31/08/2010

The death on Monday of French filmmaker Alain Corneau, aged 67, has unleashed a flood of reactions in the world of film (from Bertrand Tavernier to Gérard Depardieu, Claude Lelouch, Daniel Auteuil, Gilles Jacob and Véronique Cayla) and politics (including the French president and Culture Minister).

For its part, the ARP (Civil Society of Writers-Directors-Producers) has paid a glowing tribute to one of its most active members (president of the Film Meetings in 2003 – see interview), a "highly generous man and artist, of great humanity" who, "beyond his talent as a filmmaker, has shown loyalty towards other people and collective battles".

Having made the first (France Inc.) of his 16 features in 1974, Corneau soon made a name for himself in the thriller and film noir genres. Titles include Police Python 357 (1976), starring Yves Montand and Simone Signoret; Série Noire (1979), which screened in competition at the Cannes Film Festival, received five Cesar nominations and starred an outstanding Patrick Dewaere; and Choice of Arms (1981), featuring Depardieu, Montand and Catherine Deneuve.

The director then turned to literary adaptations with Fort Saganne in 1984 (five Cesar nominations), starring Depardieu, Deneuve, Sophie Marceau and Philippe Noiret; Indian Nocturne (1989), based on Antonio Tabucchi’s novel (five Cesar nominations); All the World’s Mornings (1991), which garnered a string of honours (nomination for the Golden Globe for Best Foreign Language Film, seven Cesar Awards, including Best Film and Best Director, selection in competition at Berlin and Louis Delluc Prize); and Fear and Trembling [+see also:
trailer
film profile], which is based on Amélie Nothomb’s novel and earned Best Actress Cesar 2004 for Sylvie Testud.

His last film, Love Crime [+see also:
trailer
film profile], starring Kristin Scott Thomas and Ludivine Sagnier (see news), was launched in French theatres by UGC on August 18. It will screen at the Toronto Film Festival (September 9-19, 2010) in the Special Presentations section.

(Translated from French)