Famous Swiss Directors

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.

Sean Hepburn Ferrer is an American author and film producer who has worked on films, such as Inchon and Blood In Blood Out. Also known for his charity work, Sean established the Audrey Hepburn Children's Fund a year after Audrey Hepburn's death. In 2020, he published a children's book, with the proceeds benefitting the European Organisation for Rare Diseases.

Maximilian Schell was an Austrian-born Swiss actor who won the Academy Award for Best Actor for his portrayal of Hans Rolfe in the 1961 courtroom drama film, Judgment at Nuremberg. Remembered for his versatility, Schell received the Golden Globe Award for playing Vladimir Lenin in the 1992 TV film, Stalin. A multi-talented personality, Schell was also an accomplished conductor and pianist.

Baran bo Odar is a German screenwriter and film and television director. He is best known for directing the 2014 German techno-thriller film Who Am I, which received a German Film Award nomination for Best Screenplay and Best Fiction Feature Film in 2015. Baran bo Odar has also directed popular TV series like Dark and 1899. 

Vincent Perez is a Swiss actor, photographer, and director. He is best known for playing important roles in films like The Crow: City of Angels and Queen of the Damned. Vincent Perez has also played prominent roles in many French films, receiving César Award nominations on a couple of occasions.

Born to circus-owner parents, James Thiérrée began performing on stage at age 4. He later stepped into theater and films and gained international fame with his César Award-winning portrayal of George Foottit in the film Chocolat. He is also the grandson of legendary comedian and filmmaker Charlie Chaplin.

Anne-Marie Miéville is a Swiss filmmaker, screenwriter, and editor. After starting her career as a photographer, Miéville went on to establish herself as a film and TV director. In one of its editions, Sight & Sound magazine called Anne-Marie Miéville a hugely important multimedia artist.

Yaël Boon is a French–Swiss actress, screenwriter, film producer, and director. She is best known for appearing in several popular French language films, such as Supercondriaque and Welcome to the Sticks. In 2010, Yaël Boon also achieved popularity as a writer for her work in the Franco-Belgian comedy film Nothing to Declare.

Yves Rénier was a French actor, screenwriter, director, and voice actor. He is best remembered for his portrayal of Commissioner Jean-Paul Moulin in the long running TV series, Commissaire Moulin. Over the course of his career, Yves Rénier also voiced important characters in the French dubbed version of popular American films.

Eugeniusz Bodo was a film producer and director. He was also one of the most famous Polish comedians and actors of the interwar period. He played important roles in some of the most famous Polish movies of the 1930s. Also renowned for his singing skills, Eugeniusz Bodo became a star of Polish musical comedy.

Dani Levy is a Swiss filmmaker, screenwriter, actor, and theatrical director. He is credited with directing critically acclaimed films like Stille Nacht and Mein Führer – Die wirklich wahrste Wahrheit über Adolf Hitler. Dani Levy is also credited with co-founding a German production company named X Filme Creative Pool.

The son of a literary critic and the grandson of a writer, Luc Bondy was initially trained by stage actor and mime artist Jacques Lecoq. He later soared to fame as a director and producer of plays, films, and operas such as Die Ortliebschen Frauen and Tosca.

Lukas Ammann was a Swiss actor best remembered for his contribution to Swiss and German film and TV industries. He achieved immense popularity for his portrayal of the title role in the popular German TV series, Graf Yoster. Lukas Ammann is also remembered for playing the lead role of Wilhelm Faller in a TV series named Die Fallers– Eine Schwarzwaldfamilie.

Curt Goetz was a Swiss German actor, film director, and writer. Widely considered one of the best German comedy writers of his generation, Goetz is also known for appearing in his own plays alongside his wife Valérie von Martens. In addition to writing plays, Curt Goetz also wrote novels and autobiographies.

Remembered as the first Swiss actor to make it big in Hollywood, Max Haufler was initially trained as a painter. Known for his iconic roles such as those of Barbarossa in Hinter den sieben Gleisen, he also turned to direction. Failing to raise money for an ambitious project, he eventually hung himself.