Encyclopedia Of French Film Directors

Cinema has been long associated with France, dating back to 1895, when Louis and Auguste Lumi_re screened their works, the first public viewing of films anywhere. Early silent pioneers Georges MZli_s, Alice Guy BlachZ and others followed in the footsteps of the Lumi_re brothers and the tradition of important filmmaking continued throughout the 20th century and beyond. In Encyclopedia of French Film Directors, Philippe Rège identifies every French director who has made at least one feature film since 1895. From undisputed masters to obscure one-timers, nearly 3,000 directors are cited here, including at least 200 filmmakers not mentioned in similar books published in France. Each director's entry contains a brief biographical summary, including dates and places of birth and death; information on the individual's education and professional training; and other pertinent details, such as real names (when the filmmaker uses a pseudonym). The entries also provide complete filmographies, including credits for feature films, shorts, documentaries, and television work. Some of the most important names in the history of film can be found in this encyclopedia, from masters of the Golden Age_Jean Renoir and RenZ Clair_to French New Wave artists such as Fran_ois Truffaut and Jean-Luc Godard.

This book covers the spectrum of significant filmmakers from Altman to Armstrong, Kazan to Kurosawa, Truffaut to Tarantino. With entries written by distinguished critics such as Dudley Andrew, Jeanine Basinger, David Bordwell, Raymond Durgnat, Roger Manvell, Gerald Mast, and Robin Wood, it will be a standard reference tool for many years to come. In line with Sarris's auteur theory of directing, the contributors consider the ways in which directors put their personal stamp on their work.

This guide offers listings of some 300 Francophone women from around the world & their work. Wherever possible, entries include dates, brief biographies, descriptions & brief critical analyses.

This critical analysis of the work of Louis Malle, director of 'Au Revoir les Enfants' and 'My Dinner with André', focuses on the most challenging aspects of his oeuvre, such as his portayals of Nazi-occupied France.

Despite his controversial reputation and international notoriety as a filmmaker, no full-length study of Clouzot has ever been published in English. This book offers a significant revaluation of Clouzot's achievement, situating his career in the wider context of French cinema and society, and providing detailed and clear analysis of his major films (Le Corbeau, Quai des Orfèvres, Le Salaire de la peur, Les Diaboliques, Le Mystère Picasso).

The power of Pialat's realism has often overshadowed his formal originality and this study gives equal attention to formal issues, including the crucial role of montage in the elaboration of his filmic narratives." "The author provides a brief biographical sketch of the filmmaker, situating Pialat's work in relation to the New Wave and the popular Saturday night cinema of his childhood, as well as giving an overview of the major themes and formal preoccupations of his work. Subsequent chapters provide readings of each of his full-length films. The resulting volume is essential to any collection on French film and makes a valuable contribution to the broader field of French studies."--Jacket.

«This erudite and informative book on French film directors is a comprehensive deep dive into the multi-faceted and interconnected landscape of Francophone cinema. From Akerman to Zidi, via Godard and Gondry, the volume marshals an impressive range of scholars who demonstrate how the French "art of directing" - whether from established legends or emerging voices - is a blend of the perceptive, the provocative and the populist.» (Ben McCann, Associate Professor of French Studies, University of Adelaide) It is not by chance that films by Renoir, Bresson, Varda, Godard, or Truffaut - to name just a few - have become widely studied around the world, with their directors becoming household names. Yet there are so many others who have made their mark on French and international cinema. The aim of this dictionary is to shed light on the directing process and to help people discover forgotten directors and rediscover prominent ones who have made Francophone cinema what it is today. This book is intended as a reference resource for students, scholars, and academics as well as film lovers, who will find both biographical and filmographic references, allowing them to gain an understanding in a nutshell of a particular director's career and its influences as well as its impact upon and legacy for the world of French cinema - and beyond. When one considers all the directors who have impacted French cinema - from the silent era to our current digital and streaming age - this work is as exhaustive and inclusive as possible.