François Ozon
Encyclopedia
François Ozon is a French
film director
and screenwriter
and whose films are usually characterized by sharp satirical wit and a freewheeling view on human sexuality.
He has achieved international acclaim for his films 8 femmes
(2002) and Swimming Pool
(2003). Ozon is considered to be one of the most important young French film directors in the new “New Wave” in French cinema such as Jean-Paul Civeyrac
, Philippe Ramos
, and Yves Caumon
, as well as a group of French filmmakers associated with a "cinema du corps/cinema of the body".
, France
. Having studied directing at the French film school La Femis
, Ozon made several short movies like Une robe d'été
(1996) and Scènes de lit (1998) that already display his defining style. His motion picture directing debut was Sitcom (also 1998), which was well received by both critics and audiences.
After the Fassbinder adaptation Gouttes d'eau sur pierres brûlantes (2000) came the movie which made his name outside France, 8 femmes, starring such icons of French cinema as Catherine Deneuve
, Fanny Ardant
, Isabelle Huppert
and Emmanuelle Béart
. With its quirky mix of musical numbers and murder mystery and a production design harking back to 1950s Hollywood melodramas such as those directed by Douglas Sirk
, this film became a huge commercial success.
In 2003, Swimming Pool starring Charlotte Rampling
and Ludivine Sagnier
was released, considered by Ozon a very personal film that gives insight into the difficult process of writing a novel or screenplay.
In 2004, he directed the movie 5x2
. In 2005, he debuted Time To Leave
at various film festivals worldwide.
Ozon's first full English-language production Angel
starring Romola Garai
(I Capture the Castle
, Vanity Fair
) was released in early 2007. The film, based on a novel by British writer Elizabeth Taylor
, follows the story of a poor girl who climbs Edwardian England's social ladder by becoming a romance writer. The film was shot at Tyntesfield House and Estate near Bristol, at other UK locations and in Belgium.
While filming Angel, Ozon developed a strong friendship with Romola Garai and now calls her his 'muse.'
His film Le Refuge had its world premiere at the Toronto International Film Festival
September 2009.
people in his movies. Some examples include:
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
film director
Film director
A film director is a person who directs the actors and film crew in filmmaking. They control a film's artistic and dramatic nathan roach, while guiding the technical crew and actors.-Responsibilities:...
and screenwriter
Screenwriter
Screenwriters or scriptwriters or scenario writers are people who write/create the short or feature-length screenplays from which mass media such as films, television programs, Comics or video games are based.-Profession:...
and whose films are usually characterized by sharp satirical wit and a freewheeling view on human sexuality.
He has achieved international acclaim for his films 8 femmes
8 femmes
8 Women is a 2002 French musical comedy murder-mystery film, directed by François Ozon and based on the play by Robert Thomas. The film was known as 8 femmes to distinguish it from the 1972 play entitled Huit femmes.- Plot :...
(2002) and Swimming Pool
Swimming Pool (film)
Swimming Pool is a 2003 thriller film directed by François Ozon and starring Charlotte Rampling and Ludivine Sagnier. The plot focuses on a British crime novelist, Sarah Morton, who travels to her publisher's upscale summer house in Southern France for solitude to work on her next book...
(2003). Ozon is considered to be one of the most important young French film directors in the new “New Wave” in French cinema such as Jean-Paul Civeyrac
Jean-Paul Civeyrac
Jean-Paul Civeyrac is a French New Wave director whose films are usually characterized by close attention to music and actors' bodies. He has adapted a French novel by Anne Wiazemsky, Hymnes à l’amour, with the title All the fine promises . This movie was awarded by The Prix Jean Vigo 2003...
, Philippe Ramos
Philippe Ramos
Philippe Ramos is a French film director. He was born in France in 1966. He directed a very unusual adaptation of Moby-Dick: Capitaine Achab with Valérie Crunchant and Frédéric Bonpart in 2004....
, and Yves Caumon
Yves Caumon
Yves Caumon is a French director. He is Professor in Toulouse's University in France. He worked as assistant-director with Agnès Varda, and Jean-Paul Civeyrac....
, as well as a group of French filmmakers associated with a "cinema du corps/cinema of the body".
Life and career
Ozon was born in ParisParis
Paris is the capital and largest city in France, situated on the river Seine, in northern France, at the heart of the Île-de-France region...
, France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
. Having studied directing at the French film school La Femis
La Femis
La Fémis , is the French state film school. FEMIS is an acronym for Fondation Européenne pour les Métiers de l’Image et du Son. Based in Paris, it offers courses balanced between artistic research, professional development and technical training...
, Ozon made several short movies like Une robe d'été
Une robe d'été
A Summer Dress is a 1996 short film directed by François Ozon about a lagging gay relationship that is refueled in an unexpected way.-Plot:...
(1996) and Scènes de lit (1998) that already display his defining style. His motion picture directing debut was Sitcom (also 1998), which was well received by both critics and audiences.
After the Fassbinder adaptation Gouttes d'eau sur pierres brûlantes (2000) came the movie which made his name outside France, 8 femmes, starring such icons of French cinema as Catherine Deneuve
Catherine Deneuve
Catherine Deneuve is a French actress. She gained recognition for her portrayal of aloof and mysterious beauties in films such as Repulsion and Belle de jour . Deneuve was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Actress in 1993 for her performance in Indochine; she also won César Awards for that...
, Fanny Ardant
Fanny Ardant
Fanny Marguerite Judith Ardant is a French actress. She has appeared in more than fifty motion pictures since 1976. Ardant won the César Award for Best Actress in 1997 for her performance in Pédale douce.-Early life:...
, Isabelle Huppert
Isabelle Huppert
Isabelle Anne Madeleine Huppert is a French actress who has appeared in over 90 film and television productions since 1971. She has had 14 films in official competition at the Cannes Film Festival, and won the Best Actress Award twice, for Violette Nozière and La pianiste . She is also the most...
and Emmanuelle Béart
Emmanuelle Béart
Emmanuelle Béart is a French film actress, who has appeared in over 50 film and television productions since 1972. Béart won a César Award for Best Supporting Actress in the film Manon des Sources . She has been nominated a further seven times for Most Promising Actress and Best Actress.- Early...
. With its quirky mix of musical numbers and murder mystery and a production design harking back to 1950s Hollywood melodramas such as those directed by Douglas Sirk
Douglas Sirk
Douglas Sirk was a Danish-German film director best known for his work in Hollywood melodramas in the 1950s.-Life and work:...
, this film became a huge commercial success.
In 2003, Swimming Pool starring Charlotte Rampling
Charlotte Rampling
Charlotte Rampling, OBE is an English actress. Her career spans four decades in English-language as well as French and Italian cinema.- Early life :...
and Ludivine Sagnier
Ludivine Sagnier
Ludivine Sagnier is a French actress and model, who has appeared in 33 films since 1989. She was nominated for two César Awards for Best Supporting Actress in Swimming Pool and Un secret .-Early life:...
was released, considered by Ozon a very personal film that gives insight into the difficult process of writing a novel or screenplay.
In 2004, he directed the movie 5x2
5x2
5x2 is a 2004 French film directed by François Ozon, which uncovers the back story to the gradual disintegration of a middle class marriage by depicting five key moments in the relationship, but in reverse order.-Plot:...
. In 2005, he debuted Time To Leave
Le Temps qui reste
Time to Leave is a French film directed by François Ozon, released in 2005. It was screened in the Un Certain Regard section at the 2005 Cannes Film Festival.-Plot:...
at various film festivals worldwide.
Ozon's first full English-language production Angel
Angel (2007 film)
Angel, also known as the Real Life of Angel Deverell, is a 2007 British film based on novel of the same name by Elizabeth Taylor, about the life of a fiery and passionate young writer. The protagonist was portrayed by Romola Garai, director François Ozon's first and only choice for the role...
starring Romola Garai
Romola Garai
Romola Sadie Garai is an English actress. She is known for appearing in the movies Amazing Grace, Atonement, and Glorious 39, and for appearing in the BBC adaptation of Emma.-Early life:...
(I Capture the Castle
I Capture the Castle (film)
I Capture The Castle is a 2003 film directed by Tim Fywell. It is based on the 1948 novel of the same title by Dodie Smith and was adapted to screenplay by Heidi Thomas...
, Vanity Fair
Vanity Fair (2004 film)
Vanity Fair is a 2004 British-American costume drama film directed by Mira Nair and adapted from William Makepeace Thackeray's novel of the same name...
) was released in early 2007. The film, based on a novel by British writer Elizabeth Taylor
Elizabeth Taylor (novelist)
Elizabeth Taylor was a British novelist and short story writer.-Life and writings:...
, follows the story of a poor girl who climbs Edwardian England's social ladder by becoming a romance writer. The film was shot at Tyntesfield House and Estate near Bristol, at other UK locations and in Belgium.
While filming Angel, Ozon developed a strong friendship with Romola Garai and now calls her his 'muse.'
His film Le Refuge had its world premiere at the Toronto International Film Festival
Toronto International Film Festival
The Toronto International Film Festival is a publicly-attended film festival held each September in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. In 2010, 339 films from 59 countries were screened at 32 screens in downtown Toronto venues...
September 2009.
LGBT themes and characters
Ozon often features LGBTLGBT
LGBT is an initialism that collectively refers to "lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender" people. In use since the 1990s, the term "LGBT" is an adaptation of the initialism "LGB", which itself started replacing the phrase "gay community" beginning in the mid-to-late 1980s, which many within the...
people in his movies. Some examples include:
- Une robe d'été: a young gay man strengthens his relationship with his boyfriend through a brief encounter with a woman and how her summer dress changed his sex drive.
- Scènes de lit: this features a lesbian couple and a gay couple.
- La petite mort: a gay man's relationship with his estranged father.
- Sitcom: this spoof comedy has numerous lesbian and gay references. The family's son comes out, engages in sexual orgies and begins an affaire with the maid's husband, a sports teacher. The maid, herself, finds out she's a lesbian and seems to have a relationship with the mother, who has tried to cure her son's homosexuality by sleeping with him - she, of course, fails.
- Les amants criminels: the main male character is gay and in the closet; he kills his (male) object of desire out of jealousy and enjoys his relationship with an ogre-like man who's kidnapped him and his female friend who was, more or less, his beard
- Gouttes d'eau sur pierres brûlantes: the two male characters, Léopold and Franz, are lovers - they are either gay or bisexual, while Véra, a former boyfriend of Léopold's, is now an M2F transsexual.
- 8 femmes: two women are lesbians and another is bisexual; the maid is ambiguous towards her female boss all the while she is her male boss's mistress. This film presents a lesbian kiss between Catherine Deneuve and Fanny Ardant. It's a gay cult movie in France.
- Swimming Pool: there's an underlying sexual tension between Ludivine Sagnier and Charlotte Rampling's characters.
- 5x2: the gay couple is the one constant thing while the main straight couple divorces.
- Le temps qui reste: this deals with the end of life of a young gay man dying of cancer.
- "Potiche": the protagonist's son ends up with a man.
Recurring actors
A number of actors have appeared more than once in Ozon's movies. They include :- Sébastien Charles, who plays the lover of the main character in Robe d'été has appeared in numerous other Ozon movies (Scène de Lit/Les puceaux, Sitcom) and choreographed 5x2, 8 femmes, Gouttes d'eau sur pierres brûlantes and Robe d'été.
- Marina de VanMarina de VanMarina de Van is a French film director, screenwriter and actress. Her film, Don't Look Back, was screened out of competition at the 2009 Cannes Film Festival.-Selected filmography:* See the Sea...
plays in Sitcom, Regarde la mère and has co-written Sous le sable and 8 femmes. - Charlotte RamplingCharlotte RamplingCharlotte Rampling, OBE is an English actress. Her career spans four decades in English-language as well as French and Italian cinema.- Early life :...
plays in Swimming Pool, Sous le sable, and Angel. - Ludivine SagnierLudivine SagnierLudivine Sagnier is a French actress and model, who has appeared in 33 films since 1989. She was nominated for two César Awards for Best Supporting Actress in Swimming Pool and Un secret .-Early life:...
plays in three movies: Gouttes d'eau sur pierres brûlantes, 8 femmes, Swimming Pool. - Lucia SanchezLucia SanchezLucia Sanchez is a French actress. She was born in Spain in 1969. She started her acting career in 1996 with Une robe d'été directed by François Ozon....
plays in three movies: Une robe d'été, Scènes de lit, Sitcom. - Valeria Bruni TedeschiValeria Bruni TedeschiValeria Bruni Tedeschi, also spelled Bruni-Tedeschi, is an Italian-French actress.-Personal life:...
, who is in both Le Temps qui reste and 5x2.
In the UK
In the UK, François Ozon's name has been used numerous times in a scam relating to a film named 'Dead Kill' http://uk.answers.yahoo.com/question/index?qid=20101126060614AA2BURg. Ozon has never been a part of the Post Apocalyptic genre and those targeted must be aware that this film/scam has and never will have anything to do with François Ozon.Features
- 2010 : PotichePotichePotiche is a 2010 French-Belgian comedy film directed by François Ozon, based on the play of the same name by Pierre Barillet and Jean-Pierre Grédy. It stars Catherine Deneuve, Gérard Depardieu, Fabrice Luchini, Karin Viard, Judith Godrèche and Jérémie Renier...
- 2009 : Le RefugeThe Refuge (film)The Refuge or Hideaway is a 2009 French drama film directed by François Ozon. The film won the Special Prize of the Jury at the 2009 San Sebastián International Film Festival.-Cast:* Isabelle Carré - Mousse* Louis-Ronan Choisy - Paul...
- 2009 : RickyRicky (2009 film)Ricky is a 2009 French fantasy film directed by François Ozon about a human baby who develops a set of functional wings, and how the parents cope with the child's abnormality.-Cast:*Alexandra Lamy as Katie*Sergi López as Paco*Mélusine Mayance as Lisa...
- 2007 : AngelAngel (2007 film)Angel, also known as the Real Life of Angel Deverell, is a 2007 British film based on novel of the same name by Elizabeth Taylor, about the life of a fiery and passionate young writer. The protagonist was portrayed by Romola Garai, director François Ozon's first and only choice for the role...
starring Romola GaraiRomola GaraiRomola Sadie Garai is an English actress. She is known for appearing in the movies Amazing Grace, Atonement, and Glorious 39, and for appearing in the BBC adaptation of Emma.-Early life:...
, Charlotte RamplingCharlotte RamplingCharlotte Rampling, OBE is an English actress. Her career spans four decades in English-language as well as French and Italian cinema.- Early life :...
and Sam NeillSam NeillNigel John Dermot "Sam" Neill, DCNZM, OBE is a New Zealand actor. He is well known for his starring role as paleontologist Dr Alan Grant in Jurassic Park and Jurassic Park III.... - 2005 : Time To LeaveLe Temps qui resteTime to Leave is a French film directed by François Ozon, released in 2005. It was screened in the Un Certain Regard section at the 2005 Cannes Film Festival.-Plot:...
(Le temps qui reste) starring Melvil PoupaudMelvil PoupaudMelvil Poupaud is a French actor.He was named after Herman Melville by his screenwriter mother. At the age of ten, he launched into acting with a role in La Ville des Pirates , directed by Raul Ruiz. At the age of 15, he was nominated for a César... - 2004 : 5x25x25x2 is a 2004 French film directed by François Ozon, which uncovers the back story to the gradual disintegration of a middle class marriage by depicting five key moments in the relationship, but in reverse order.-Plot:...
starring Valeria Bruni TedeschiValeria Bruni TedeschiValeria Bruni Tedeschi, also spelled Bruni-Tedeschi, is an Italian-French actress.-Personal life:...
and Stéphane FreissStéphane FreissStéphane Freiss is a French actor.-Selected filmography:* The King's Whore * Crime Spree * Monsieur N. * 5x2 * Bienvenue chez les Ch'tis -External links:... - 2003 : Swimming PoolSwimming Pool (film)Swimming Pool is a 2003 thriller film directed by François Ozon and starring Charlotte Rampling and Ludivine Sagnier. The plot focuses on a British crime novelist, Sarah Morton, who travels to her publisher's upscale summer house in Southern France for solitude to work on her next book...
starring Charlotte RamplingCharlotte RamplingCharlotte Rampling, OBE is an English actress. Her career spans four decades in English-language as well as French and Italian cinema.- Early life :...
and Ludivine SagnierLudivine SagnierLudivine Sagnier is a French actress and model, who has appeared in 33 films since 1989. She was nominated for two César Awards for Best Supporting Actress in Swimming Pool and Un secret .-Early life:... - 2002 : 8 Women (8 femmes)
- 2000 : Under the SandSous le sableSous le sable is a 2000 French drama film directed and written by François Ozon. The film was nominated for 8 awards and was critically well received. It stars Charlotte Rampling and Bruno Cremer.-Plot:...
(Sous le sable) - 2000 : Water Drops on Burning RocksWater Drops on Burning RocksGouttes d'eau sur pierres brûlantes is a 2000 French drama film directed by François Ozon. The film is based on a German play by Rainer Werner Fassbinder, Tropfen auf heisse Steine.-Act 1:...
(Gouttes d'eau sur pierres brûlantes) starring Bernard GiraudeauBernard GiraudeauBernard Giraudeau was a French actor, film director, scriptwriter, producer and writer.-Life:Giraudeau was born in La Rochelle, Charente-Maritime. In 1963 he enlisted in the French navy as a trainee engineer, qualifying as the first in his class a year later...
, Malik ZidiMalik ZidiMalik Zidi is a French film, television and theater actor. Zidi is a four-time nominated and one time César Award recipient for Most Promising Actor.-Career:...
, Ludivine Sagnier and Anna LevineAnna LevineAnna Kluger Levine is an American actress. She has also been credited as Anna Levine Thompson and Anna Thomson.-Filmography:* Desperately Seeking Susan as Crystal* Murphy's Romance as Wanda... - 1999 : Criminal LoversCriminal LoversCriminal Lovers is a 1999 psychological thriller film by French director François Ozon.-Synopsis:...
(Les amants criminels) starring Natacha RégnierNatacha RégnierNatacha Régnier is a Belgian actress.Born in the Ixelles section of Brussels, she was attracted to theatre from early adolescence. Her first screen role was in The Motorcycle Girl , a short film by Stéphan Carpiaux...
and Jérémie RenierJérémie RenierJérémie Renier is a Belgian actor. He lives in Paris, France. His film debut was in the critically praised La Promesse , directed by Luc and Jean-Pierre Dardenne. He became better known to worldwide audiences in Brotherhood of the Wolf and L'Enfant... - 1998 : SitcomSitcom (film)Sitcom is a 1998 French surrealistic satire film written and directed by François Ozon. The story documents the moral decline of a once esteemed suburban family, whose descent into degeneracy begins with the purchase of a small white rat....
Short films
- 2006 : A Curtain Raiser starring Louis GarrelLouis GarrelLouis Garrel is a French actor. He is best known for his starring role in The Dreamers, directed by Bernardo Bertolucci...
- 1998 : X2000
- 1997 : See the SeaSee the SeaSee the Sea is a 1997 French film written and directed by Francois Ozon and starring Sasha Hails as a young British mother living in a small seaside village in France who takes in a malevolent homeless drifter while her husband is away on business.-Cast:*Sasha Hails as Sasha*Marina de Van as...
(Regarde la mer) - 1997 : Scènes de lit
- 1996 : L'homme idéalL'Homme idéalL’Homme idéal is a French film directed by Xavier Gélin and released in 1997.- Synopsis :Marie, incapable of choosing between three marriage proposals, decides to give up. Circumstances mean that the three men meet...
- 1996 : A Summer Dress (Une robe d'été)
- 1995 : La petite mort ("Little Death")
- 1994 : Action vérité ("Truth or Dare")
- 1994 : Une rose entre nous
- 1993 : VictorVictor (film)Victor is a French short film released in 1993. It was written by Nicolas Mercier and François Ozon, starring François Genty, and was directed by François Ozon.-Plot:...
- 1992 : Thomas reconstitué
- 1991 : Deux plus un
- 1991 : Peau contre peau (les risques inutiles)
- 1991 : Le trou madame
- 1991 : Une goutte de sang
- 1990 : Mes parents un jour d'été
- 1988 : Les doigts dans le ventre
- 1988 : Photo de famille
Further reading
- Asibong, Andrew, François Ozon, Manchester University Press (2008) ISBN 0719074231
- Cavitch, Max, "Sex After Death: François Ozon's Libidinal Invasions," Screen 48.3 (2007), 313-26
- Palmer, Tim, "Style and Sensation in the Contemporary French Cinema of the Body," Journal of Film and Video 58.3 (2006), 22-32
- Rees-Roberts, Nick. French Queer Cinema, Edinburgh University Press (2008) ISBN 0748634185
- Schilt, Thibaut. François Ozon, University of Illinois Press (2011) ISBN 0252077946