Famous French Directors
What does a perfect evening seem like – a bottle of finest wine, a cuddling couch, a DVD of a super successful film and some popcorn to pop up the mood, isn’t it? Cinema was, has and shall be the greatest source of entertainment for humans. While every country today has its own film industry, there are few that have gained worldwide attention and French cinema is one of them. Renowned world over for its meticulous art of film making, French film industry has given the world a plethora of films that have been legendary in content and cinematography. And we have but French directors to thank for it. Interestingly, French directors have rolled out films in various genres, right from fabled tales to love stories, historic period films to sci-fi variants to suit the needs of all. Though each of them have a different approach towards film-making, what intrinsically remains the same for all French filmmakers include exceptional artistic perspective, unerring commitment, deep passion, extensive understanding and a resolute determination. They forward a cinematic experience that transports viewers to a world dominated by creativity and vision. Some of the outstandingly talented and exceptionally gifted French directors who have put on big screen brilliant French movies through their meticulous hard work and effort include Xavier Beauvois, Jacques Audiard, Rene Clement, Jean Pierre Jeunet, Jean Renoir, Alain Resnais, Robert Bresson, Francois Truffaut and so on. Browse through this segment and know about famous French directors.
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1
Luc Besson
(Film Director, Screenwriter, and Producer Known for Making Highly Visual Thriller and Action Films)
Birthdate: March 18, 1959
Sun Sign: Pisces
Birthplace: Paris, France
Luc Besson is a French film director, producer, and screenwriter. He started working in the film industry as an assistant to famous directors and learned the nuances of direction. He then moved on to direct films and launched his own production company. He is considered a key figure in the Cinéma du look movement.
2
Jean-Luc Godard(Film Director and a Pioneer of the 1960s 'French New Wave' Film Movement)
Birthdate: December 3, 1930
Sun Sign: Sagittarius
Birthplace: Paris, France
Died: September 13, 2022
The Paris-born French-Swiss director and screenwriter had the reputation of adding new dimensions to filmmaking with his experimentation, a trend which came to be known as the French New Wave. The director of acclaimed films like Breathless, My Life to Live and Pierrot le Fou, Jean-Luc Godard was married to actress Anna Karina. He is regarded as an all-time great director.
3
Jacques Cousteau(Co-Inventor of the First Open-Circuit, Self-Contained Underwater Breathing Apparatus 'Aqua-Lung')
Birthdate: June 11, 1910
Sun Sign: Gemini
Birthplace: Saint-André-de-Cubzac, France
Died: June 25, 1997
Jacques Cousteau was a French explorer, naval officer, filmmaker, conservationist, scientist, photographer, researcher, and author. Renowned for his exploration of various forms of life in water, Jacques Cousteau is credited with pioneering marine conservation and co-developing the Aqua-Lung, the first underwater breathing apparatus to achieve popularity and commercial success.
4
François Truffaut
(One of the Founders of the 'French New Wave' Art Movement & An Icon of the French Film Industry)
Birthdate: February 6, 1932
Sun Sign: Aquarius
Birthplace: Paris, France
Died: October 21, 1984
François Truffaut was a French film director, producer, screenwriter, and actor. He is credited to be one of the founders of the French New Wave. Beginning his career in the mid-1950s, he was active in the entertainment industry for close to three decades. His film The 400 Blows is considered a defining film of the French New Wave movement.
5
Frank Darabont
(Director and Screenwriter Known for His Films 'The Green Mile’ and 'The Shawshank Redemption')
Birthdate: January 28, 1959
Sun Sign: Aquarius
Birthplace: Montbéliard, France
A lifelong fan of horror books and movies, especially of Stephen King, three-time Oscar nominated film director and screenwriter Frank Darabont decided to take up film making as his profession after seeing THX 1138. Beginning his career with screenwriting, he debuted as director with Buried Alive, eventually making such magnificent films like Shawshank Redemption, The Green Mile and The Mist.
6
Alain Delon
(One of Europe’s Most Prominent Actors and Screen Sex Symbols from the 1960s to 1980s)
Birthdate: November 8, 1935
Sun Sign: Scorpio
Birthplace: Sceaux, France
Alain Delon is a French actor, screenwriter, singer, filmmaker, and businessman. One of the most prominent actors and sex symbols in Europe during the 1960s and 1970s, Delon achieved critical acclaim for his performance in films like Rocco and His Brothers. In 1985, he was honored with the prestigious César Award for his portrayal of Robert Avranches in Our Story.
Birthdate: February 17, 1929
Sun Sign: Aquarius
Birthplace: Tocopilla, Chile
Chilean-French filmmaker and artist, Alejandro Jodorowsky, is best known for his avant-garde films. A multifaceted personality, he is also a novelist, poet, musician, composer, and spiritual guru. His films are filled with surreal images and mysticism. A much-revered figure in international cinema, he is the recipient of the Jack Smith Lifetime Achievement Award from the Chicago Underground Film Festival (CUFF).
Birthdate: June 3, 1985
Sun Sign: Gemini
Birthplace: Brest , France
After his mother’s death, Kayden Boche was placed in a foster home, where he suffered abuse. The French model was scouted soon after high school and became a sensation after his Dior Addict campaigns for Christian Dior fragrances. He has also directed Jérémy Amelin's single Oh, Oh!
9
Georges Méliès
(One of the First Filmmakers to Use Storyboards & Fictional Narratives in Movies)
Birthdate: December 8, 1861
Sun Sign: Sagittarius
Birthplace: Paris, France
Died: January 21, 1938
Initially a professional illusionist and later a film director, Georges Méliès became interested in motion pictures after watching the first real film made by Lumière brothers. Realizing the potential of film-making as an art, he soon started experimenting, making technical and narrative developments. Among the 400 films he made were Christ Walking on Water, A Trip to the Moon etc
10
Jean Renoir(French Film Director & Screenwriter Known for His Films 'La Grande Illusion' and 'The Rules of the Game')
Birthdate: September 15, 1894
Sun Sign: Virgo
Birthplace: Montmartre, Paris, France
Died: February 12, 1979
Jean Renoir was a French film director, screenwriter, and producer. The son of the prominent painter Pierre-Auguste Renoir, Jean was one of the first filmmakers to be known as an auteur. He started working during the silent film era and made more than 40 silent films. In 1975, he received a Lifetime Achievement Academy Award.
11
Guillaume Canet
(French Actor & Director Known for His Films 'Joyeux Noël', 'The Beach' and 'Tell No One')
Birthdate: April 10, 1973
Sun Sign: Aries
Birthplace: Boulogne-Billancourt, France
Born into a family of horse breeders, actor, director and screenwriter Guillaume Canet aspired to become a show jumper. However, a fall at the age of eighteen steered his destiny towards acting and very soon he was staring in films like Joyeux Noël and The Beach. Eventually he also started directing; winning several awards for his 2006 production, Tell No One.
12
Louis Malle
(Screenwriter, Film producer, Film director, Camera operator, Cinematographer, Actor)
Birthdate: October 30, 1932
Sun Sign: Scorpio
Birthplace: Thumeries
Died: November 23, 1995
Louis Malle was a French film director, screenwriter, and producer best known for his film Le Monde du silence, which won the Academy Award for Best Documentary in 1957. He was also the recipient of two Golden Lion awards, one of the only four directors to have achieved this feat. He was active in both French cinema and Hollywood.
13
Eric Cantona(One of the Greatest Footballers of His Generation)
Birthdate: May 24, 1966
Sun Sign: Gemini
Birthplace: Marseille, France
Eric Cantona is a French actor, filmmaker, and former football player. During his playing career, Cantona was a key player for the popular football club Manchester United and is often credited with reviving the club's reputation as a footballing force. Nicknamed King Eric by Manchester United fans, Eric Cantona continues to enjoy an iconic status within the club.
Birthdate: June 26, 1973
Sun Sign: Cancer
Birthplace: Champigny-sur-Marne, France
Samuel Benchetrit is a French writer, scenarist, actor, and director. Over the years, Benchetrit's achievements as a writer and actor have been overshadowed by his personal life and relationships with popular actresses like Marie Trintignant, Anna Mouglalis, and Vanessa Paradis.
15
Michel Gondry
(French Filmmaker Best Known for His Distinctive Manipulation of Mise-En-Scène and Inventive Visual Style)
Birthdate: May 8, 1963
Sun Sign: Taurus
Birthplace: Versailles, France
Michel Gondry is a French filmmaker best known for his distinctive manipulation of mise-en-scène and inventive visual style. He came into prominence in 2005, when he won the Oscar for Best Original Screenplay for his work in the 2004 movie Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind. Michel Gondry is also renowned for his music video collaborations with popular artistes.
16
Agnes Varda
(Filmmaker and Pioneer of French New Wave Film Movement of the 1950s and 1960s)
Birthdate: May 30, 1928
Sun Sign: Gemini
Birthplace: Ixelles, Brussels, Belgium
Died: March 29, 2019
Agnes Varda was a Belgian-born French film director, screenwriter, and artist. She was a key figure in the development of the French New Wave film movement of the 1950s and 1960s. She often made films addressing women’s issues and other social justice problems. She was honored with an Academy Honorary Award. She was married to director Jacques Demy.
17
Louis Garrel
(French Actor and Filmmaker Best Known for His Starring Role in the Movie 'The Dreamers')
Birthdate: June 14, 1983
Sun Sign: Gemini
Birthplace: Paris, France
Best known for his starring role in The Dreamers, French actor and filmmaker Louis Garrel in general portrays similar characters, appearing as somebody involved in love triangles or historical figures like Jacques de Bascher, Jean-Luc Godard and Alfred Dreyfus. Since 2006, he has also been making films, screenwriting and directing movies like Two Friends, A Faithful Man, The Crusade etc.
18
Anna Karina
(Danish-French Actress Best Known for Her Work With 'French New-Wave' Filmmaker Jean-Luc Godard)
Birthdate: September 22, 1940
Sun Sign: Virgo
Birthplace: Solbjerg, Denmark
Died: December 14, 2019
Anna Karina was a Danish-French film actress, singer, and director. She often collaborated with French New Wave director Jean-Luc Godard and appeared in many of his films, including My Life to Live and Bande à part. She set up her own production company in 1972 and made her directorial debut with Vivre ensemble. She was also a published author.
19
Roger Vadim(Director and Screenwriter Best Known for His Films: 'And God Created Woman', 'Blood and Roses' and 'Barbarella')
Birthdate: January 26, 1928
Sun Sign: Aquarius
Birthplace: Paris, France
Died: February 11, 2000
Roger Vadim was a French film director, producer, screenwriter, and artist. He is remembered for his visually aesthetic movies with erotic qualities. He was also popular for his relationships with beautiful actresses like Catherine Deneuve, Cindy Pickett, and Margaret Markov. Also an author, Vadim wrote several books, including his autobiography, From One Star to the Next.
20
Michel Houellebecq
(Author Best Known for His Works 'Atomised' and 'The Map and the Territory')
Birthdate: February 26, 1956
Sun Sign: Pisces
Birthplace: Saint-Pierre, Réunion, France
Michel Houellebecq is a French author known for his novels, essays, and poems. He also occasionally makes films. As controversial as he is popular, he has been accused of obscenity, misogyny, racism, and Islamophobia. His works generally receive positive responses and some critics consider him one of the greatest living authors today. He is a recipient of the Prix Goncourt.
21
Maiwenn
(Known for Her Screenwriting and Directorial Work on Polisse (2011), Pardonnez-Moi (2006))
Birthdate: April 17, 1976
Sun Sign: Aries
Birthplace: Les Lilas, France
Pressured by her mother, actress-cum-filmmaker Maiwenn began her acting career at a very tender age, making her mark with the role of Elle, as a child, in One Deadly Summer. Continuing to perform, she took a hiatus after her marriage, eventually returning to acting, starring in movies like High Tension before venturing into film-direction; she quickly achieved international recognition with Polisse
Birthdate: October 8, 1984
Sun Sign: Libra
Birthplace: Paris, France
Joséphine de La Baume is a French actress, model, film director, and singer. She is credited with founding a rock and garage group called Film Noir in 2018. The group's debut EP Vertiges, which released in 2019, was met with critical success. She is also an important member of an indie band named Singtank.
23
Mathieu Amalric
(Actor best known internationally for his roles in the James Bond film Quantum of Solace, in which he played the lead villain)
Birthdate: October 25, 1965
Sun Sign: Scorpio
Birthplace: Neuilly-sur-Seine, France
24
Antonin Artaud(French Writer, Theatre Director and One of the Major Figures of the European Avant-Garde)
Birthdate: September 4, 1896
Sun Sign: Virgo
Birthplace: Marseille, France
Died: March 4, 1948
Antonin Artaud was a French writer, poet, dramatist, and theater director. Known for his raw, surreal, and transgressive themes, he was a major figure in 20th-century theater. He outlined his theories in the Theatre of Cruelty movement, expressed in the form of essays and plays. He died of cancer at the age of 51.
25
Jacques Tati
(Actor, Director who wrote and starred in Mr. Hulot's Holiday)
Birthdate: October 9, 1907
Sun Sign: Libra
Birthplace: Le Pecq, France
Died: November 5, 1982
26
Ariane Labed
(Greek-Born French Actor and Director)
Birthdate: May 8, 1984
Sun Sign: Taurus
Birthplace: Athens, Greece
Greek-born French actor and director Ariane Labed is best known for her Volpi Cup-winning debut role in Attenberg. She initially co-created the Vasistas theater troupe and was associated with the National Theater of Greece. She later won the Locarno, César, and Lumières awards for her performance in Fidelio: Alice's Odyssey.
Birthdate: September 25, 1901
Sun Sign: Libra
Birthplace: Bromont-Lamothe, France
Died: December 18, 1999
28
Mathieu Kassovitz
(French Actor, Film Producer, Director, and Screenwriter)
Birthdate: August 3, 1967
Sun Sign: Leo
Birthplace: Paris, France
Mathieu Kassovitz is a French actor, film producer, director, and screenwriter. He has won the prestigious César Award on three occasions so far. He has also received nominations for Lumières Awards and Palme d'Or. Mathieu Kassovitz is credited with founding the film production company, MNP Entreprise.
29
Olivier Assayas
(Film director, Screenwriter, Film critic)
Birthdate: January 25, 1955
Sun Sign: Aquarius
Birthplace: Paris, France
Birthdate: October 25, 1985
Sun Sign: Scorpio
Birthplace: France
31
Jean-Pierre Jeunet
(French Film Producer, Director, and Screenwriter)
Birthdate: September 3, 1953
Sun Sign: Virgo
Birthplace: Le Coteau, France
Jean-Pierre Jeunet is a French film producer, director, and screenwriter. He is best known for combining elements like fantasy, science fiction, and realism into his films to create idealized realities. He achieved international fame in 2001, when his film Amélie received widespread acclaim. Jean-Pierre Jeunet is counted among the most important and influential directors in modern French cinema.
32
Pierre Coffin
(Voice actor)
Birthdate: March 15, 1967
Sun Sign: Pisces
Birthplace: France
33
Claire Denis
(French Filmmaker Best Known for Her Film 'Beau Travail')
Birthdate: April 21, 1946
Sun Sign: Taurus
Birthplace: Paris, France
Claire Denis is a French filmmaker and writer. She is best known for her 1999 film Beau Travail, which is often counted among the greatest movies of the 1990s. She is also known for directing the 2022 romantic drama film Both Sides of the Blade, which earned her the prestigious Silver Bear Award for Best Director.
34
Jamel Debbouze
(French-Moroccan Comedian, Actor, Film Producer, Director, and Screenwriter)
Birthdate: June 18, 1975
Sun Sign: Gemini
Birthplace: Paris, France
Jamel Debbouze is a French-Moroccan comedian, actor, film producer, director, and screenwriter. Renowned for his stand-up comedy sketches, Debbouze is also known for his collaboration with notable French humourists like Fred Testot, Florence Foresti, and Gad Elmaleh. Jamel Debbouze is credited with creating the popular television show Jamel Comedy Club.
Birthdate: January 24, 1950
Sun Sign: Aquarius
Birthplace: Algiers, Algeria
36
Pierre Woodman
(French Pornographic Film Director)
Birthdate: April 29, 1963
Sun Sign: Taurus
Birthplace: Auvergne, France
After working odd jobs as a bartender and a policeman, Pierre Woodman began his career as a fashion photographer. He then stepped into porn film direction and launched the longest-running porn series in the world, Casting X. Woodman is his pseudonym, which he earned for his love for climbing trees.
37
Yoann Lemoine
(Music Video Director)
Birthdate: March 16, 1983
Sun Sign: Pisces
Birthplace: Tassin-la-Demi-Lune, France
38
Alexandre Aja
(Film director best known for his work in the horror genre)
Birthdate: August 7, 1978
Sun Sign: Leo
Birthplace: Paris, France
39
Marjane Satrapi(Graphic Novelist Known for Her Works 'Persepolis' and 'Chicken with Plums')
Birthdate: November 22, 1969
Sun Sign: Sagittarius
Birthplace: Rasht, Iran
Marjane Satrapi is a graphic novelist, illustrator, cartoonist, children's book author, and film director. Satrapi achieved international recognition in the early-2000s after releasing her critically acclaimed graphic novels. She is best known for writing and directing an animated biographical drama film titled Persepolis, which received nominations at prestigious award ceremonies, such as the Academy Awards, BAFTA Awards, and Golden Globes.
Birthdate: February 12, 1933
Sun Sign: Aquarius
Birthplace: Iraia, Greece
Costa Gavras is a Greek-French screenwriter and filmmaker best known for making movies with social and political themes. His 1969 political thriller film Z, which earned him an Oscar for Best Foreign Language Film, was the first movie to receive nominations for both the Best Foreign Language Film and Best Picture at the Academy Awards.
41
Éric Rohmer
(Film director)
Birthdate: March 21, 1920
Sun Sign: Aries
Birthplace: Tulle, France
Died: January 11, 2010
42
François Ozon
(Film director, Screenwriter)
Birthdate: November 15, 1967
Sun Sign: Scorpio
Birthplace: Paris, France
43
Alain Resnais
(Film director)
Birthdate: June 3, 1922
Sun Sign: Gemini
Birthplace: Vannes, France
Died: March 1, 2014
44
Julia Ducournau
(Director)
Birthdate: November 18, 1983
Sun Sign: Scorpio
Birthplace: Paris, France
45
Quentin Dupieux
(DJ and film director known for his work with Ed Banger Records)
Birthdate: April 14, 1974
Sun Sign: Aries
Birthplace: Paris, France
46
Maurice Krafft
(French Volcanologist and Filmmaker)
Birthdate: March 25, 1946
Sun Sign: Aries
Birthplace: Alsace, French
Died: June 3, 1991
47
Jacques Demy
(Film director, Screenwriter, Dialogue writer, Lyricist, Film producer, Actor)
Birthdate: June 5, 1931
Sun Sign: Gemini
Birthplace: Pontchâteau
Died: October 27, 1990
48
Jean-Pierre Melville
(Actor, Film director, Screenwriter, Film producer)
Birthdate: October 20, 1917
Sun Sign: Libra
Birthplace: Paris
Died: August 2, 1973
49
Claude Chabrol
(Film director, Film actor, Press agent, Screenwriter, Film producer, Film critic, Actor)
Birthdate: June 24, 1930
Sun Sign: Cancer
Birthplace: Sardent
Died: September 12, 2010
50
Yvan Attal
(French Actor, Scriptwriter and Director)
Birthdate: January 4, 1965
Sun Sign: Capricorn
Birthplace: Tel Aviv-Yafo, Israel
Yvan Attal is an Israeli-French actor, director, and screenwriter best known for his work in the film My Wife Is an Actress, for which he received a Cesar Award nomination. He acted in one segment of the film New York, I Love You, and directed another. He also dubs and has dubbed for Tom Cruise’s character in many films.