrayed an image that a lot of people couldn’t believe it existed in the U.S. They thought it was a European prejudgement that was wrong, totally anti-American. I traveled a lot with screenwriter Joe Eszterhas in Nebraska, Idaho, among others, and we met those people. We talked and discussed with them. Those people were very kind and very sympathetic, but when you talked to them about Afro-Americans or Jews, they reacted in a very negative way. It didn’t affect the shooting process of the film, but emotionally it had an impact; you had to deal with it when you made the film.

And what was the most fun set you ever worked on?

[Laughs]. You know, I always want people to have fun when we’re making a film. Also, when it’s a difficult film or a serious subject we’re talking about, I want the cast and crew to have fun and make them work in an atmosphere where everybody gets along as friends. There may be tensions, but those moments are very rare. So I like this friendly and relaxed atmosphere where everybody enjoys what they’re doing. Once they’re all on board and have made their suggestions, it’s very important that they realize they’re all working towards one common goal, to get the director’s view up there on the screen. So far, it always worked out, and we had a great time. I made several films with Yves Montand, and he always had a lot of fun on set. He got along with everybody and was very patient, courteous and was amused if the cinematographer asked him to wait a moment because he needed to adjust the lights, for example. Before I became a director, I was an assistant director and worked with some directors that were very tough on their crew; at the end of the day, you were glad it was over. That’s something I always wanted to avoid.

You just mentioned Yves Montand. Do you remember the first time you met him?

Absolutely, also the first scene I did with him in my first film as a director [“Compartiment tueurs,” 1965]. The producers were very worried; it was my debut film as a director, and the cast included many big names [such as Yves Montand, Simone Signoret, Michel Piccoli, and Cathérine Allégret]. In the beginning, they didn’t think it was a good idea if I would direct that film. So they told me to work with this cinematographer, that editor… They were very worried; when we did the first scene, Yves Montand visited Simone Signoret, and his character met Simone Signoret’s character for the first time. It was an easy scene to shoot, and I was a little bit too late. But Montand told the producer, ‘Just let the director do his job.’ He created mutual trust, which is very important for a director. “Compartiment tueurs” was very well received, and gradually we became good friends.

In the 1970s, you made only a few films and had a four-year-hiatus between “Section spéciale” [1975, a.k.a. “Special Section”] and your next film, “Clair de femme” [1979]. Was there any particular reason for that?

I worked on various interesting ideas or adapted a book and tried to finance them, but your next film should be something different when you tell a human and social story. You don’t want to repeat yourself. So it’s not always easy to find the right project. Also, I never want to make a film just for the sake of making a film. I want any new film to be relevant and interesting, and it needs to affect and touch me. Also, I was offered screenplays that I turned down because they didn’t interest me.

With your experience as a veteran filmmaker, what is, in your opinion, the strength of film?

Film is a perfect way to communicate with the audience; you can tell the audience something you want to share with them. And if they want, they will respond. Sometimes they don’t respond because they’re not interested, but cinema is a perfect way to dialogue with others. In all the great films that have been made, you see what society is like, and what happens in the world; you see characters and what happens in their lives. It can also be done in comedy—look at Charlie Chaplin—but what he shows in “Modern Times” [1936] still happens today. That makes a film a very powerful and essential tool to tell a good story.

Cinema Palace, Brussels
March 30, 2023

In 2018 Mr. Gavras was the recipient of the European Film Academy’s Honorary Award

FILMS

CRÉSUS (1960) DIR – SCR Jean Giono ASST DIR Costa-Gavras, Bernard Paul PROD Andrée Debar CAM Roger Hubert ED Monique Isnardon, Robert Isnardon MUS Joseph Kosma CAST Fernandel, Marcelle Ranson-Hervé, Rellys, René Génin, Miguel Gamy, Edouard Hemme, Paul Préboist, Jeanne Pérez

TOUT L’OR DU MONDE, a.k.a. ALL THE GOLD IN THE WORLD(1961) DIR René Clair ASST DIR Costa-Gavras, Claude Pinoteau PROD René Clair, Guido Giambartolomei, Georges Lourau, Angelo Rizzoli SCR René Clair (adaptation by René Clair, Jean Marsan, Jacques Rémy) CAM Pierre Petit ED Louisette Hautecoeur MUS Georges Van Parys CAST Bourvil, Alfred Adam, Philippe Noiret, Claude Rich, Colette Castel, Annie Fratellini, Nicole Chollet, Max Elloy, Françoise Dorléac

UN SINGE EN HIVER, a.k.a. A MONKEY IN WINTER (1962) DIR Henri Verneuil ASST DIR Costa-Gavras, Claude Pinoteau PROD Jacques Bar SCR Henri Verneuil (dialogue by Michel Audiard; adaptation by François Boyer; novel by Antoine Blondin) CAM Louis Page ED Françoise Bonnot, Monique Bonnot MUS Michel Magne CAST Jean Gabin, Jean-Paul Belmondo, Suzanne Flon, Gabrielle Dorziat, Hella Petri, Marcelle Arnold, Charles Bouillaud, Henri Verneuil

LA BAIE DES ANGES, a.k.a. BAY OF ANGELS (1963) DIR – SCR Jacques Demy ASST DIR Costa-Gavras, Gérald Duduyer PROD Paul-Edmond Decharme CAM Jean Rabier ED Anne-Marie Cotret MUS Michel Legrand CAST Jeanne Moreau, Claude Mann, Paul Guers, Henri Nassiet, André Certes, Nicole Chollet, Georges Alban, Conchita Parodi

LE JOUR ET L’HEURE, a.k.a. THE DAY AND THE HOUR and TODAY WE LIVE (1963) DIR René Clément ASST DIR Costa-Gavras, Claude Pinoteau PROD Jacques Bar SCR André Barret (adaptation by René Clément, Roger Vailland) CAM Henri Decaë ED Fedora Zincone MUS Claude Bolling CAST Simone Signoret, Stuart Whitman, Geneviève Page, Michel Piccoli, Reggie Nadler, Pierre Dux

ÉCHAPPEMENT LIBRE, a.k.a. BACKFIRE (1964) DIR Jean Becker ASST DIR Costa-Gavras, Emilio Martos SCR (adaptation by Jean Becker, Didier Goulard, Maurice Fabre; novel by Clet Coroner) CAM Edmond Séchan ED Monique Kirsanoff MUS Martial Solal CAST Jean-Paul Belmondo, Jean Seberg, Enrico Maria Salerno, Renate Ewert, Jean-Pierre Marielle, Wolfgang Preiss, Fernando Rey, Gert Fröbe

LES FÉLINS, a.k.a. JOY HOUSE and THE LOVE CAGE (1964) DIR René Clément ASST DIR Costa-Gavras, Bernard Paul PROD Jacques Bar SCR René Clément, Pascal Jardin CAM Henri Decaë ED Fedora Zincone MUS Lalo Schifrin CAST Alain Delon, Jane Fonda, Lola Albright, Sorrell Brooke, Carl Studer, André Oumansky

COMPARTIMENT TUEURS, a.k.a. THE SLEEPING CAR MURDER (1965) DIR Costa-Gavras PROD Julien Derode SCR Costa-Gavras, Sébastien Japrisot (adaptation by Costa-Gavras; novel by Sébastien Japrisot) CAM Jean Tournier ED Christian Gaudin MUS Michel Magne CAST Catherine Allégret, Jacques Perrin, Simone Signoret, Michel Piccoli, Pascale Roberts, Yves Montand, Claude Mann, Pierre Mondy, Jean-Louis Trintignant, Charles Drenner, Claude Berri

1 HOMME DE TROP, a.k.a. ONE MAN TOO MANY (1967) DIR – PROD Costa-Gavras SCR Costa-Gavras (novel by Jean-Pierre Chabrol) CAM Jean Tournier ED Christian Gaudin MUS Michel Magne CAST Jean-Claude Brialy, Bruno Cremer, Jacques Perrin, Gerard Blain, Claude Brasseur, Michel Piccoli, Jacques Perrier, Charles Vanel

Z (1969) DIR Costa-Gavras SCR Costa-Gavras, Ben Barzman [uncredited] (dialogue by Jorge Semprún; novel by Vasilis Vasilikos) CAM Raoul Coutard ED Françoise Bonnot MUS Mikis Theodorakis CAST Yves Montand, Irene Papas, Jean-Louis Trintignant, Charles Drenner, Georges Geret, Jacques Perrin, François Perier, Bernard Fresson, Marcel Bozzufi, Renato Salvatori, Raoul Coutard

L’AVEU, a.k.a. THE CONFESSION (1970) DIR Costa-Gavras PROD Bertrand Javal, Robert Dorfmann SCR Jorge Semprún (book by Lise London, Artur London) CAM Raoul Coutard ED Françoise Bonnot MUS Giovanni Fusco CAST Yves Montand, Simone Signoret, Gabrielle Ferzetti, Michel Vitold, Jean Bouise, László Szabó, Monique Chaumette, Guy Mairesse

ÉTAT DE SIÈGE, a.k.a. STATE OF SIEGE (1972) DIR Costa-GavrasSCR Franco Solinas (original screenplay by Costa-Gavras, Franco Solinas) CAM Pierre-William Glenn ED Françoise Bonnot MUS Mikis Theodorakis CAST Yves Montand, Renato Salvatori, O. E. Hasse, Jacques Weber, Jean-Luc Bideau, Maurice Teynac, Yvette Etiévant

SECTION SPÉCIALE, a.k.a. SPECIAL SECTION (1975) DIR Costa-Gavras PROD Costa-Gavras [uncredited], Jacques Perrin, Giorgio Silvagni SCR Costa-Gavras, Jorge Semprún (book by Hervé Villeré) CAM Andréas Winding ED Françoise Bonnot MUS Éric Demarsan CAST Louis Seigner, Michel Lonsdale, Ivo Garrani, François Maistre, Jacques Spiesser, Henri Serre, Heinz Bennent, Michel Galabru, Bruno Cremer, Costa-Gavras, Yves Montand

CLAIR DE FEMME, a.k.a. WOMANLIGHT (1979) DIR Costa-GavrasPROD Georges Alain-Vuille, Mauro Berardi SCR Costa-Gavras(novel by Romain Gary) CAM Ricardo Aronovich ED Françoise Bonnot MUS Jean Musy CAST Yves Montand, Romy Schneider, Romolo Valli, Lila Kedrova, Heinz Bennent, Roberto Begnini, Catherine Allégret, Jean Reno

MISSING (1982) DIR Costa-GavrasPROD Mildred Lewis SCR Costa-Gavras, Donald Stewart (book by Thomas Hauser) CAM Ricardo Aronovich ED Françoise Bonnot MUS Vangelis CAST Jack Lemmon, Sissy Spacek, Melanie Mayron, John Shea, Charles Cioffi, David Clennon, Richard Venture, Jerry Hardin

HANNA K. (1983) DIR Costa-Gavras EXEC PROD Michèle Costa-Gavras, Robert Cortes SCR Franco Salinas (orginal screenplay by Costa-Gavras, Franco Salinas) CAM Ricardo Aronovich ED Françoise Bonnot MUS Gabriel Yared CAST Jill Clayburgh, Jean Yanne, Gabriel Byrne, Mohammad Bakri, David Clennon, Shimon Finkel, Oded Kotler, Michal Bat-Adam

LE THÉ AU HAREM D’ARCHIMÈDE, a.k.a. TEA IN THE HAREM (1985) DIR Mehdi Charef PROD Costa-Gavras, Michèle Costa-Gavras SCR Mehdi Charef (also novel) CAM Dominique Chapuis ED Kenout Peltier MUS Karim Kacel CAST Rémi Martin, Kader Boukhanef, Laure Duthilleul, Saïda Bekkouche, Nicole Hiss, Brahim Ghemain, Nathalie Jadot

SPIES LIKE US (1985) DIR John Landis PROD George Folsey Jr., Brian Glazer SCR Dan Aykroyd, Babaloo Mandel, Lowell Ganz (story by Dan Aykroyd, Dave Thomas) CAM Robert Paynter ED Malcolm Campbell MUS Elmer Bernstein CAST Chevy Chase, Dan Aykroyd, Steve Forrest, Donna Dixon, Bruce Davison, Bernie Casey, William Prince, Tom Hatten, Frank Oz, Terry Gilliam, Costa-Gavras(Highway Patrol Officer), Ray Harryhausen, Bob Hope, Joel Coen, Sam Raimi, Michael Apted, Martin Brest, Bob Swaim

CONSEIL DE FAMILLE, a.k.a. FAMILY COUNCIL and FAMILY BUSINESS (1986) DIR Costa-Gavras PROD Michèle Costa-Gavras SCR Costa-Gavras (novel by Francis Ryck) CAM Robert Azalraki ED Marie-Sophie Dubus MUS Georges Delerue CAST Johnny Hallyday, Fanny Ardant, Guy Marchand, Laurent Romer, Rémi Martin, Juliette Rennes, Caroline Pochon, Ann-Gisel Glass, Fabrice Lichini

BETRAYED (1988) DIR Costa-Gavras PROD Irwin Winkler SCR Joe Eszterhas CAM Patrick Blossier ED Joële Van Effenterre MUS Bill Conti CAST Debra Winger, Tom Berenger, John Heard, Betsy Blair, John Mahoney, Ted Levine, Jeffrey DeMunn, David Clennon, Timothy Hutton

MUSIC BOX (1989) DIR Costa-Gavras PROD Irwin Winkler SCR Joe Eszterhas CAM Patrick Blossier ED Joële Van Effenterre MUS Philippe Sarde CAST Jessica Lange, Armin Mueller-Stahl, Frederic Forrest, Donald Moffat, Lukas Haas, Cheryl Lynn Bruce, Mari Töröcsik, J. S. Block

PLEURE PAS MY LOVE (1989) DIR Tony Gatlif PROD Costa-GavrasSCR Tony Gatlif, Marie-Hélène Rudel CAM Jacques Loiseleux ED Claudine Bouché MUS Raymond Alessandrini CAST Fanny Ardant, Jean-Pierre Sentier, Rémi Martin, László Szabó, Mylène, Ysabelle Lacamp, Henru Déus, Fred Personne

LA PETITE APOCALYPSE, a.k.a. THE LITTLE APOCALYPSE (1993) DIR Costa-Gavras PROD Michèle Costa-Gavras SCR Costa-Gavras, Jean-Claude Grumberg (novel by Tadeusz Konwicki) CAM Patrick Blossier ED Joële Van Effenterre MUS Philippe Sarde CAST André Dussollier, Pierre Arditi, Jiri Menzel, Anna Romantowska, Maurice Bénichou, Carlo Brandt, Henryk Bista, Jean-Claude Grumberg, Julie Gayet

THE STUPIDS (1996) DIR John Landis PROD Leslie Belzberg SCR Brent Forrester (characters created by James Marshall, Harry Allard) CAM Manfred Guthe ED Dale Beldin MUS Christopher L. Stone CAST Tom Arnold, Jessica Lundy, Bug Hall, Alex McKenna, Mark Metcalf, Matt Keeslar, Scott Kraft, Max Landis, David Cronenberg, Costa-Gavras (Gas Station Guy), Robert Wise, Christopher Lee, Norman Jewison

MAD CITY (1997) DIR Costa-Gavras PROD Anne Kopelson, Arnold Kopelson SCR Tom Matthews (story by Tom Matthews, Eric Williams) CAM Patrick Blossier ED Françoise Bonnot MUS Thomas Newman CAST Dustin Hoffman, John Travolta, Mia Kirshner, Alan Alda, Robert Prosky, Blythe Danner, William Atherton, Ted Levine, Tammy Lauren

AMEN., a.k.a. EYEWITNESS (2002) DIR Costa-Gavras PROD Andrei Boncea EXEC PROD Michèle Costa-Gavras SCR Costa-Gavras, Jean-Claude Grumberg (play by Rolf Hochhuth) CAM Patrick Blossier ED Yannick Kergoat MUS Armand Amar CAST Ulrich Tukur, Mathieu Kassovitz, Ulriche Mühe, Michel Duchaussoy, Ion Caramitru, Marcel Iures, Friedrich von Thun

LE COUPERET, a.k.a. THE AX (2005) DIR Costa-Gavras PROD Michèle Ray-Gavras SCR Costa-Gavras, Jean-Claude Grumberg (novel by Donald E. Westlake) CAM Patrick Blossier ED Yannick Kergoat MUS Armand Amar CAST José Garcia, Karin Viard, Geordy Monfils, Christa Théret, Ulrich Tukur, Olivier Gourmet, Yvon Back, Thierry Hancisse, Yolande Moreau, John Landis, Julie Gavras, Nabil Ben Yadir, Romain Gavras

MON COLONEL, a.k.a. THE COLONEL (2006) DIR Laurent Herbiet PROD Costa Gavras, Michèle Ray-Gavras, Jean-Pierre Dardenne, Luc Dardenne, Salem Brahimi SCR Laurent Herbiet, Jean-Claude Grumberg (story by Costa-Gravras; novel by Francis Zamponi) CAM Patrick Blossier ED Nicole Berckmans MUS Armand Amar CAST Olivier Gourmet, Robinson Stévenin, Cécile de France, Charles Aznavour, Guillaume Gallienne, Bruno Solo, Éric Caravaca, Georges Siatidis

EDEN À L’OUEST, a.k.a. EDEN IS WEST (2009) DIR Costa-GavrasPROD Costa-Gavras, Manos Krezias, Jérôme Seydoux SCR Costa-Gavras, Jean-Claude Grumberg CAM Patrick Blossier ED Yannick Kergoat MUS Armand Amar CAST Riccardo Scamarcio, Odysseas Papaspiliopoulos, Léa Wiazemsky, Tess Spentzos, Kristen Ross, Stella-Melina Vasilaki, Jean-Claude Grumberg, Julie Gavras

BURKE AND HARE (2010) DIR John Landis PROD Barnaby Thompson SCR Nick Moorcroft, Piers Ashworth CAM John Mathieson ED Mark Everson MUS Joby Talbot CAST Simon Pegg, Andy Serkis, Isla Fisher, Tom Wilkinson, Tim Curry, Christian Brassington, Gabrielle Downey, Christopher Lee, Ronnie Corbett, Ray Harryhausen, Jenny Agutter, Max Landis, Costa-Gavras, Romain Gavras

LE CAPITAL, a.k.a. CAPITAL (2012) DIR Costa-Gavras PROD Michèle Costa-Gavras SCR Costa-Gavras, Jean-Claude Grumberg, Karim Boukercha (novel by Stéphane Osmont) CAM Eric Gautier ED Yannick Kergoat, Yorgos Lamprinos MUS Armand Amar CAST Gad Elmaleh, Gabriel Byrne, Natacha Régnier, Céline Sallette, Liya Kebede, Hippolyte Girardot, Daniel Mesguich, Olga Grumberg

ADULTS IN THE ROOM (2019) DIR Costa-Gavras PROD Michèle Costa-Gavras, Alexandre Gavras, Manos Krezias SCR (adaptation by Costa-Gavras; book by Yanis Varoufakis) CAM Giorgos Arvanitis ED Costa-Gavras, Lambis Haralambidis MUS Alexandre Desplat CAST Christios Loulis, Alexandros Bourdoumis, Ulrich Tukur, Daan Schuurmans, Valeria Golino, Christos Stergioglou

If you look at his entire body of work, he belongs to the pantheon of actors in French cinema, but he doesn’t consider himself a star, nor does he want to be treated as such. That makes him all the more accessible and a joy to talk to.

In March 2023, I had the opportunity to sit down with him for a one-on-one interview during the Love International Film Festival Mons where Mr. Blanc was invited as the Festival’s guest of honor. When he entered the room in the hotel in Mons where the Festival had its headquarters and where I was waiting for him until he had finished his previous interview, he took off his coat as he came in, put it aside, and said, ‘Well, hello there! Where do you want me to sit?’ You felt right away that Mr. Blanc is very modest and down-to-earth, no matter how impressive his accomplishments and achievements are.

He’s no stranger to comedy or drama. After playing small parts in various films during the 1970s, “Les Bronzés” (1978, a.k.a. “French Fried Vacation”) put him on the map as the film became a cult comedy in French cinema. The original concept for the film, as well as its screenplay, was written by the café-théâtre company Le Splendid which Mr. Blanc co-founded with three of his childhood friends, Christian Clavier, Gérard Jugnot and Thierry Lhermitte; later, they were joined by Josiane Balasko and Marie-Anne Chazel, among others. Le Splendid’s café-théâtre was—and still is—located on 48 Rue du Faubourg, Saint-Martin, in Paris. Actress Anémone also joined the company on stage and in films.

“Les Bronzés” was followed by two highly successful sequels, “Les Bronzés font du ski” (1979, a.k.a. “French Fried Vacation 2”) and “Les Bronzés: Amis pour la vie” (2006, a.k.a. “French Fried Vacation 3”), but that didn’t mean that Mr. Blanc only excelled in comedy. Over the years, the seven-time César nominee and two-time winner at the Cannes Film Festival (as Best Actor for his performance in “Tenue de soirée” in 1986, and for his screenplay “Grosse fatigue” in 1994) proved to be very skilled in drama too, making him—to this very day—one of the most versatile and most reliable performers of his generation.

He occasionally appears in English-language films as well and has starred opposite Jerry Lewis, Bob Hoskins, Jeff Goldblum, Natasha Richardson, and Helen Mirren.

After we finsihed this interview, he introduced one of his screen classics “Tenue de soirée” at the Festival; this film was the second of six films he made with Gérard Depardieu.

Mr. Blanc, you will introduce “Tenue de soirée” later today at the Festival. Is it one of your favorite films?

It has been a significant film in my career, that’s why I chose it. I like it a lot—there are a few others I also really like—but “Tenue de soirée” has changed my career. The film was selected at the Cannes Film Festival, and I was the recipient of the Best Actor award at the Festival. All at once, I had become an actor who was interesting enough for film directors known for their cinéma d’auteur. Earlier, I was primarily known as this comedy actor from the Comédie française and from the café-théâtre, and even though that seemed to work fine, I thought I would be stuck with the type of roles and characters that I had been playing for quite some time. So “Tenue de soirée” has changed a lot for me, and because of that film, I got many different offers. Two years later, I did “Monsieur Hire,” and other projects followed. On top of that, “Tenue de soirée” is also one of the most powerful films I ever did.

“Tenue de soirée” (1986, trailer)

You just mentioned the cinéma d’auteur. France has always been one of the most cinephile countries in the world, and that’s also where the cinéma d’auteur originated. That’s no coincidence, I suppose?

It depends on where the cinéma d’auteur starts for you. When I was young, I watched a lot of old and pre-War II movies on television, films that Julien Duvivier and his contemporaries had made. Those films really surprised me; occasionally, I saw a film and thought, ‘Mon Dieu, that’s simply amazing.’ And that era already marked the foundation of the cinéma d’auteur; it was not necessary to wait for the Nouvelle Vague [New Wave] to come up with the term cinéma d’auteur. Besides, I think the Nouvelle Vague ended Julien Duvivier’s career prematurely because of Les Cahiers du Cinéma. Also, I don’t think Claude Chabrol is that remarkable; I have worked with him once [“Le cheval d’orgeuil,” 1980, a.k.a. “The Horse of Pride”], and to me, his work is not that outstanding. I prefer to watch one reel of a Duvivier film instead of a film by Claude Chabrol. But, of course, there was also François Truffaut or Jean-Luc Godard who once said, ‘Je ne fais pas de film, je fais du cinéma’; that gave him enough space to experiment. It made him an original filmmaker. But as far as the others are concerned, their work doesn’t really affect me.

Did those old movies greatly influence you during your formative years?

I was very fortunate to be introduced to that culture cinématographique. In the early 1960s, you could watch all the masterpieces on television, and I almost grew up with all those great actors. And once you start acting yourself, you won’t imitate Louis Jouvet or Michel Simon, but you have seen their work and are familiar with them. For me, it’s an advantage to know their films. On the other hand, some actors never had the opportunity to explore what film history has to offer, nor did they ever go to drama school, and they do everything their own way—and it works beautifully. Those actors got une nature, but since they lack this historical background or this foundation, it might be more difficult for them to stay in the limelight for a long time. They don’t have any technical know-how, and since things might come too easy for them, there’s no need to do any research or work on their craft. I studied acting for three years before I started working at the café-théâtre. I did Molière and Shakespeare—all their plays force you to create your character or work in a foreign language you’re not familiar with. That defines you as an actor; that’s a great way to learn your craft.

Is it correct to say that as an actor and a filmmaker, you always have a lot of empathy for your characters?

Yes, I think so. I once played a thug—un salaud complet—who was a villain in the harbor of Cherbourg and who managed all kinds of trafficking. It was a small part, but I played it because I had never done anything like that before. So I was interested to see how it played out and how I could portray such a character. Very often, I like to play characters that touch me one way or the other. That makes it interesting, especially if the part is well-written and the film director knows what he’s doing.

You don’t write too many screenplays, but is that something you also keep in mind when you work on a script?

I don’t write that much for me anymore. After “Mauvaise passe” [1999, a.k.a. “The Escort”] for Daniel Auteuil—that film was shot in England and I did not appear in that film—I did “Embrassez qui vous voudrez” [2002, a.k.a. “Summer Things”]. I only played a small part in that film because I wanted to concentrate more on directing the film rather than thinking about playing a character.

Could you elaborate on your working method as a director?

Before I shoot a scene, I know pretty well what I will do and what it will look like. Then the actors and I talk about it, and we see what they can add to their performances and to the scene. Very often, they amaze me with the ideas they come up with. That makes directing a real treat.

How do you explain that after almost fifty years, you’re still going strong as a film actor?

I have no idea [laughs]. I am fortunate that people have asked me to play interesting characters and that I had the possibility—or the talent, whatever that may be—to portray them. So it’s a mixture. It gets you nowhere if you’re very lucky but don’t know how to play your character. And if you’re an incredible actor who only gets small or insignificant roles, you’re also stuck. In the end, it’s a combination of circumstances—and luck. That’s how I would describe it.

“The Hundred-Foot Journey” (2014, trailer)

Did you ever pursue a career in Hollywood?

I never had to consider that. That was entirely up to them, and they didn’t ask me [laughs]. I played a small part in “The Hundred-Foot Journey” [2014], an American film starring Helen Mirren, that was shot in France. The character I played was a caricature—a Frenchman who only thinks of food. Earlier, I also worked with Jeff Goldblum, Natasha Richardson, and Bob Hoskins [“The Favor, The Watch and the Very Big Fish,” 1991], but I didn’t get any offers. When I think of the French actors who get job offers from Hollywood, they have something that I don’t. But I don’t regret it; besides, I am more fascinated by British cinema than American cinema, unless you talk about people like John Cassavetes. That is very important cinema. And if you even go further back in time, with Ernst Lubitsch, he made “To Be or Not to Be” [1942], the best comedy ever. I once worked with Robert Altman, “Pret-à-Porter” [1994, a.k.a. “Ready to Wear”], which was his worst film. I didn’t care for the character I played, but I said ‘Yes’ right away when he asked me, ‘Would you like to appear in my next film?’ So that is not my best souvenir in film, but do I regret that? Not really; it would be nice if I could say, ‘I have a career in Hollywood,’ but since I don’t, it doesn’t keep me awake at night.

Love International Film Festival Mons, Mons
March 17, 2023

“To Be or Not to Be” (1942, trailer)

FILMS

LES FILLES DE MALEMORT (1974) DIR – PROD Daniel Baërt SCR Daniel Baërt, Jacques Valois CAM Georges Strouvé ED Noëlle Balenci MUS Vladimir Cosma CAST Pierre Forget, Christian Duroc, Marie-Hélène Règne, Catherine Laborde, Claudia Coste, Michel Blanc

QUE LA FÊTE COMMENCE…, a.k.a. LET JOY REIGN SUPREME (1975) DIR Bertrand Tavernier PROD Michelle de Broca SCR Bertrand Tavernier, Jean Aurenche CAM Pierre-William Glenn ED Armand Psenny MUS Philippe d’Orléans CAST Philippe Noiret, Jean Rochefort, Jean-Pierre Mareille, Christine Pascal, Alfred Adam, Jean-Roger Caussimon, Gérard Desarthe, Nicole Garcia, Marina Vlady, Michel Blanc (Valet of Louis XV), Thierry Lhermitte, Marcel Dalio, Gérard Jugnot, Christian Clavier

ATTENTION LES YEUX!, a.k.a. LET’S MAKE A DIRTY MOVIE (1976) DIR Gérard Pirès PROD Pierre Braunberger SCR Nicole de Buron (adaptation by Gérard Pirès) CAM Michael Seresin ED Jacques Witta MUS Guy Marchand CAST Claude Brasseur, Robert Castel, Nathalie Courval, Jean-Pierre Darras, Guy Marchand, Serge Marquand, André Pousse, Anémone, Daniel Auteuil, Michel Blanc (Cop), Thierry Lhermitte, Christian Clavier

LA MEILLEURE FAÇON DE MARCHER…, a.k.a. THE BEST WAY TO WALK and THE BEST WAY (1976) DIR Claude Miller PROD Jean Gontier SCR Claude Miller (adaptation by Claude Miller, Luc Béraud) CAM Bruno Nuytten ED Jean-Bernard Bonis MUS CAST Patrick Dewaere, Patrick Bouchitey, Christine Pascal, Claude Piéplu, Marc Chapiteau, Michel Blanc (Deloux), Michel Such, Frank D’Ascanio

JE T’AIME MOI NON PLUS, a.k.a. I LOVE YOU, I DON’T (1976) DIR – SCR – MUS Serge Gainsbourg PROD Jacques-Eric Strauss CAM Willy Kurant ED Kenout Peltier CAST Jane Birkin, Joe Dallesandro, Hughes Quester, Reinhard Kolldehoff, Jimmy Davis, Maïté Nahyr, Michel Blanc (Workman), Gérard Depardieu

L’ORDINATEUR DES POMPES FUNÈRBES, a.k.a. THE PROBABILITY FACTOR (1976) DIR Gérard Pirès PROD Roland Girard, Jean Bolvary, Raymond Danon SCR (adaption by Gérard Pirès, Jean-Patrick Manchette; novel by Walter Kempley) CAM Michael Seresin ED Jacques Witta MUS Claude Bolling CAST Jean-Louis Trintignant, Mirelle Darc, Bernadette Lafont, Lea Massari, Claude Piéplu, Claudia Marsani, Bernard Fresson, Anémone, Michel Blanc (Choukroun), Claude Miller

LE LOCATAIRE, a.k.a. THE TENANT (1976) DIR Roman Polanski PROD Andrew Braunsberg SCR Roman Polanski, Gérard Brach (novel “Le locataire” by Roland Topor) CAM Sven Nykvist ED Françoise Bonnot MUS Philippe Sarde CAST Isabelle Adjani, Melvyn Douglas, Jo Van Fleet, Roman Polanski, Shelley Winters, Bernard Fresson, Lila Kedrova, Claude Dauphin, Claude Piéplu, Rufus, Josiane Balasko, Michel Blanc (Scope’s Neighbor), Gérard Jugnot, Alain Sarde, Philippe Sarde

ON AURA TOUT VU!, a.k.a. NOW WE’VE SEEN IT ALL! (1976) DIR Georges Lautner PROD Alain Poiré SCR Francis Veber CAM Maurice Fellous ED Michelle David MUS Philippe Sarde CAST Pierre Richard, Miou-Miou, Jean-Pierre Marielle, Renée Saint-Cyr, Gérard Jugnot, Sabine Azéma, Gérard Chambre, Arlette Emmery, Michel Blanc, Thierry Lhermitte

LE DIABLE DANS LA BOÎTE, a.k.a. THE DEVIL IN THE BOX (1977) DIR Pierre Lary PROD Mag Bodard SCR Pierre Lary, Jean-Claude Carrière, Huguette Debaisieux CAM Sacha Vierny ED Michel Bienvenu MUS Jean-Claude Dequéant CAST Jean Rochefort, Dominique Labourier, Michael Lonsdale, Anouk Ferjac, Micheline Presle, Alexandre Rignault, Michel Blanc, Thierry Lhermitte, Christian Clavier

DES ENFANTS GÂTÉS, a.k.a. SPOILED CHILDREN (1977) DIR Bertrand Tavernier PROD Michel Piccoli SCR Bertrand Tavernier, Christine Pascal, Charlotte Dubreuil CAM Alain Levant ED Armand Psenny MUS Philippe Sarde CAST Michel Piccoli, Christine Pascal, Michel Aumont, Gérard Jugnot, Arlette Bonnard, Liza Braconnier, Thierry Lhermitte, Michel Blanc (Young Man at the Agency), Isabelle Huppert, Christian Clavier

VOUS N’AUREZ PAS L’ALSACE ET LA LORRAINE, a.k.a. YOU WON’T HAVE ALSACE-LORRAINE (1977) DIR – SCR Coluche PROD Claude Hauser CAM Claude Agostini ED Armand Psenny, Kenout Peltier MUS Jeff Jordan CAST Coluche, Gérard Lanvin, Anémone, Dominique Lavanant, Gérard Jugnot, Martin Lamotte, Michel Blanc (Antremont), Philippe Bruneau, Roland Giraud, Thierry Lhermitte

LE POINT DE MIRE, a.k.a. FOCAL POINT (1977) DIR Jean-Claude Tramont SCR Jean-Claude Tramont, Gérard Brach (novel “Le photographe” by Pierre Boulle) CAM Henri Decaë ED Kenout Peltier MUS Georges Delerue CAST Annie Girardot, Jacques Dutronc, Claude Dauphin, Jean Bouise, Michel Robin, Philippe Rouleau, Jean-Claude Brialy, Michel Blanc (Cop), Denise Provence, Paul Crachet, Catherine Mongodin

LE BEAUJOLAIS NOUVEAU EST ARRIVÉ, a.k.a. THE NEW BEAUJOLAIS WINE HAS ARRIVED… (1978) DIR Jean-Luc Voufow PROD Michel Seydoux, Serge Laski SCR Jean-Luc Voufow, Marco Pico (novel “Le beaujolais nouveau est arrivé” [1975] by René Fallet) CAM Jean-Paul Schwartz ED Armand Psenny MUS Carlo Rusticelli CAST Jean Carmet, Michel Galabru, Rabah Loucif, Pierre Mondy, Pierre Bertin, Pascale Roberts, Michel Blanc (Captain’s Son)

CHAUSSETTE SURPRISE, a.k.a. SURPRISE SOCK (1978) DIR – PROD Jean-François Davy SCR Jean-François Davy, Jean-Claude Carrière CAM Jacques Guérin ED Thierry Derocles MUS Marie-Paule Belle CAST Bernadette Lafont, Anna Karina, Christine Pascal, Rufus, Bernard Le Coq, Bernard Haller, Michel Galabru, Agnes Soral, Claude Piéplu, Marcel Dalio, Jean-Claude Carrière, Michel Blanc (Intern)

LES HÉROS N’ONT PAS FROID AUX OREILLES, a.k.a. HEROES ARE NOT WET BEHIND THE EARS (1978) DIR Charles Nemes PROD Georges V. Nemes SCR Charles Nemes, Gérard Jugnot CAM Étienne Fauduet ED Marie-Sophie Dubus MUS Jacques Delaporte CAST Gérard Jugnot, Anne Jousset, Daniel Auteuil, Henry Guybet, Patricia Karim, Roland Giraud, Josiane Balasko, Michel Blanc (Passerby), Thierry Lhermitte, Christian Clavier

LA TORTUE SUR LE DOS, a.k.a. LIKE A TURTLE ON ITS BACK(1978) DIR Luc Béraud PROD Luc Béraud, Hubert Niogret SCR Luc Béraud, Claude Miller CAM Bruno Nuytten ED Joële Van Effenterre MUS Maurice Jarre, Antoine Duhamel CAST Bernadette Lafont, Jean-François Stévenin, Virginie Thévenet, Sandy Whitelaw, Marion Game, Valérie Quennessen, Poussine Mercanton, Michel Blanc, Christian Clavier

LES BRONZÉS, a.k.a. FRENCH FRIED VACATION (1978) DIR Patrice Leconte PROD Yves Rousset-Rouard SCR L’Équipe du Splendid [Josiane Balasko, Michel Blanc, Anne-Marie Chazel, Christian Clavier, Gérard Jugnot, Dominique Lavanant, Thierry Lhermitte, Bruno Moynot] CAM Jean-François Robin ED Noëlle Boisson MUS Michel Bernholc CAST Josiane Balasko, Luis Rego, Marie-Anne Chazel, Michel Blanc (Jean-Claude Dusse), Martin Lamotte, Bruno Moynot, Gérard Jugnot, Michel Creton, Thierry Lhermitte, Dominique Lavanant, Christian Clavier, Patrice Leconte

CAUSE TOUJOURS… TU M’INTÉRESSES! (1979) DIR Édouard Molinaro PROD Albina du Boisrouvay SCR Francis Veber (novel by Peter Marks) CAM Gérard Hameline MUS Vladimir Cosma ED Monique Isnardon CAST Annie Girardot, Jean-Pierre Mareille, Christian Marquand, Brigitte Roüan, Umbañ U Kset, Pierre Vernier, Michel Blanc (Cop)

LES BRONZÉS FONT DU SKI, a.k.a. FRENCH FRIED VACATION 2 (1979) DIR Patrice Leconte PROD Yves Rousset-Rouard SCR Josiane Balasko, Michel Blanc, Anne-Marie Chazel, Christian Clavier, Gérard Jugnot, Dominique Lavanant, Thierry Lhermitte, Bruno Moynot CAM Jean-François Robin ED Noëlle Boisson MUS Pierre Bachelet CAST Josiane Balasko, Michel Blanc (Jean-Claude Dus), Marie-Anne Chazel, Christian Clavier, Gérard Jugnot, Dominique Lavanant, Thierry Lhermitte, Bruno Moynot, Maurice Chevit

LA GUEULE DE L’AUTRE, a.k.a. THE OTHER ONE’S MUG (1979) DIR Pierre Tchernia PROD – SCR Jean Poirot CAM René Mathelin ED Nicole Gauduchon MUS Claude Bolling CAST Jean Poirot, Michel Serrault, Curd Jürgens, Georges Géret, Roger Carel, Michel Blanc (Taboureau), Marco Perrin, Marcelle Ranson-Hervé, Lily Fayol, Dominique Lavanant, Bernadette Lafont

L’ADOLESCENTE, a.k.a. THE ADOLESCENT (1979) DIR Jeanne Moreau PROD Philippe Dussart, Tarak Ben Ammar SCR Jeanne Moreau, Henriette Jelenik CAM Pierre Gautard ED Colette Leloup, Albert Jurgenson MUS Philippe Sarde CAST Edith Clever, Francis Huster, Jacques Weber, Laetitia Chauveau, Simone Signoret, Roger Blin, Frank Muth, Maurice Baquet, Jean-François Balmer, Hugues Quester, Michel Blanc (Bertin), Nadine Basile, Bérangère Bonvoisin

RIEN NE VA PLUS, a.k.a. OUT OF WHACK (1979) DIR Jean-Michel Ribes PROD Ariel Zeitoun SCR Jean-Michel Ribes, Philippe Khorsand (adaptation by Jean-Michel Ribes, Philippe Khorsand) CAM Bernard Zitzermann ED Jacques Witta MUS Michel Rivard CAST Jacques Villeret, Patrick Chesnais, Éva Darlan, Philippe Khorsand, Roland Blanche, Micheline Presle, Tonie Marshall, Michel Blanc (Marcel Dupain), Jacques François, Daniel Prévost, Anémone

LE CHEVAL D’ORGEUIL, a.k.a. THE HORSE OF PRIDE (1980) DIR Claude Chabrol PROD Georges de Beauregard SCR (adaptation by Claude Chabrol, Daniel Boulanger; book by Pierre-Jakez Hélias) CAM Jean Rabier ED Monique Fardoulis MUS Pierre Jansen CAST Jacques Dufilho, Bernadette La Saché, François Cluzet, Paul Le Person, Pierre Le Rumeur, Michel Robin, Dominique Lavanant, Michel Blanc (Corentin Calvez)

VIENS CHEZ MOI, J’HABITE CHEZ UNE COPINE (1981) DIR Patrice Leconte SCR (adaptation by Michel Blanc, Patrice Leconte; play by Luis Rego, Didier Kaminka) CAM Bernard Zitzermann ED Jacqueline Thiédot MUS Ranaud CAST Michel Blanc (Guy), Bernard Giraudeau, Thérèse Liotard, Anémone, Sylvie Granotier, Marie-Anne Chazel, Béatrice Constantini,

MA FEMME S’APPELLE REVIENS (1982) DIR Patrice Leconte SCR Michel Blanc, Joe Morheim, Patrice Leconte (novel by Joe Morheim) CAM Robert Fraisse ED Jacqueline Thiédot MUS William Sheller CAST Michel Blanc (Bernard Fizet), Anémone, Xavier Saint-Macary, Catherine Gandios, Pascale Rocard, Christophe Malavoy

LE PÈRE NOËL EST UNE ORDURE, a.k.a. SANTA CLAUS IS A STINKER (1982) DIR Jean-Marie Poiré PROD Yves Rousset-Rouard SCR Jean-Marie Poiré, Josiane Balasko, Anne-Marie Chazel, Christian Clavier, Gérard Jugnot, Thierry Lhermitte, Bruno Moynot CAM Robert Alazraki ED Catherine Kelber MUS Vladimir Cosma CAST Anémone, Josiane Balasko, Marie-Anne Chazel, Christian Clavier, Gérard Jugnot, Thierry Lhermitte, Bruno Moynot, Michel Blanc (Voice on the Telephone)

CIRCULEZ Y A RIEN À VOIR!, a.k.a. MOVE ALONG, THERE IS NOTHING TO SEE (1983) DIR Patrice Leconte PROD Bernard Artigues, Christian Fechner SCR Patrice Leconte, Martin Veyron CAM Robert Fraisse ED Joëlle Hache MUS Ramon Pipin, Jean-Philippe Goude CAST Jane Birkin, Michel Blanc (Leroux), Jacques Villeret, Michel Robbe, Dominique Faysse, Gaëlle Legrand, Luis Rego, Alan Adair, Martin Lamotte

PAPY FAIT DE LA RÉSISTANCE, a.k.a. GRAMPS IS IN THE RESISTANCE (1983) DIR Jean-Marie Poiré PROD Christian Fechner SCR Jean-Marie Poiré, Christian Clavier, Martin Lamotte (story by Christian Clavier, Martin Lamotte) CAM Robert Alazraki ED Catherine Kelber MUS Jean Musy CAST Christian Clavier, Michel Galabru, Gérard Jugnot, Martin Lamotte, Dominique Lavanant, Jacqueline Maillan, Jacques Villeret, Josiane Balasko, Michel Blanc (Leboeuf), Jean-Claude Brialy, Jean Carmet, Bernard Giraudeau, Thierry Lhermitte, Jean Yanne

RETENEZ MOI… OU JE FAIS UN MALHEUR!, a.k.a. TO CATCH A COP (1984) DIR Michel Gérard SCR Michel Gérard (adaptation by Michel Gérard, David Milhaud) CAM Jean Monsigny ED Gérard Le Du MUS Vladimir Cosma CAST Jerry Lewis, Michel Blanc (Laurent Martin), Charlotte de Turkheim, Maurice Risch, Laura Betti, Michel Peyrelon, Gérard Hérold, Mylène Demongeot

MARCHE À L’OMBRE (1984) DIR Michel Blanc PROD Bernard Artigues, Christian Fechner SCR Michel Blanc, Patrick Dewolf CAM Eduardo Serra ED Joëlle Hache MUS Jacques Delaporte, Xalam CAST Michel Blanc (Denis), Gérard Lanvin, Sophie Duez, Katrine Boorman, Mimi Félixine, Béatrice Camurat, Pierre Forget, Patrice Leconte

NEMO (1984) DIR Arnaud Sélignac PROD John Boorman, Claude Nedjar SCR Arnaud Sélignac, Telsche Boorman, Jean-Pierre Esquenazi CAM Philippe Rousselot ED Tom Priestley MUS Gabriel Yared CAST Harvey Keitel, Jason Connery, Mathilda May, Carole Bouquet, Michel Blanc (Boris), Katrine Boorman, Dominique Pinon, Charley Boorman

DRÔLE DE SAMEDI (1985) DIR Bay Okan [Tunç Okan] PROD Bay Okan [Tunç Okan], Francis von Buren SCR Bay Okan [Tunç Okan] (short story “Die Wurst” by Friedrich Dürrenmatt) CAM Ramón F. Suárez ED Bay Okan [Tunç Okan], Charles Bonvin MUS Vladimir Cosma CAST Tunç Okan, Carole Laure, Michel Blanc (Student), Francis Huster, Jacques Villeret, Catherine Alric, Jean-Luc Bideau, Bay Okan [Tunç Okan]

LES SPECIALISTES, a.k.a. THE SPECIALISTS (1985) DIR Patrice Leconte PROD Bernard Artigues SCR Michel Blanc, Patrice Leconte, Patrick Dewolf, Bruno Tardon CAM Eduardo Serra ED Joëlle Hache MUS Éric Demarsan CAST Bernard Giraudeau, Gérard Lanvin, Christiane Jean, Maurice Barrier, Daniel Jégou, Bertie Cortez

TENUE DE SOIRÉE (1986) DIR – SCR Bertrand Blier PROD René Cleitman CAM Jean Penzer ED Claudine Merlin MUS Serge Gainsbourg CAST Gérard Depardieu, Michel Blanc (Antoine), Miou-Miou, Michel Creton, Jean-François Stévenin, Mylène Demongeot, Caroline Silhol, Jean-Yves Berteloot, Bruno Cremer

JE HAIS LES ACTEURS, a.k.a. I HATE ACTORS (1986) DIR Gérard Krawczyk PROD Jean Nainchrik SCR Gérard Krawczyk (adaptation by Gérard Krawczyk; novel “I Hate Actors” [1944] by Ben Hecht) CAM Michel Cénet ED Marie-Josèphe Yoyotte MUS Roland Vincent CAST Michel Blanc (Monsieur Albert), Bernard Blier, Michel Galabru, Pauline Lafont, Patrick Floersheim, Dominique Lavanant, Sophie Duez, Guy Marchand, Wojtek Pszoniak, Jean-François Stévenin, Claude Chabrol, Gérard Depardieu

LES FUGITIFS, a.k.a. THE FUGITIVES (1986) DIR – SCR Francis Veber PROD Jean-José Richer CAM Luciano Tovoli ED Marie-Sophie Dubus MUS Vladimir Cosma CAST Gérard Depardieu, Pierre Richard, Jean Carmet, Maurice Barrier, Jean Benguigui, Roland Blanche, Anaïs Bret, Philippe Lelièvre, Michel Blanc (Doctor Bourdarias [uncredited])

UNE NUIT À L’ASSEMBLÉE NATIONALE (1988) DIR – PROD Jean-Pierre Mocky SCR Jean-Pierre Mocky, Patrick Rambaud CAM Marcel Combes ED Jean-Pierre Mocky, Hélène Sicard, Marielle Guichard, Sophie Moyse MUS Gabriel Yared CAST Jean Poiret, Michel Blanc (Walter Arbeit), Jacqueline Maillan, Isabelle Mergault, Jean Abeillé, Julien Verdier, Dominique Zardi, Bernadette Lafont, Josiane Balasko

SANS PEUR ET SANS REPROCHE, a.k.a. WITHOUT FEAR OR BLAME (1988) DIR Gérard Jugnot PROD António de Chunha Telles SCR Gérard Jugnot, Christian Biegalski, Jean-Bernard Pouy CAM Gérard de Battista ED Catherine Kelber MUS Yves de Bujadoux CAST Gérard Jugnot, Rémi Martin, Roland Giraud, Victoria Abril, Ann-Gisel Glass, Ticky Holgado, Martin Lamotte, Anémone, Josiane Balasko, Michel Blanc (The Surgeon)

MONSIEUR HIRE (1989) DIR Patrice Leconte PROD Philippe Carcassonne, René Cleitman SCR Patrice Laconte, Patrick Dewolf (short novel “Les fiançailles de M. Hire” by Georges Simenon) CAM Denis Lenoir ED Joëlle Hache MUS Michael Nyman CAST Michel Blanc (Monsieur Hire), Sandrine Bonnaire, Luc Thuillier, André Wilms, Eric Bérenger, Marielle Berthon, Philippe Dormoy

CHAMBRE À PART (1989) DIR – SCR Jacky Cukier CAM Yves Angelo ED Anne Lafarge MUS Philippe Sarde CAST Michel Blanc (Martin), Jacques Dutronc, Lio, Frances Barber, Engelbert Humperdinck, Catherine Frot, Christine Murillo, Nicolas Asken, Roger Ashton-Griffiths, Peter Moffatt, Lollie May

STRIKE IT RICH (1990) DIR James Scott PROD Graham Easton, Christine Oestreicher SCR James Scott (novella “Loser Takes All” [1955] by Graham Greene) CAM Robert Paynter MUS Shirley Walker CAST Robert Lindsay, Molly Ringwald, John Gielgud, Marianne Price, Jeffrey Robert, Willy Ross, Harriet Reynolds, Michel Blanc (Hotel Manager)

URANUS (1990) DIR Claude Berri SCR Claude Berri, Arlette Langmann (novel “Uranus” [1948] by Marcel Aymé) CAM Renato Berta ED Hervé de Luze MUS Jean-Claude Petit CAST Michel Blanc (René Gaigneux), Gérard Depardieu, Jean-Pierre Marielle, Philippe Noiret, Gérard Desarthe, Michel Galabru, Daniele Lebrun, Fabrice Luchini, Daniel Prévost

MERCI LA VIE (1991) DIR – SCR Bertrand Blier PROD Jean-Louis Livi CAM Philippe Rousselot ED Claudine Merlin CAST Charlotte Gainsbourg, Anouk Grinberg, Michel Blanc (Raymond Pelleveau), Jean Carmet, Annie Girardot, Catherine Jacob, Jean-Louis Trintignant, Thierry Frémont, Gérard Depardieu, François Perrot, Anouk Ferjac

LES SECRETS PROFESSIONNELS DU DOCTEUR APFELGLUCK, a.k.a. THE PROFESSIONAL SECRETS OF DR. APFELGLUCK (1991) DIR Alessandro Capone, Stéphane Clavier, Mathias Ledoux, Thierry Lhermitte, Hervé Palud PROD Thierry Lhermitte, Alain Clert, Claudio Bonivento, Louis Becker SCR Thierry Lhermitte, Philippe Bruneau CAM Claude Agostini, Jean-Jacques Tarbès, Roberto Girometti, Gérard Sterin ED Sophie Schmit MUS Jacques Delaporte, Laurent de Gaspéris CAST Jacques Villeret, Micha Bayard, Ticky Holgado, Claire Nadeau, Martin Lamotte, Charlotte de Turckheim, Philippe Bruneau, Thierry Lhermitte, Gérard Jugnot, Christian Clavier, Michel Blanc (The Hindu), Josiane Balasko, Jean Yanne

THE FAVOR, THE WATCH AND THE VERY BIG FISH (1991) DIR Ben Lewin PROD Michelle de Broca SCR Ben Lewin (short story by Marcel Aymé) CAM Bernard Zitzermann ED John Grover MUS Vladimir Cosma CAST Jeff Goldblum, Bob Hoskins, Natasha Richardson, Michel Blanc (Norbert), Jacques Villeret, Angela Pleasence, Jean-Pierre Cassel, Samuel Chaimovitch, Sacha Vikouloff, Claudine Mavros

PROSPERO’S BOOKS (1991) DIR Peter Greenaway PROD Kees Kasander SCR Peter Greenaway (play “The Tempest” [ca 1610] by William Shakespeare) CAM Sacha Vierny ED Marina Bodbijl MUS Michael Nyman CAST John Gielgud, Michael Clark, Michel Blanc (Alonso), Erland Josephson, Isabelle Pasco, Tom Bell

TOXIC AFFAIR (1993) DIR Philomène Esposito PROD Michel Seydoux SCR Philomène Esposito, Antoine Lacomblez CAM Pierre Lhomme ED Noëlle Boisson MUS Goran Bregovic CAST Isabelle Adjani, Clémentine Célarié, Sergio Castillitto, Hippolyte Girardot, Fabrice Luchini, Michel Blanc (Suicidal Man), Michel Seydoux

GROSSE FATIGUE, a.k.a. DEAD TIRED (1994) DIR Michel BlancPROD Daniel Toscan du Plantier SCR Michel Blanc (original idea from Bertrand Blier) CAM Eduardo Serra ED Maryline Monthieux MUS René-Marc Bini CAST Michel Blanc (Michel Blanc/Patrick Olivier), Carole Bouquet, Philippe Noiret, Josiane Balasko, Marie-Anne Chazel, Christian Clavier, Charlotte Gainsbourg, Gérard Jugnot, Dominique Lavanant, Thierry Lhermitte, Mathilde May, Roman Polanski

IL MOSTRO, a.k.a. THE MONSTER (1994) DIR Roberto Benigni PROD Roberto Benigni, Yves Attal, Luigi De Laurentiis Jr., Aurelio De Laurentiis, Frédérique Dumas-Zajdela, Guy Verrecchia, Denis Offrey, Yves Marmion, Pierre Lescure, Jérôme Clément SCR Roberto Benigni (story by Roberto Benigni, Vincenzo Cerami; French-language adaptation by Michel Blanc) CAM Carlo Di Palma ED Franco Fraticelli, Nino Baragli MUS Evan Lurie CAST Roberto Benigni, Michel Blanc (Paride Taccone), Nicoletta Braschi, Dominique Lavanant, Jean-Claude Brialy, Laurent Spielvogel, Ivano Marescotti

PRÊT-À-PORTER, a.k.a. READY TO WEAR (1994) DIR – PROD Robert Altman SCR Robert Altman, Barbara Shulgasser CAM Pierre Mignot, Jean Lépine ED Geraldine Peroni, Suzy Elmiger MUS Michel Legrand CAST Sophia Loren, Marcello Mastroianni, Julia Roberts, Tim Robbins, Kim Basinger, Stephen Rea, Anouk Aimée, Lauren Bacall, Lily Taylor, Sally Kellerman, Tracey Ullman, Linda Hunt, Rupert Everett, Forest Whitaker, Richard E. Grant, Danny Aiello, Teri Garr, Lyle Lovett, Jean Rochefort, Michel Blanc (Inspector Forget), Jean-Pierre Cassel, Chiara Mastroianni, Sam Robards, Harry Belafonte, Cher, Björk, Carla Bruni, Naomi Campbell, David Copperfield, Claudia Schiffer

LES GRANDS DUCS, a.k.a. THE GRAND DUKES (1996) DIR Patrice Leconte PROD Thierry de Ganay SCR Patrice Leconte, Serge Frydman CAM Eduardo Serra ED Joëlle Hache MUS Jean-Claude Nachon, Angélique Nachon CAST Jean-Pierre Mareille, Philippe Noiret, Jean Rochefort, Catherine Jacob, Michel Blanc (Shapiron), Clotilde Courau, Pierre-Arnaud Juin, Jacques Mathou

MAUVAISE PASSE, a.k.a. THE ESCORT (1999) DIR Michel BlancPROD Claude Berri SCR Michel Blanc (adaptation by Nick Love) CAM Barry Ackroyd ED Maryline Monthieux MUS Barry Adamson CAST Daniel Auteuil, Julie Wilson Nimmo, Luisa Bradshaw-White, Michelle Gomez, Jack Pierce, Stuart Townsend, Kriss Dosanjh, Ben Drake, Lee Williams

EMBRASSEZ QUI VOUS VOUDREZ, a.k.a. SUMMER THINGS (2002) DIR Michel BlancPROD Yves Marmion SCR Michel Blanc (book “Summer Things” [1998] by Joseph Connolly) CAM Sean Bobbitt ED Maryline Monthieux MUS Mark Russell CAST Charlotte Rampling, Jacques Dutronc, Carole Bouquet, Michel Blanc (Jean-Pierre), Karin Viard, Vincent Elbaz, Clotilde Courau, Denis Podalydès, Lou Doillon, Mélanie Laurent

MADAME EDOUARD (2004) DIR Nadine Monfils PROD Jacques Ouaniche SCR Nadine Monfils, Patrick Ligardis CAM Luc Drion ED Isabelle Proust MUS Bénabar CAST Michel Blanc (Léon), Didier Bourbon, Josiane Balasko, Annie Cordy, Dominique Lavanant, Rufus, Andréa Ferréol, Olivier Broche, Bouli Lanners

JE VOUS TROUVE TRÈS BEAU, a.k.a. YOU ARE SO BEAUTIFUL (2005) DIR – SCR Isabelle Mergault PROD Jean-Louis Livi CAM Laurent Fleutot ED Marie-Josèphe Yoyotte, Colette Beltran MUS Alain Wisniak, Bob Lenox CAST Michel Blanc (Aymé Pigrenet), Medeea Marinescu, Wladimir Yordanoff, Benoît Turjman, Éva Darlan, Élisabeth Commelin

LES BRONZÉS 3: AMIS POUR LA VIE, a.k.a. FRENCH FRIED VACATION 3: FRIENDS FOREVER (2006) DIR Patrice Leconte PROD Christian Fechner SCR Josiane Balasko, Michel Blanc, Anne-Marie Chazel, Christian Clavier, Gérard Jugnot, Thierry Lhermitte CAM Jean-Marie Dreujou ED Joëlle Hache MUS Étienne Perruchon CAST Josiane Balasko, Michel Blanc (Jean-Claude Dus), Marie-Anne Chazel, Christian Clavier, Gérard Jugnot, Thierry Lhermitte, Ornella Muti, Caterina Murino

LES TÉMOINS, a.k.a. THE WITNESSES (2007) DIR André Téchiné PROD Saïd Ben Saïd SCR André Téchiné, Laurent Guyot, Viviane Zingg (idea from Michel Canesi, Jamil Rahmani) CAM Julien Hirsch ED Martine Giordano MUS Philippe Sarde CAST Michel Blanc (Adrien), Emmanuelle Béart, Sami Bouajila, Julie Depardieu, Johan Libéreau, Constance Dollé, Lorenzo Balducci

LE DEUXIÈME SOUFFLE, a.k.a. THE SECOND WIND (2007) DIR Alain Corneau PROD Michèle Pétin, Laurent Pétin SCR (adaptation by Alan Corneau; novel by José Giovanni) CAM Yves Angelo ED Marie-Josèphe Yoyotte MUS Bruno Coulais CAST Daniel Auteuil, Monica Bellucci, Michel Blanc (Blot), Jacques Dutronc, Eric Cantona, Daniel Duval, Gilbert Melki, Nicolas Duvauchelle

NOS 18 ANS, a.k.a. SCHOOL’S OUT (2008) DIR Frédéric Berthe PROD Edouard Weil, Marina Gefter SCR Eric Assous (screenplay NOTTE PRIMA DEGLI ESAMI [2006] by Fausto Brizzi, Marco Martani, Massimiliano Bruno) CAM Philippe Pavans de Ceccatty ED Célia Lafitedupont CAST Valentina Catzéflis, Théo Frilet, Arthur Dupont, Julia Piaton, Liza Manili, Pierre Boulanger, Michel Blanc (Professor Martineau), Bernadette Lafont, Maruschka Detmers

MUSÉE HAUT, MUSÉE BAS, a.k.a. A DAY AT THE MUSEUM (2008) DIR – SCR Jean-Michel Ribes PROD Gilles Legrand, Frédéric Brillion CAM Pascal Ridao ED Yann Malcor MUS Reinhardt Wagner CAST Michel Blanc (Mosk), Simon Abkarian, Victoria Abril, Josiane Balasko, Isabelle Carré, André Dussollier, Gérard Jugnot, Fabrice Luchini, Yolande Moreau, Micheline Presle, Daniel Prévost

LA FILLE DU RER, a.k.a. THE GIRL ON THE TRAIN (2009) DIR André Téchiné PROD Saïd Ben Saïd SCR André Téchiné, Jean-Marie Besset, Odile Barski (play “RER” by Jean-Marie Besset) CAM Julien Hirsch ED Martine Giordano MUS Philippe Sarde CAST Émilie Dequenne, Catherine Deneuve, Michel Blanc (Samuel Bleistein), Ronit Elkabetz, Mathieu Demy, Nicolas Duvauchelle, Jérémy Quaegebeur, Djibril Pavadé, Alain Cauchi, Amer Aiwan, Mélanie Leconte

UNE PETITE ZONE DE TURBULENCES, a.k.a. A SPOT OF BOTHER(2009) DIR Alfred Lot PROD Yves Marmion SCR Michel Blanc (novel by Mark Haddon; adaptation by Michel Blanc, Alfred Lot) CAM Jérôme Alméras ED Virgibnie Bruant MUS Nathaniel Méchaly CAST Michel Blanc (Jean-Paul Muret), Miou-Miou, Melanie Doutey, Gilles Lelouche, Cyril Descours, Wladimir Yordanoff, Yannick Renier, Jolhan Martin, Éric Caravaca

ET SOUDAIN, TOUT LE MONDE ME MANQUE, a.k.a. THE DAY I SAW YOUR HEART (2011) DIR – SCR Jennifer Devoldère PROD Aïssa Djabri, Farid Lahouassa CAM Laurent Tangy ED Stéphane Pereira MUS Nathan Johnson CAST Mélanie Laurent, Michel Blanc (Eli Dhrey), Florence Moiret Daille, Claude Perron, Guillaume Gouix, Sébastien Castro, Géraldine Nakache, Many Payet, Jean-Yves Roan, Romain Lévy

L’EXERCICE DE L’ÉTAT, a.k.a. THE MINISTER (2011) DIR – SCR – MUS Pierre Schoeller PROD Jean-Pierre Dardenne, Luc Dardenne, Denis Freyd CAM Julien Hirsch ED Laurence Briaud CAST Olivier Gourmet, Michel Blanc (Gilles), Zabou Breitman, Laurent Stocker, Sylvain Deblé, Didier Bezace, Jacques Boudet, François Chattot

DEMI-SOEUR (2013) DIR Josiane Balasko PROD Jean-Baptiste Dupont, Cyril Colbeau-Justin SCR Josiane Balasko, Franck Lee Joseph (adaptation by Josiane Balasko, Franck Lee Joseph) CAM Sabine Lancellin ED Andrea Sedlácková MUS Christophe Julien CAST Michel Blanc (Paul Bérard), Josiane Balasko, Brigitte Roüan, Françoise Lépine, George Aguilar, Christine Murillo, Grégoire Baujat

THE HUNDRED-FOOT JOURNEY (2014) DIR Lasse Hallström PROD Steven Spielberg, Oprah Winfrey, Juliet Blake SCR Steven Knight (book “The Hundred-Foot Journey” [2010] by Richard C. Morias) CAM Linus Sandgren MUS A.R. Rahman CAST Helen Mirren, Om Puri, Manish Dayal, Charlotte Le Bon, Amit Shah, Farzana Dua Elahe, Dillon Mitra, Aria Pandya, Michel Blanc (Mayor)

LES SOUVENIRS, a.k.a. MEMORIES (2014) DIR Jean-Paul Rouve PROD Romain Rousseau, Maxime Delauney SCR Jean-Paul Rouve, David Foenkinos (novel “Les souvenirs” [2011] by David Foenkinos) CAM Christophe Offenstein ED Christel Dewynter MUS Alexis Rault CAST Annie Cordy, Michel Blanc (Michel Esnard), Mathieu Spinosi, Chantal Lauby, William Lebghill, Flore Bonaventura, Audrey Lamy, Jean-Paul Rouve, Jacques Boudet

LES NOUVELLES AVENTURES D’ALADIN, a.k.a. THE NEW ADVENTURES OF ALADDIN (2015) DIR Arthur Benzaquen PROD Jérôme Seydoux, Daniel Tordjman SCR Daive Cohen CAM Pierre Aïm ED Brian Schmitt MUS Michaël Tordjman, Maxime Desprez CAST Kev Adams, Jean-Paul Rouve, Vanessa Guide, William Lebghil, Audrey Lamy, Eric Judor, Michel Blanc (Sultan), Ramzy Bedia

UN PETIT BOULOT, a.k.a. ODD JOB (2016) DIR Pascal Chaumeil PROD Sidonie Dumas, Yann Arnaud SCR Michel Blanc (novel “Since the Layoffs” [2003] by Iain Levison; adaptation by Michel Blanc) CAM Manuel Dacosse ED Sylvie Landra MUS Mathieu Lamboley CAST Romain Duris, Michel Blanc (Gardot), Alice Belaïdi, Gustave Kervern, Alex Lutz, Charlie Dupont, Philippe Grand’Henry, Thomas Mustin, Patrick Descamps

RAID DINGUE, a.k.a. R.A.I.D. SPECIAL UNIT (2016) DIR Dany Boon PROD Jérôme Seydoux SCR Dany Boon, Sarah Kaminsky (adaptation by Dany Boon, Sarah Kaminsky) CAM Denis Rouden MUS Michaël Tordjman, Maxime Desprez CAST Alice Pol, Dany Boon, Michel Blanc (Jacques Pasduali), Yvan Attal, Sabine Azema, Patrick Mille, François Levantal, Florent Peyre, Anne Marivin, Urbain Chancelier

PAUL SANCHEZ EST REVENU!, a.k.a. PAUL SANCHEZ IS BACK!(2018) DIR Patricia Mazuy PROD Patrick Sobelman SCR Patricia Mazuy, Yves Thomas (original idea by Yves Thomas) CAM Frédéric Noirhomme ED Mathilde Muyard MUS John Cale CAST Laurent Lafitte, Zita Hanrot, Philippe Girard, Idir Chender, Anthony Paliotti, Anne-Lise Heimburger, Anthony Paliotti, Achille Reggiani, Michel Blanc (Gendarme)

VOYEZ COMME ON DANSE, a.k.a. KISS & TELL (2018) DIR Michel Blanc PROD Yves Marmion SCR Michel Blanc (characters created by Joseph Connolly) CAM Pierre Gantelmi d’Ille ED Maryline Monthieux CAST Karin Viard, Carole Bouquet, Charlotte Rampling, Jean-Paul Rouve, William Lebghil, Jacques Dutronc, Michel Blanc (Jean-Pierre)

DOCTEUR?, a.k.a. A GOOD DOCTOR (2019) DIR Tristan Séguéla PROD Bruno Nahon SCR Tristan Séguéla, Jim Birmant CAM Frédéric Noirhomme ED Grégoire Sivan MUS Grégoire Hetzel CAST Michel Blanc (Serge Mamou-Mani), Hakim Jemeli, Solène Rigot, Franck Gastambide, Artus, Fadily Camara, Ophélia Kolb, Maxence Tual

LES TUCHE 4 (2021) DIR Olivier Baroux PROD Richard Grandpierre SCR Olivier Baroux, Jean-Paul Rouve, Nessim Chikhaoui, Julien Hervé, Philippe Mechelen CAM Christian Abomnes MUS Martin Rappeneau CAST Jean-Paul Rouve, Isabelle Nanty, Michel Blanc (Jean-Yves Marteau), Claire Nadeau, Sarah Stern, Pierre Lottin, Théo Fernandez

LES CADORS, a.k.a. TOP DOGS (2022) DIR Julien Guetta PROD Lionel Dutemple, Romain Rousseau, Benjamin Morgaine, Maxime Delauney, Mathieu Ageron SCR Julien Guetta, Lionel Dutemple (adaptation by Julien Guetta, Lionel Dutemple; original idea by Lionel Dutemple) CAM Philippe Guilbert ED Samuel Fassi CAST Jean-Paul Rouve, Grégoire Ludig, Michel Blanc (Jean-Pierre Deloup), Marie Gillain, Aurore Broutin, Niels Hamel-Brochen

LES PETITES VICTORES (2023) DIR Mélanie Auffret PROD Foucauld Barre, Nicolas Duval Adassovsky SCR Mélanie Auffret, Michaël Souhaité CAM Laurent Dailland ED Jeanne Kef MUS Julien Glabs CAST Michel Blanc (Emile Menoux), Julia Piaton, Lionel Abelanski, Marie Bunel, India Hair, Marie-Pierre Casey, Sébastien Chassagne, Géraldine Schitter, Caroline Ferrus, Franck Trillot, Caroline Creac’h, Odette Simoneau, Cathy Cerda, Daphné Richard, Adrien Guionnet, Soën Abenon, Marie Podeur, Eliot Bouger Van Goethem, Lila Coraillon

‘I rarely see a movie so original that I want to tell people to just see it without reading any reviews beforehand, including my own. David Lowery’s “A Ghost Story” is one of those movies. So I’m urging you in the first paragraph of this review to just see it and save this review for later.’

There can hardly be a more accurate way to describe David Lowery’s fourth feature, a supernatural drama and a gorgeously sad tale of love and loss that reunited Casey Affleck and Rooney Mara, the two stars of his second film, another highly acclaimed little masterpiece titled “Ain’t Them Bodies Saints” (2013). For both films, he got some friends together and just made them.

David Lowery (b. 1980) is an American filmmaker, screenwriter and editor, also known for directing the live-action fantasy adventure film “Pete’s Dragon” (2016, a remake of Disney’s 1977 musical); the crime drama “The Old Man & the Gun” (2018) starring Robert Redford, which brings back memories of the Hollywood films from the late 1960s and early 1970s; and the astounding medieval fantasy epic “The Green Knight” (2021), adapted from the late 14th-century poem “Sir Gawain and the Green Knight,” one of the best-known Arthurian stories.

Mr. Lowery switches easily from small, independent films to big-budget Hollywood films and back, but that doesn’t change his work as a film director. Regardless of the production size, the creative process is the same. All he needs are actors, a table, a few chairs, a camera and a cinematographer.

The wide variety of subjects his films deal with makes him one of his generation’s most talented and hard-to-pin-down film directors. He writes most of his own screenplays and each time—also depending on the topic of the film—he’s able to capture the essence of what he’s sharing with his audience. As a natural-born storyteller, he always creates very rewarding and enriching films.

After he was a guest at the Film Fest Ghent in October 2014, he returned to the Film Festival last October for the second time, where I sat down with the Dallas-based film director to talk about his work.

Mr. Lowery, when we first met in 2014, you said during our interview, ‘What I expect of my work is that it has a certain degree of integrity to it.’ We’re now nine years and four films later, and you certainly live up to those standards. Is it easy to set the bar that high?

I wouldn’t be able to call myself a director or even sleep at night if I wasn’t aspiring towards that. I feel relatively lucky that I had to compromise very little in the movies that I have made. In fact, I haven’t compromised at all, but I stick to my guns, try to make the best version of the movie that I possibly can, and get that version up on the screen. If I were ever to call it quits or stop before I thought I was done, I would just be letting myself down. We pull this team together, we get these actors together, we assemble the footage, and we all work to make something. It’s my job to take whatever everyone else is giving me and pull the best version out of that. I know that nothing is ever perfect, but you need to get to perfection as close as you can get. I’m always reaching for that and do everything I can to achieve that.

A common demeanor in your films is your poetic cinematic sensibility which is very recognizable. Would you agree with that, or is that description maybe too narrow?

I don’t think it is too narrow because I think poetry and cinema are like-minded mediums in that they use language to evoke feelings that aren’t bound by literal meaning. Literature, as a novel, can work that way—a novel can contain poetry within it, but the medium isn’t as fluid as poetry is. Film can be didactic, it can be expositional or literal, but it also has the ability to be so much more than that. And I love making movies that push in that direction, that push towards the transcendent, push towards poetry and metaphor, and find meaning beyond the quotidian details that might comprise their design.

“Ain’t Them Bodies Saints” (2013, trailer)

When I first saw “Aint Them Bodies Saints,” I wondered what you could do as a filmmaker to aim even higher. But you make it look pretty easy.

I know that intrinsically I’m going to repeat myself because I am who I am, and my movies will have a sense of style and thematic coherence that are intrinsically my own. But beyond that, I don’t ever want to be bored, nor do I want not to be challenged myself. So with every movie I make—and as I write my own films—and I have an idea, I think, ‘Well, I have never done that before?’ Or I read a book and think, ‘It would be a challenge to adapt this.’ Other times I have a very deep yearning to convey something specific that will manifest as a movie. But other times it’s just a whim, like a whimsical idea that once I’ve spent the time necessary to write a screenplay and make the movie, I become deeply invested in it. Very often, I’m challenging myself, amusing myself, and trying to find new ways to excite myself as a moviegoer. I think, ‘What would I want to see?’ If I were an audience member and buy a ticket to this movie, would I be excited to see it? Would I be excited by what this movie is conveying in the way it is conveyed? So many of my projects and the way that I approach them, are coming from that viewpoint, of me trying to make myself happy as a moviegoer. When I think of the directors I love, their work is always recognizable in their movies. But they are also pushing forward and they try not to repeat themselves; they’re pushing into new territory, trying to push the medium forward as well. That excites and inspires me, and I can’t help to try and do the same.

And in the meantime, your films are very successful. So far, their cumulative worldwide gross is over $180 million. Does that enable you to choose the actors you want to work with?

I think it’s not so much their success because none of them has ever been huge. I never made a movie that made as much money as a ”Spiderman,” you know. But relative to their budget, they have all done well and they have been received well. I think that actors see the films and see the opportunities that I give other actors, in terms of like here is a character or a story you can invest yourself in, or here is a slightly unusual opportunity to try something you’re not getting the chance to do elsewhere. I think that’s the feeling. And also, I try to create an environment where actors can do their best work and have fun doing it. I consider that part of the job, to create an environment and an atmosphere in which all of my collaborators—but actors first and foremost because they’re the one who will represent the movie—like they can feel they have given it their all, and had a chance to dig into something in a way they might not always get to.

“The Old Man & the Gun” (2018, trailer)

How do you write your dialogue, and direct an actor like Robert Redford?

[Laughs.] With Robert Redford, I had the luxury of working with him on “Pete”s Dragon” first. The part in that movie wasn’t written for him, but once he was on board, I was able to work on it and kind of tailor it to him. It was an incredible luxury to get to make that movie first, because after I made “Pete’s Dragon,” I was able to rewrite “The Old Man & the Gun,” knowing what it’s like to direct Robert Redford, knowing what it’s like to work with him, knowing how to capture that twinkle in his eye or the way he holds himself on camera. And so I rewrote the script entirely and wrote it specifically for him. He was always going to play that part—“The Old Man & the Gun” was a property that he bought and brought to me, but when I had written the early drafts, I didn’t know him yet as a person or as an actor. I just knew him as a movie star. I knew he would play the part, but I hadn’t written it to his strengths. Once I had worked with him, I knew exactly how to do that and I rewrote the script from scratch. That made that movie a joy. I was able to write it in a way that we would have a great time with him on set.

Does he need any direction, or do you have to guide him in a way?

A little bit, yeah. He wants that. I was always very curious because he has made so many great films himself that he would come on set and maybe think about it as a director or judge my choices as a fellow director. But even when we made “Pete’s Dragon,” he let me know very quickly that he was there to act and that he certainly knew what he was doing, but he also wanted to be directed. With all the actors that I have worked with, especially lately, if you cast a movie right, then it will come. Ninety percent of the job is done. The actors will show up, they will do a great job because they’re great actors, and then I can come in and just sort of guide them to that extra ten percent. Sometimes they show up and they just nail it, and it’s perfect. But usually, a bit of exploration is required, or I need to adjust the energy of what they’re providing to the movie or what they’re giving me. That’s where a director comes into play. And there have been instances when everything is so perfect. Then I can sit back, be an audience member, and enjoy the show that I’m getting to witness live on set [laughs]. But more often than not, it needs a little nudge in one direction or another. That’s where I can come in and help shape a performance.

Another strength of your films is that you often don’t need too much dialogue. In “Pete’s Dragon,” for example, you can hear the silence of the forest, or in “The Green Knight,” you can smell the air. The audience gets to feel and sense that. Are you aware of the impact your films have?

No, I don’t think so, although I’m only thinking about the audience because I make the movie for myself as an audience member. When I’m on set, I feel as if I try to keep the show on the road, so to speak, and to make sure that we’ll cut something that comes together. There’s a sense of desperation when you’re on set—for me—but I don’t let anyone else notice. There’s a sense that we are barely holding things together, that we’re just barely scraping by and we’re getting just enough footage to string a movie together that might work. And then when you get into postproduction and look at the footage, you realize that everything you wanted is there, it’s all done with intention, and nothing is as half hazard or flip shot as you thought it was when you were on set. That’s because you have been living with the project for so long; you’ve been through the screenwriting and the preparation, the preproduction, and—if you’re lucky enough to have rehearsals—the rehearsals. You put the pieces in order so that when you’re on set, even though you might feel that it’s falling apart, what’s actually happening is that it’s proceeding exactly the way it needs to. The panic or desperation that I feel on set is indictable how things are actually coming together. It’s just a natural reaction that you have when you’re making a movie; you realize the sun is going down and you have only fifteen minutes left to get an entire scene, so you naturally feel like you’re not getting things done as well as you could. And you wish you had enough time to do ten takes. You’re sad because you didn’t get those ten takes and you’re sure that if you had done all ten, the tenth would have been perfect. But then you’re in the editing room, you look at the first take, and you realize that was perfect. So all of that stress was for nothing.

“A Ghost Story” (2017, trailer)

“A Ghost Story” is a favorite of mine. Is there any film you made that you would consider your most personal project?

“A Ghost Story”–and to a certain extent “Pete’s Dragon” too. “Peter Pan and Wendy” was very personal to me while we were making it. Now that the movie is almost done, the finished project is not as personal as I thought it was while we were making it. That’s only because “Peter Pan” is such a beloved story already; while we were making it, it felt like we were telling a story that never has been told before. And I was so personally invested in it, it felt like the clearest transposition of my own emotions into a film I ever made. When I watched the edit, I realized that’s true, but also that “Peter Pan” is a story that the audience is aware of. It’s not a new story, and the familiarity cushions the emotions I was feeling while I was making it. So I don’t know if the finished project will be the most personal movie I ever made, but certainly the experience of making it was the most personally invested I had ever been, and the most personally connected that I had ever been. But in terms of a movie from start to finish, I think “A Ghost Story” is probably the most personal film.

Is it true that you financed that film entirely on your own?

I did with some of my friends, like Toby Halbrooks, who produces all my movies. I was going to do it on my own, but he said, ‘Let’s get some friends who put some money into it.’ So it was Toby, me, and two other friends who paid for it, and we were initially trying to make it for under a $100,000 but it got a little bigger than that. But it was still pretty affordable; “Pete’s Dragon” allowed me to do that. I got paid for the first time in my life on “Pete’s Dragon” and I thought, ‘I can’t think of anything better than take this money and put it right back into another film.’

“A Ghost Story” grossed more than $2 million, which was about twenty times your investment. That’s in this day and age, when films have become so expensive, quite an accomplishment, isn’t it?

It’s the only movie that we’ve made that is so in the black that everyone who invested actually gets some residuals from it. The other movies have also been successful, but Hollywood accounting is such that we know we will probably not see any more money from them. But with “A Ghost Story” it was in terms of percentages definitely the most successful film we made [laughs].

Was it a coincidence that you cast Casey Affleck and Rooney Mara for the leading roles in “A Ghost Story,” after you had worked with them on “Ain’t Them Bodies Saints”?

It was more a sense of comfort and just knowing them. I knew them by that point as friends. I could just call them and ask if they wanted to make a strange movie in Texas for a couple of weeks. I didn’t expect either of them to say yes, but both of them did, and I am incredibly grateful for it. But when I was writing it, I only knew what I was trying to achieve on an emotional level. I didn’t know if it would work, I didn’t know if it would be feature-length or not, I wasn’t even sure how what I had written would manifest. What I did know, is that I wanted to get as many friends as I could to help make it. Casey and Rooney were two of the ones who came down to Texas, but it was a labor of love in the classic sense of the term. No one got paid, there was no sense of recompense; it was just an opportunity to make a movie for the sake of making something special.

Film Fest Ghent
October 22, 2022

FILMS

HAPPY BIRTHDAY (2002) DIR – SCR Yen Tan PROD Mark Buchanan CAM Jack Burroughs ED Jay Wesson MUS Steve Whitehouse CAST Benjamin Patrick, Michelle E. Michael, John K. Frazier, Devashish Saxena, Ethel Lung, Denton Blane Everett, Xiao Fei Zhao, James M. Johnston, David Lowery (Videographer)

DEADROOM (2005) DIR – PROD – SCR David Lowery, James M. Johnston, Nick Prendergast, Yen Tan CAM Jim McMahon ED David Lowery MUS Daniel Huffman CAST Sue Birch, Rebecca Bustamante, Mark Forte, Harry Goaz, Jeff Griffin, Grant James, Renée Kelly

CIAO (2008) DIR Yen Tan PROD David Lowery, Jim McMahon SCR Yen Tan, Alessandro Calza CAM Michael Roy ED David LoweryMUS Stephen Altman CAST Chuck Blaum, Adam Neal Smith, Ethel Lung, John S. Boles, Margaret Lake, Tiffany Vollmer, Alessandro Calza, Clementina Plasencia

BLOOD ON THE HIGHWAY (2008) DIR Blair Rowan, Barak Epstein PROD Barak Epstein SCR Blair Rowan, Chris Gardner CAM Clay Liford ED Michael Fleetwood MUS Paul Nichols CAST Dave George, Robin Gierhart, Nate Rubin, Tony Medlin, Laura Stone, Chris Gardner, Nicholas Brendon, Tom Towles, David Lowery (Vampire), James M. Johnston

ST. NICK (2009) DIR – SCR – ED David Lowery PROD James M. Johnston CAM Clay Liford MUS Daniel Hart CAST Savanna Sears, Tucker Sears, Monique Byars, Riley Cole, Harry Goaz, Barlow Jacobs, Andrew Sensening

ALEXANDER THE LAST (2009) DIR – CAM – ED Joe Swanberg PROD Joe Swanberg, Noah Baumbach, Anish Savjani SCR David Lowery, Joe Swanberg, Amy Seimetz, Jess Weixler, Barlow Jacobs, Justin Rice MUS Justin Rice, Jo Schornikow CAST Jess Weixler, Justin Rice, Barlow Jacobs, Amy Seimetz, Jane Adams, Josh Hamilton, Jo Schornikow, Sean Price Williams, David Lowery(Stagehand)

IT WAS GREAT, BUT I WAS READY TO COME HOME (2009) DIR Kris Swanberg PROD Kris Swanberg, Joe Swanberg SCR David Lowery, Kris Swanberg, Jade Healy, Benjamin Kasulke CAM Benjamin Kasulke ED David Lowery MUS Orange Mighty Trio CAST Kris Swanberg, Jade Healy, Chris Trujillo, Nick Drashner, Caitlin Donohue

SHADOWBOXING (2010) DIR – SCR Jesse Klein PROD Jesse Klein, Tristan Borys, Marley Sniatowsky, Marc Cloutier, Durga Chew-Bose CAM Kunitaro Ohi ED David Lowery, Yusef Svacina MUS Christopher Cox CAST Bobby Lamont, Karl Werleman, Danny Coleman, Philip Xavier Matz, Susan Corbett, Dermai Zan Young, Ezra Gray

LOVERS OF HATE (2010) DIR – SCR – ED Bryan Poyser PROD Megan Gilbride CAM David Lowery MUS Kevin Bewersdorf CAST Chris Doubeck, Heather Kafka, Alex Karpovsky, Zach Green, Lana Dietrich, Garry Peters, Harper Cummings

AUDREY THE TRAINWRECK (2010) DIR – SCR – ED Frank V. Ross PROD Adam Donaghey CAM David Lowery MUS John Medeski CAST Nathan Adloff, Anthony J. Baker, Tim Baker, Denise Blank, Teressa Bondavalli, Brittany Brumfield, Zack Buell, Adam Donaghey

BAD FEVER (2011) DIR – PROD – SCR Dustin Guy Defa CAM Mike Gioulakis ED David Lowery, Dustin Guy Defa CAST Kentucker Audley, Allison Baar, Hayward Buchanan, Dustin Guy Defa, Eleonore Hendricks, Scott Parisi, Dane Stevens, Annette Wright

UNIVERSAL SQUADRONS (2011) DIR Mark Willhone PROD Lisa K. Jenkins SCR Mark Millhone, Daniel Raymond O’Brien (story by Mark Willhone) CAM Clay Liford ED David Lowery MUS John David Kent CAST Riley Smith, Willa Ford, Barry Corbin, Christian Kane, Marshall R. Teague, David Bron, Adrian Green, Bryan Massey

UNCERTAIN, TX (2011) DIR – PROD Eric Steele SCR Eric Steele, Hunter Wood CAM Clay Liford ED David Lowery CAST Marjorie Hayes, Richard Rollin, Eric Steele, Caroline White, Hunter Wood, Clay Yocum

SUN DON’T SHINE (2012) DIR – SCR Amy Seimetz PROD Amy Seimetz, Kim Sherman CAM Jay Keitel ED David Lowery, Amy Seimetz MUS Ben Lovett CAST Kate Lyn Sheil, AJ Bowen, Kentucker Audley, Kit Gwin, Mark Reeb, Gregory Gordon Schmidt

NOR’EASTER (2012) DIR – SCR Andrew Brotzman PROD Veronica Nickel CAM Ian Bloom ED David Lowery MUS Danny Bensi, Saunder Jurriaans CAST David Call, Richard Bekins, Liam Aiken, Haviland Morris, Rachel Brosnahan, Danny Burstein, Geary Smith

UPSTREAM COLOR (2013) DIR – SCR – CAM – MUS Shane Carruth PROD Shane Carruth, Ben LeClair, Casey Gooden ED David Lowery, Shane Carruth CAST Amy Seimetz, Frank Mosley, Shane Carruth, Andrew Sensening, Thiago Martins, Kathy Carruth, Meredith Burke, Andreon Watson

AIN’T THEM BODIES SAINTS(2013) DIR – SCR David LoweryPROD Cassian Elwes, James M. Johnston, Amy Kaufman, Toby Halbrooks, Jay Van Hoy, Lars Knudsen CAM Bradford Young ED Craig McKay, Jane Rizzo MUS Daniel Hart CAST Casey Affleck, Rooney Mara, Ben Foster, Keith Carradine, Kennadie Smith, Jacklynn Smith, Nate Parker, Robert Longstreet, Charles Baker

PIT STOP (2013) DIR Yen Tan PROD James M. Johnston, Jonathan Duffy, Kelly Williams, Eric Steele SCR David Lowery, Yen Tan CAM Hutch ED Don Swaynos MUS Curtis Heath CAST Bailey Bass, Marcus DeAnda, Yesenia Garcia, Bill Heck, Heather Kafka, Richard C. Jones, Alfredo Maduro, Jonny Mars, Amy Seimetz

EMPIRE BUILDER (2014) DIR Kris Swanberg PROD Kate Johnston SCR Kris Swanberg, Kate Johnston CAM – ED David Lowery CAST Kristin Davis, Samantha Newman, Bill Ross IV, Kate Lyn Sheil, Caitlin Stainken, Joe Swanberg, Jude Swanberg

PETE’S DRAGON (2016) DIR David Lowery PROD Jim Whitaker SCR David Lowery, Toby Halbrooks (screenplay PETE’S DRAGON [1977] by Malcolm Marmorstein; story by Seton I. Miller, S.S. Field) CAM Bojan Bazelli ED Lisa Zeno Churgin MUS Daniel Hart CAST Bryce Dallas Howard, Robert Redford, Oakes Fegley, Oona Laurence, Wes Bentley, Karl Urban, Isiah Whitlock Jr.

LISTEN UP PHILIP (2016) DIR – SCR Alex Ross Perry PROD David Lowery, Joshua Blum, Katie Stern, Toby Halbrooks, James M. Johnston CAM Sean Price Williams ED Robert Greene MUS Keegan DeWitt CAST Jason Schwartzman, Elisabeth Moss, Krysten Ritter, Joséphine de la Baume, Jonathan Pryce, Jess Weixler

A GHOST STORY (2017) DIR – SCR – ED David Lowery PROD Adam Donaghey, James M. Johnston, Toby Halbrooks CAM Andrew Droz Palermo MUS Daniel Hart CAST Casey Affleck, Rooney Mara, McColm Cephas Jr., Kenneisha Thompson, Grover Coulson, Liz Franke, Barlow Jacobs, Richard Krause, David Lowery (Neighbor’s Ghost)

THE YELLOW BIRDS (2017) DIR Alexandre Moors PROD Mark Canton, Jeffrey Sharp, Courtney Solomon SCR David Lowery, R.F.I. Porto (novel by Kevin Powers) CAM Daniel Landin ED Joe Klotz MUS Adam Wiltzie CAST Alden Ehrenreich, Tye Sheridan, Jack Huston, Jennifer Aniston, Toni Collette, Jason Patric, Lee Tergesen, Rhoda Griffis, Carrie Wampler

THE OLD MAN & THE GUN (2018) DIR David Lowery PROD Robert Redford, James M. Johnston, James D. Stern, Jeremy Steckler, Dawn Ostroff, Anthony Mastromauro, Toby Halbrooks, Bill Holderman SCR David Lowery (article by David Grann) CAM Joe Anderson ED Lisa Zeno Churgin MUS Daniel Hart CAST Casey Affleck, Robert Redford, Sissy Spacek, Danny Glover, Elisabeth Moss, Tom Waits, Keith Carradine, John David Washington, Isiah Whitlock Jr.

THE GREEN KNIGHT (2021) DIR – SCR – ED David Lowery PROD Anjay Nagpal, James M. Johnston, Tim Headington, Toby Halbrooks CAM Andrew Droz Palermo MUS Daniel Hart CAST Dev Patel, Alicia Vikander, Joel Edgerton, Joe Anderson, Noelle Brown, Sarita Choudhury, Anaïs Rizzo, Nita Mishra, Tara Mae, Atheena Frizzell

PETER PAN & WENDY (2023) DIR David Lowery PROD Joe Roth, Jeff Kirschenbaum, Jim Whitaker SCR David Lowery, Toby Halbrooks (adaptation of PETER PAN [1953, animated] by J.M. Barrie; story by Ted Sears, Erdman Penner, Bill Peet, Winston Hibler, Joe Rinaldi, Milt Banta, Ralph Wright, William Cottrell) CAM Bojan Bazelli ED Lisa Zeno Churgin MUS Daniel Hart CAST Alexander Molony, Ever Anderson, Jude Law, Yara Shahidi, Joshua Pickering, Jim Gaffigan, Noah Matthews Matofsky

He also discovered several early cinematic and technical developments, including the stop-motion camera, is the key figure of The George Méliès Project, his official website. It is maintained by his great-great-granddaughter Pauline Méliès, a.k.a. Pauline D.-L. Méliès (full name Pauline Duclaud-Lacoste Méliès), and she describes him as ‘one of the greatest magicians of his time, one of the greatest pioneers of cinema, father of cinematographic shows and special effects.’ She is the driving force behind the website and keeps his humongous legacy alive.

And she handles it pretty well. Mr. Méliès made headlines again when Martin Scorsese’s “Hugo” (2011) hit the theaters, with Ben Kingsley portraying the film pioneer who made over five hundred shorts from 1896 until 1913. A few years ago, his long-lost 1945 autobiography was translated into English (“Méliès: My Memoir”), and in 2019, Ms. Méliès set up a very successful crowdfunding to restore his grave at Père Lachaise, the famous cemetery in Paris where he was buried in 1938. Over the years, a green stain had overtaken the stonework of the grave; it had fallen into disrepair but now it is fully restored to its former splendor (feature image: Ms. Méliès at his grave when it was officially unveiled last month).

And as of recently, her latest Kickstarter event is another ambitious project that launches two new books compiled by the Méliès family, with “Georges Méliès and His Family Tell His Stories: Intimate and Rediscovered Testimonies About the First Filmmaker” and its French-language counterpart “George Méliès et sa famille se racontent: Témoignages intimes et retrouvés du tout premier cinéaste.” The books bring to life several of Georges Méliès’ forgotten stories and make you rediscover the veteran filmmaker who is by all means the most important figure in narrative cinema history.

This crowdfunding is an ‘all or nothing’ project, meaning you got until next Tuesday, November 22, 2022, at 8:00 PM CET. The goal is to fund $17,112 and so far $12,000 has been raised. As always, we advise you to read the detailed description of the project before pledging.

Georges Méliès was a legendary leader of early French filmmaking who later in life took his decline philosophically and even cheerfully, never expressing any bitterness against the men who had profited from his pioneer work when his business tragically collapsed and he disappeared into obscurity.

While the Lumière brothers, Auguste (1862-1954) and Louis (1864-1948), photographed the world as it was and never thought that narrative cinema had a future, Mr. Méliès on the other hand turned his own theater into a picture palace and in 1897 he built the first film studio ever in his backyard in Montreuil, in the eastern suburbs of Paris. Even before the 1900s, he was a leading and prolific producer of fantasy films that merged life and dream.

Need we say more? Definitely—and why not a Zoom conversation with Pauline Méliès about her visionary great-great-grandfather and the two books that hopefully will be available very soon?

Ms. Méliès, how did your book “Georges Méliès and His Family Tell His Stories” come about?

We gathered several family testimonies about George Méliès, from George himself, but also from his second wife Jehanne d’Alcy [a.k.a. Fanny Manieux, 1865-1956], his son André [1901-1985], his nephew Paul [1885-1957], and myself. Then we put them all into a book with several photographs. The testimonies focus on the man; it’s not a biography, and you don’t have to be a film professional or an expert on George Méliès to understand it. The testimonies have never been published in French, nor have they ever been translated into English, so that’s why we did two books at the same time, one in French and the other one in English. Most of the information you can find about George is available in French, but since most of our Kickstarters speak English, an English-language version of the book seemed very logical. In the book, there are more than thirty pages written by his son André who had written down his family memories with several funny anecdotes and how his father made movies. They had been in our family archives for more than fifty years, so it’s very special to share all that information. André Méliès is my great-grandfather; he’s the father of my grandmother. That is why the book is titled “Georges Méliès and His Family Tell His Stories”; how does his family remember him, how did they see him, and how did they interact with him? How did he look at his work and how did he feel about the evolution of cinema during the 1930s? Because for him it was obvious that cinema would become much more important in the future; he knew that cinema would become an industry one day, although not everybody agreed with him at the time. But he had a theory of what cinema could be; he shared it and wrote several pages about it.

Where did you keep all this material? Was it in boxes in the attic?

[Laughs] It was a mix. André had written everything with his typewriter, so we had all that with our family pictures, and we found other material in archives and libraries. Our main goal was to read everything, and if it was boring or didn’t give enough information, we wouldn’t use it. In the end, we want people to know and understand him better—and also know that he had flaws. He was not an angel, he was far from perfect; he was very stubborn and didn’t want to change his way of making movies. He didn’t want wealthy people or banks as his business partners—that’s also why he was completely ruined at the end of his life. So we also talk about that.

Was it easy to compile the book?

The main difficulty was choosing and selecting the articles. My parents, my brother and I sat down and we said, ‘Okay, let’s all read everything, and if everybody agrees, we’ll include it.’ We didn’t want to have three testimonies that say the same, or things that you can already find in other books. Also, we are not film historians, so we wanted to talk about the man and his emotions, and give you an idea of who he really was. I also wrote a chapter about his rehabilitation at the end of his life. For seven years he sold toys and candy in the main hall of the Gare Montparnasse. He did not like it at all and he was bored because that was not his work, but it was the press that picked him up again. They blamed the film industry and the French government by saying, ‘Why do you treat the father of cinema like that? He is poor and alone, and works at the Gare Montparnasse. That’s a shame!’ So they began a press campaign and wrote numerous articles about him. But Georges was not the only founding father who was forgotten. The same thing happened to Émile Cohl (1857-1938) who died the day after Georges died, also poor and alone, and without any kind of recognition for his work. Georges maybe had the beginning of recognition when he was still alive, but for me, it was not enough. Maybe it was too early; cinema was too young at that time to honor, celebrate or recognize its pioneers.

But if you look back now, especially knowing what we know now, it’s just terrible that he was overlooked like that. The same thing happened in America to D.W. Griffith who was inspired by the work of Georges Méliès.

In the train station, George always had a coffee in the morning; the day started early for him. He was always a very well-dressed and well-mannered gentleman, and people noticed that. They liked that. He was friends with everybody and said ‘Hi!’ to everyone in the train station. One day he said hello to someone who was cleaning the floor. ‘Hi, Mr. Méliès, how are you?’ A journalist saw that and heard that he was Méliès. He stopped, went over to Georges, and asked, ‘Are you Mr. Méliès, the inventor of cinema?’ And Georges said, ‘Yes I am.’ ‘But what are you doing here?’ ‘I work here, I have a toy booth and I’m selling toys.’ And that man started the campaign, but it was random. It was only after he had heard someone saying, ‘Mr. Méliès.’
[In “World Film Directors, Volume One 1890-1945,” published in 1987, Miriam Rosen writes about Méliès’ days at the Gare Montparnasse. ‘In early 1931, Méliès wrote to another forgotten filmmaker, Eugène Lauste, “Luckily enough, I am strong and in good health but it is hard work fourteen hours a day without getting my Sundays and holidays, in an ice-box in winter and a furnace in summer.”’]

If I’m correct, there are only a few more days to back the Kickstarter project.

[Laughs] Yes, only five days to raise $5,000. This will be difficult. You can’t change the end date or the amount of money needed; that’s the game. It’s a pity because we asked [visual effects supervisor and Academy Award winner] Phil Tippett to write the foreword. He was so nice; he sent pictures with him and the business card of Georges that he has in his office.

I like the book cover. It’s not what you’d expect for a book on Georges Méliès.

It’s very modern. People tell us, ‘Why didn’t you use the photograph of the moon with the rocket into the eye?’ But you see that image the whole time. You see it on book covers or in any article on Georges. It’s a very beautiful image, but we want a more modern setup, something new, without a black and white image with the rocket and the moon. We wanted something modern and easy to read, so I hope we can get the book published although it will be very difficult.

Zoom interview
November 17, 2022

“Le voyage dans la lune” (1902)

Since then, the Primetime Emmy Award and Grammy Award winner, who was also nominated for an Academy Award and a Golden Globe, has worked with august filmmakers such as Robert Altman, Gillian Armstrong, Kathryn Bigelow, Brian De Palma, Mike Figgis, Jodie Foster, William Friedkin, Paul Haggis, Werner Herzog, Sidney Lumet, Peter Medak, Robert Redford, Karel Reisz, Kevin Reynolds, Barbet Schroeder and Irwin Winkler. He scored eight films for Alan Rudolph, three for Gavin O’Connor and Gary Fleder, and two for Paul Haggis.

His outstanding musical voice can be heard in numerous memorable scores and films. No matter what film genre, his enormous body of work demonstrates his ability to amaze the listener with his talent whenever he creates evocative and inspiring musical worlds.

Robert Redford, with whom he made “A River Runs Through It” (1992), “Quiz Show” (1994), “Lions for Lambs” (2007) and “The Conspirator” (2010), once said, ‘Mark is a man who really lives his craft. One of the most attractive features about him is that he knows how to keep things simple. I like music that is subtle but still supports the drama and is there for a reason, and Mark did that so beautifully.’

In October 2022, Film Fest Ghent welcomed this versatile American musician, trumpeter, keyboardist and film composer as a guest of honor for its 22nd edition of the World Soundtrack Awards at the Bijloke Concert Hall. After being invited, Mr. Isham responded by saying, ‘I am very grateful to be honored by the WSA this year. This is such a highly respected organization that does so much to support and promote the art of film composition. It will be a great treat to perform and take part in all of the events.’

The following interview with this high-profile and very productive film composer was conducted at Film Fest Ghent, where he talked about his long and rewarding career, his craft and his working methods.

Mr. Isham, it’s been many years since you scored “Never Cry Wolf.” What’s the secret of being so successful all those years?

I don’t think there’s any secret. It’s just hard work, and I love doing it. I put in a lot of time. It’s that simple.

How does the process work for you, from the moment you get involved in a project?

When I accept a job, I watch the film. Sometimes I get hired before there’s a film to look at, and that’s not so easy for me, to write a score with just a script because I love to watch the images. I like to see the colors, the ambiance of that universe. What is that world that this director is creating? What sound expresses that, what sound belongs there, what sound is a part of that world? So it’s really a sense of getting that sound. If it’s an electronic score, I will design and do sounds. Just one note—what does a G sound like in that world? If it’s a more traditional score and I know it needs and will benefit from traditional instruments, then what instrument is it, or do I just start with the piano and do a beautiful melody first? The story will tell me what the best way is to start writing my film score.

Is the film director your most important collaborator, or maybe the editor, or the music editor too?

If differs on every project. Most of the time, it is the director. He has the vision, that’s the vision you need to duplicate and be a part of—he’s the team leader. But every film has a slightly different dynamic of personnel; sometimes there is a very strong producer who has a lot of opinions and is a partner with the director, or is controlling the director as I observed in some cases. Other times—yes, you mentioned the editor—there is a very strong editor who puts music in himself, let’s say. That happens more and more, I’ve seen in the last five years or so. Picture editors love to cut to music and they will first ask for a temporary score. In that case, it’s definitely in my best interest to get to know the picture editor, his opinions and his reasons for making choices, and see how the relation between the director and the picture editor is. And sometimes there is a very strong music editor, but not always. So it changes with every project.

In the end, do you usually have total autonomy over your work?

No [laughs]. I mean, I feel that I can stay in control of the score and I don’t let anything out of my world into their world unless I know that I approve and love it, and think it is correct. I don’t give them anything that I have second thoughts about. So in that sense, yes, I control the score. Am I a part of the team? Yes. Do I respond to others’ opinions, do I find the groove, dynamic opinion and fit myself into that to be an effective team player? Yes. Do I try and offer perhaps unique solutions that are of my creation? Yes. But ultimately, the director and the producers are the leaders of this team and they will have a final say, and there are even people above them—in a lot of cases the studio and the people with the chequebook. So we’re all working from that point of view.

What is the first thing that you give your directors when you’re at work? Demos?

Yes, I demo the entire score and they sound like the real thing. I have invested hundreds of thousands of dollars into a studio, into samples and computers, and I have the ability—as do most film composers—to present a score almost like it will sound by the end of the day. Many filmmakers don’t trust themselves enough to understand music or know what it will sound like if you just give them a piano demo. So all of us invest in a lot of technology to make really good-sounding demos that sound almost as good as the real thing. Sometimes I bring musicians in, so I can do the whole score in my studio if I have to.

Do you know who was the first one to do that?

Hans Zimmer was the first one to do it really well. I saw what he was doing, and I thought, ‘I’d better learn how to do that, or else I’ll be out of work’ [laughs]. And now everybody does that.

How did you begin with your studio?

In the beginning and when I was young, I was in the bedroom, on the bed. It took the mattress off and put the gear on the bed. Now I have a building, but it took me many, many years to get there. But you can do it in a very small space, if necessary. The technology these days is remarkable; you can do it on a laptop.

“A River Runs Through It” (1992, trailer)

Are there scores of yours that you consider your proudest achievements?

Oh my goodness [laughs]. “A River Runs Through It” [1992] is a beautiful score that stood the test of time. “The Black Dahlia” [2006] is a beautiful score too. I also love the score I wrote for a television series, called “American Crime” [2015-2016]. But it’s like picking your favorite child, you can’t do that.

You did “The Black Dahlia” for Brian De Palma, but you have the distinction to have worked with numerous wonderful filmmakers. Could you talk about Sidney Lumet and “Night Falls on Manhattan” [1996], because he hardly used any music in his films. Do you remember the first time you met him?

I remember very distinctly. I don’t know if he had hired me yet; he said, ‘Right now, this film has very little music in it, and several of my films have no music at all. So this could be my next.’ He didn’t know if he needed any music. If you look at his style—he was not overly musical, but when he used music, it was right to the point. And I think we ended up with thirteen minutes of music. He was a very gracious and, obviously, immensely talented film director. A real gentleman and a fantastic storyteller.

So are you, since you also give a voice to your films; you tell the story from your point of view.

I think a lot of composers—so-called classical composers, I think that’s the right definition—like to write programmatic music that tells a story, but a film composer has to do that. That’s his job. And it has to be exact, like right now, when it happens. It’s an interesting skill. I love it because it demands that you learn about the language of music. If you have to express utter joy and then two minutes and seventeen seconds later it has to go to tragedy and utter despair, that’s a skill to be able to get there aesthetically and musically in a way that it feels natural and tells that story. I find that doing that, year after year, just taught me more and more about the language of music, and how to tell the story with that language. Certain demands teach you what you didn’t know the day before, and I love that. That’s maybe the answer to your first question—what’s the secret? Well, that’s part of it, for me: I always keep learning more and more about music, and I think the most sublime language we have is culture.

Since film is all about emotions, and music is all about emotions, you have to combine both of them. How difficult is it to come up each time with something that’s different from all the other work you have done?

That’s exactly what makes the profession of film composers a joy and a challenge. Each film is different and with his story, the director is looking for this unique point in time; I take it as a challenge to find a unique sound to make it match that.

“Night Falls on Manhattan” (1996, trailer)

Did you ever turn down any offers because you couldn’t relate to the subject or maybe you couldn’t find what was necessary musically?

[Long pause] No, I don’t think I have. People have chosen me or asked me to work with them because they see that connection, so I think everything that I have accepted has been the right connection.

When are you satisfied with the score that you wrote?

I usually have those moments when I’m all by myself, at three or five o’clock in the morning, when I’ve been there for a long time. Because I make demos, I can play them back against the picture. Then I stop being a composer and become the audience—by myself—and watch, and I can have those experiences like, ‘That’s good, you did good on that. That’s working’ [laughs]. Then I feel that I have achieved in myself what I want to achieve for others, and I have the confidence to put it out into the world.

What was for you the best training ground you had in your formative years?

I just did it. I am completely self-taught, I’ve never gone to school. I lasted three months in college. I was writing a lot of music for myself and some of that fell into the hands of a film director who said, ‘I really like that music. Would you write a film score?’ Little did I know what it would take to do that. The first one took me four and a half months, and I learned how to do it by doing it. Very fortunately, I had a very patient director who believed in me and he let me take the time; he worked with me. I would start in the morning and he would come by at seven or eight o’clock at night to see the results of the day’s work, and we made our way through the film. So I have been very fortunate in that sense to work with people that believed in me and gave me that opportunity.

Your body of work is incredible. Do you have any time left to do something else other than writing film scores?

[Laughs] I have time. I am very happily married and I have four children. I went to all their football games when they were young. Even though they’re grown, they still live at home. We have this big house with two music studios, two film studios and an art studio. So the children stay at home because it’s a beautiful place to live. We’re all artists and we all have these big family dinners, so that’s all good. What I try to put some time in, is to continue to play the trumpet. That has fallen away, but I’m practicing again and I hope to do more concerts. I enjoy that.

But other than that, I suppose you’re a film composer who works efficiently and very fast?

I’m not slow, I can write quickly. That’s just experience; I can cut to the chase. If I think about a project, if I can really do my homework, talk to the director and if I understand what he wants, and we talk about the temporary music that they have put in the film, if I understand why they like it and I’ve done all that homework, then—composing-wise—I can get where I need to go pretty quickly. The only time I make a mistake is if I don’t do that homework, if I don’t communicate. Then I miss a concept in the filmmaker’s world.

How much or how little time do you need to write a score?

That depends on the number of minutes of the score. At a certain point, you’re building a wall and you have to put a number of bricks in the wall. Some scores are twenty-five minutes long, others are ninety-five minutes long. And ninety-five minutes of music, that’s a project; that takes a very long time to write, and sometimes we have to do that. That can take months. A twenty-five-minute score I can do in three weeks.

Considering your film output, I suppose you also work on different projects at the same time?

Yes. That can be a challenge. Sometimes I divide it up, like working on something three days in a row. Depending on the deadlines, it can be a half day-half day.

Do you have a favorite time of the day to write your score?

I do. But it has changed over the years. Before I had children, it would be the night shift and I would start at about ten or eleven in the morning. The golden hour would be between, let’s say between eight PM and two AM; then it’s very quiet, nothing there. But then you have children and it changes. If I have deadlines now and I need the golden hour, I would get up early in the morning and start at about five AM. Between five and ten in the morning, I get a tremendous amount of work done.

“The Black Dahlia” (2006, trailer)

And when do you start sending your music to the director, editor,…?

I like to do fifteen or twenty minutes of the score—the highlights, you know. I don’t start at the beginning usually; I start with the most important scene. Maybe I might do a less important scene first, just to get warmed up. When I was younger, it was hard for me to confront the most important scene right away and I would first write other stuff until I thought, ‘Oh, I still got the most important scenes and I only got a week left’ [laughs]. So I don’t do that anymore. I try to confront the major parts of the score, the hardest, the ones that express what this story is all about, and get that under my belt. And so, with that first pass, I like to have chosen enough spots that represent to the filmmaker, ‘This is your score, these are your themes, and this is the way it’s gonna travel across the story.’

The way you talk about your craft so beautifully, you make it sound so easy.

[Laughs] Well, you know, after all those years I don’t consider it hard. It just takes time. It does take time. I need the time to do it correctly.

Are you familiar with the work of the old masters, like Max Steiner or Franz Waxman?

I’m certainly aware of them and there are certain scores that I know, but as I told you, I didn’t go to school for this, I never studied film music. So can I give you precise examples? No, I’m afraid I can’t. Obviously, the ones I do know better are Jerry Goldsmith and John Barry, the generation just before me. I had the chance to meet them both and that was a great pleasure. But part of me preserves my own view on it and I don’t listen to a lot of other film music. I do occasionally, just to make sure I’m not missing a trend so that when directors talk to me and say, ‘Oh, I just heard that score and I want that!’—I understand what they’re saying and I need to know what they’re talking about. But I also like to preserve my world, and if you’re coming to me, then I can give you something that’s not just a potpourri of what’s happening now. I can preserve to a certain degree my own point of view because that is why you come to me.

Film Fest Ghent, Belgium
October 21, 2022

FILMS

NEVER CRY WOLF (1983) DIR Carroll Ballard PROD Lewis Allen, Jack Couffer, Joseph Strick SCR Curtis Hanson, Richard Kletter, Sam Hamm (book “Never Cry Wolf: Amazing True Story of Life Among Arctic Wolves” [1963] by Farley Mowat) CAM Hiro Narita ED Peter Parasheles, Michael Chandler MUS Mark Isham CAST Charles Martin Smith, Brian Dennehy, Zachary Ittimangnaq, Samson Jorah, Hugh Webster, Martha Ittimangnaq

MRS. SOFFEL (1984) DIR Gilliam Armstrong PROD Scott Rubin, Edgar J. Scherik SCR Ron Nyswaner CAM Russell Boyd ED Nicholas Beauman MUS Mark Isham CAST Diane Keaton, Mel Gibson, Matthew Modine, Edward Herrmann, Trini Alvarado, Jennifer Dundas, Danny Corkill, Harley Cross, Terry O’Quinn

TROUBLE IN MIND (1985) DIR – SCR Alan Rudolph PROD David Blocker, Carolyn Pfeiffer CAM Toyomichi Kurita ED Tom Walls MUS Mark Isham CAST Kris Kristofferson, Keith Carradine, Lori Singer, Genevieve Bujold, Joe Morton, Divine, George Kirby, John Considine, Dirk Blocker, Albert Hall

THE HITCHER (1986) DIR Robert Harmon PROD David Bombyk, Kip Ohman SCR Eric Red CAM John Seale ED Frank J. Urioste MUS Mark Isham CAST Rutger Hauer, C. Thomas Howell, Jennifer Jason Leigh, Jeffrey DeMunn, John M. Jackson, Billy Green Bush, Jack Thibeau, Armin Shimerman, Henry Darrow

MADE IN HEAVEN (1987) DIR Alan Rudolph PROD Raynold Gideon, Bruce A. Evans, David Blocker SCR Raynold Gideon, Bruce A. Evans CAM Jan Kiesser ED Tom Walls MUS Mark Isham CAST Timothy Hutton, Kelly McGillis, Maureen Stapleton, Ann Wedgeworth, James Gammon, Mare Winningham, Don Murray, Tim Daly, Amanda Plummer, John Considine, Mark Isham, Debra Winger, Ellen Barkin

THE MODERNS (1988) DIR Alan Rudolph PROD David Blocker, Carolyn Pfeiffer SCR Alan Rudolph, Jon Bradshaw CAM Toyomichi Kurita ED Debra T. Smith, Scott Brock MUS Mark Isham CAST Keith Carradine, Linda Fiorentino, Geneviève Bujold, Geraldine Chaplin, Wallace Shawn, Kevin J. O’Connor, John Lone

THE BEAST OF WAR, a.k.a. THE BEAST (1988) DIR Kevin Reynolds PROD John Fiedler SCR William Mastrosimone (also play “Nənawā́te”) CAM Douglas Milsome ED Peter Boyle MUS Mark Isham CAST George Dzundza, Jason Patric, Steven Bauer, Stephen Baldwin, Don Harvey, Kabir Bedi, Erick Avari, Chaim Jeraffi

EVERYBODY WINS (1990) DIR Karel Reisz PROD Jeremy Thomas SCR Arthur Miller (also one-act play “Some Kind of Love Story” [1984]) CAM Ian Baker ED John Bloom MUS Mark Isham CAST Nick Nolte, Debra Winger, Will Patton, Judith Ivey, Kathleen Wilhoite, Jack Warden, Frank Converse, Frank Military

LOVE AT LARGE (1990) DIR – SCR Alan Rudolph PROD David Blocker CAM Elliot Davis ED Lisa Zeno Churgin MUS Mark IshamCAST Tom Berenger, Elizabeth Perkins, Anne Archer, Kate Capshaw, Annette O’Toole, Ted Levine, Ann Magnuson, Kevin J. O’Connor, Ruby Dee, Barry Miller, Neil Young

REVERSAL OF FORTUNE (1990) DIR Barbet Schroeder PROD Oliver Stone, Edward R. Pressman SCR Nicholas Kazan (book by Alan M. Dershowitz) CAM Luciano Tovoli ED Lee Percy MUS Mark IshamCAST Jeremy Irons, Glenn Close, Ron Silver, Annabella Sciorra, Uta Hagen, Fisher Stevens, Jack Gilpin, Christine Baranski

MORTAL THOUGHTS (1992) DIR Alan Rudolph PROD John Fiedler, Mark Tarlov SCR Claude Kerven, William Reilly CAM Elliot Davis ED Tom Walls MUS Mark Isham CAST Demi Moore, Glenne Headly, Bruce Willis, John Pankow, Harvey Keitel, Billie Neal, Frank Vincent, Karen Shallo, Crystal Field, Marianne Leone

CROOKED HEARTS (1991) DIR Michael Bortman PROD Dale Pollock, Rick Stevenson, Gil Friesen SCR Michael Bortman (novel “Crooked Hearts” [1990] by Robert Boswell) CAM Tak Fujimoto ED Richard Francis-Bruce MUS Mark Isham CAST Vincent D’Onofrio, Jennifer Jason Leigh, Pete Berg, Cindy Pickett, Juliette Lewis, Noah Wyule, Peter Coyote, Wendy Gazelle, Marg Helgenberger

POINT BREAK (1991) DIR Kathryn Bigelow PROD Robert L. Levy, Joseph Newton Cohen, Peter Abrams SCR W. Peter Iliff (story by W. Peter Iliff, Rick King) CAM Donald Peterman ED Howard E. Smith MUS Mark Isham CAST Patrick Swayze, Keanu Reeves, Gary Busey, Lori Petty, John C. McGinley, James Le Gros, John Philbin, Bojesse Christopher

LITTLE MAN TATE (1991) DIR Jodie Foster PROD Scott Rubin, Peggy Rajski SCR Scott Frank CAM Mike Southon ED Lynzee Klingman MUS Mark Isham CAST Jodie Foster, Dianne Wiest, Adam Hann-Byrd, Michael Shulman, Nathan Lee, Celia Weston, Danitra Vance, David Hyde Pierce, Josh Mostel, Harry Connick Jr., Bob Balaban

BILLY BATHGATE (1991) DIR Robert Benton PROD Arlene Donovan, Robert F. Colesberry SCR Tom Stoppard (novel “Billy Bathgate” [1989] by E.L. Doctorow) CAM Nestór Almendros ED Robert M. Reitano, Alan Heim, David Ray MUS Mark Isham CAST Dustin Hoffman, Nicole Kidman, Loren Dean, Bruce Willis, Steven Hill, Steve Buscemi, Billy Jaye, John Costelloe, Stanley Tucci

A MIDNIGHT CLEAR (1992) DIR Keith Gordon PROD Bill Borden, Dale Pollock SCR Keith Gordon (novel “A Midnight Clear” [1982] by William Wharton) CAM Tom Richmond ED Don Brochu MUS Mark Isham CAST Peter Berg, Kevin Dillon, Arye Cross, Ethan Hawke, Gary Sinise, Frank Whaley, John C. McGinley, Larry Joshua

COOL WORLD (1992, live action/animated) DIR Ralph Bakshi PROD Frank Mancuso Jr. SCR Mark Victor, Michael Grais CAM John A. Alonzo ED Annamaria Szanto, Steve Mirkovich MUS Mark IshamCAST Kim Basinger, Gabriel Byrne, Brad Pitt, Janni Brenn, Michele Abrams, Carrie Hamilton, Kevin L. Jackson, Frank Sinatra Jr.

A RIVER RUNS THROUGH IT(1992) DIR Robert Redford PROD Robert Redford, Amalia Mato, Patrick Markey SCR Richard Friedenberg (story by Norman Maclean) CAM Philippe Rousselot ED Lynzee Klingman, Robert Estrin MUS Mark Isham CAST Craig Sheffer, Brad Pitt, Tom Skerritt, Brenda Blethyn, Emily Lloyd, Edie McClurgh, Stephen Shellen, Joseph Gordon-Levitt

THE PUBLIC EYE (1992) DIR – SCR Howard Franklin PROD Sue Baden-Powell CAM Peter Suschitzky ED Evan A. Lottman MUS Mark IshamCAST Joe Pesci, Barbara Hershey, Stanley Tucci, Patricia Healy, Richard Riehle, David Gianopoulos, Kevin Dorsey, Gerry Becker, Richard Foronjy, Louie Lanciloti

OF MICE AND MEN (1992) DIR Gary Sinise PROD Gary Sinise, Russell Smith SCR Horton Foote (novel “Of Mice and Men” [1937] by John Steinbeck) CAM Kenneth MacMillan ED Robert L. Sinise MUS Mark Isham CAST John Malkovich, Gary Sinise, Ray Walston, Casey Siemaszko, Sherilyn Fenn, John Terry, Richard Riehle, Alexis Arquette, Joe Morton

NOWHERE TO RUN (1993) DIR Robert Harmon PROD Craig Baumgarten, Gary Adelson SCR Joe Eszterhas, Randy Feldman, Leslie Bohem (story by Joe Eszterhas, Richard Marquand) CAM David Gribble ED Mark Helfrich, Zach Staenberg MUS Mark IshamCAST Jean-Claude Van Damme, Rosanna Arquette, Kieran Culkin, Ted Levine, Tiffany Taubman, Edward Blatchford, Anthony Starke, Joss Ackland

FIRE IN THE SKY (1993) DIR Robert Lieberman PROD Joe Wizan, Todd Black SCR Tracy Tormé (book “The Walton Experience” by Travis Walton) CAM Bill Pope ED Steve Mirkovich MUS Mark Isham CAST D.B. Sweeney, Robert Patrick, Craig Sheffer, Peter Berg, Henry Thomas, Bradley Gregg, Noble Willingham, Kathleen Wilhoite, James Garner, Travis Walton

MADE IN AMERICA (1993) DIR Richard Benjamin PROD Michael Douglas, Rick Bieber, Arnon Milchan SCR Holly Goldberg Sloan (story by Holly Goldberg Sloan, Nadine Schiff, Marcia Brandwynne) CAM Ralph D. Bode ED Jacqueline Cambas MUS Mark Isham CAST Whoopi Goldberg, Ted Danson, Will Smith, Nia Long, Paul Rodriguez, Jennifer Tilly, Peggy Rae

SHORT CUTS (1993) DIR Robert Altman PROD Cary Brokaw SCR Robert Altman, Frank Barhydt CAM Walt Lloyd ED Suzy Elmiger, Geraldine Peroni MUS Mark Isham CAST Andie MacDowell, Bruce Davison, Jack Lemmon, Julianne Moore, Matthew Modine, Anne Archer, Fred Ward, Jennifer Jason Leigh, Chris Penn, Joseph C. Hopkins, Robert Downey Jr., Madeliene Stowe, Tim Robbins, Lily Tomlin, Tom Waits, Frances McDermond, Peter Gallagher, Lori Singer, Buck Henry, Huey Lewis

ROMEO IS BLEEDING (1993) DIR Peter Medak PROD Paul Webster, Hilary Henkin SCR Hilary Henkin CAM Dariusz Wolski ED Walter Murch MUS Mark Isham CAST Gary Oldman, Lena Olin, Juliette Lewis, Will Patton, Annabella Sciorra, Roy Scheider, Ron Perlman, Dennis Farina, Neal Jones

LOSING ISAIAH (1993) DIR Steven Gyllenhaal PROD Naomi Foner SCR Naomi Foner (novel by Seth Margolis) CAM Andrzej Bartkowiak ED Harvey Rosenstock MUS Mark Isham CAST Jessica Lange, Halle Berry, David Strathairn, Cuba Gooding Jr., Daisy Eagan, Marc John Jefferies, Samuel L. Jackson, Joie LeeRegina Taylor

THE GETAWAY (1994) DIR Roger Donaldson PROD Lawrence Turman, David Foster, John Alan Simon SCR Walter Hill, Amy Holden Jones (novel “The Getaway” [1958] by Jim Thompson) CAM Peter Menzies Jr. ED Conrad Buff IV MUS Mark Isham CAST Alec Baldwin, Kim Basinger, Michael Madsen, James Woods, David Morse, Jennifer Tilly, James Stephens, Richard Farnsworth, Philip Seymour Hoffman

MRS. PARKER AND THE VICIOUS CIRCLE (1994) DIR Alan Rudolph PROD Robert Altman SCR Alan Rudolph, Randy Sue Coburn CAM Jan Kiesser ED Suzy Elmiger MUS Mark Isham CAST Jennifer Jason Leigh, Matthew Broderick, Campbell Scott, Peter Gallagher, Jennifer Beals, Andrew McCarthy, Wallace Shawn, Martha Plimpton, Sam Robards, Nick Cassavetes, Stephen Baldwin, Stanley Tucci, Keith Carradine, Jon Favreau

THE BROWNING VERSION (1994) DIR Mike Figgis PROD Ridley Scott, Mimi Polk Gitlin SCR Ronald Harwood (play “The Browning Version” [1948] by Terence Rattigan) CAM Jean-François Robin ED Hervé Schneid MUS Mark Isham CAST Albert Finney, Greta Scacchi, Matthew Modine, Julian Sands, Michael Gambon, Ben Silverstone, Jim Sturgess, Joseph Beattie

TIMECOP (1994) DIR – CAM Peter Hyams PROD Sam Raimi, Moshe Diamant SCR Mark Verheiden (story by Mark Verheiden, Mike Richardson; comic series by Mark Verheiden, Mike Richardson) ED Steven Kemper MUS Mark Isham CAST Jean-Claude Van Damme, Mia Sara, Ron Silver, Bruce McGill, Gloria Reuben, Scott Bellis, Jason Schombing, Scott Lawrence

QUIZ SHOW (1994) DIR Robert Redford PROD Robert Redford, Michael Nozik, Julian Krainin, Michael Jacobs SCR Paul Attanasio (based on the memoirs of Richard N. Goodwin) CAM Michael Ballhaus ED Stu Linder MUS Mark Isham CAST John Turturro, Rob Morrow, Ralph Fiennes, Paul Scofield, David Paymer, Hank Azaria, Christopher McDonald, Johann Carlo, Mira Sorvino, Martin Scorsese

NELL (1994) DIR Michael Apted PROD Jodie Foster, Renée Missel SCR Mark Handley, William Nicholson (play “Idioglossia” by Mark Handley) CAM Dante Spinotti ED Jim Clark MUS Mark Isham CAST Jodie Foster, Liam Neeson, Natasha Richardson, Richard Libertini, Nick Searcy, Robin Mullins, Jeremy Davies, O’Neal Compton

SAFE PASSAGE (1994) DIR Robert Allan Ackerman PROD Gale Anne Hurd SCR Deena Goldstone (novel “Safe Passage” [1988] by Ellyn Bache) CAM Ralf D. Bode ED Rick Shaine MUS Mark Isham CAST Susan Sarandon, Sam Shepard, Marcia Gay Harden, Nick Stahl, Robert Sean Leonard, Sean Astin, Patricia Reeves, Rutanya Alda