William Karel
Encyclopedia
William Karel is a French
film director
and author
. He is known for his historical and political documentaries.
, Karel emigrated to Israel
where he lived for about 10 years in a kibbutz
. Returning to France
in 1981, he turned to photography
and worked for more than ten years as a photo-reporter for several agencies like Gamma (1972–1976) and Sygma (1976–1983). Then he started to direct movies.
Since the end of the eighties, Karel has directed many historical and political documentaries dealing with sensitive subjects of the twentieth century, from the Vel' d'Hiv Roundup (Rafle du Vélodrome d'Hiver) to the Israeli-Arab conflict, while talking about the FMI policy in Jamaica
or the extreme right wing in France
. His documentaries are frequently broadcast by the Arte
and France 3
channels. He has also done portraits of French and American politicians -- Valéry Giscard d'Estaing
, François Mitterrand
, Jean-Marie Le Pen
, John F. Kennedy
and George W. Bush
.
Studies of the United States are an important part of Karel's work. After The Men of the White House (2000), a film about presidents during periods of crisis, he explored the secrets of the CIA in CIA, Secret Wars (2003). This movie is based primarily on interviews of former CIA directors, former CIA agents such as Robert Baer, and historians. Inspired by Eric Laurent's books about George W. Bush, he released The World According to Bush
(2004) which quickly became famous in France through television and theatres.
Refusing to stick to a single genre, he also directed the mockumentary
Dark Side of the Moon
(2002). In The Empire State Building Murders (2008) he combines clips from film noir and recent interviews with actors to tell a narrative story. He likes to recall François Truffaut
's words, "A documentary is one thousand times more of a lie than a fiction, where things are clear from the beginning".
French people
The French are a nation that share a common French culture and speak the French language as a mother tongue. Historically, the French population are descended from peoples of Celtic, Latin and Germanic origin, and are today a mixture of several ethnic groups...
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 author
Author
An author is broadly defined as "the person who originates or gives existence to anything" and that authorship determines responsibility for what is created. Narrowly defined, an author is the originator of any written work.-Legal significance:...
. He is known for his historical and political documentaries.
Biography
After studying 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...
, Karel emigrated to Israel
Israel
The State of Israel is a parliamentary republic located in the Middle East, along the eastern shore of the Mediterranean Sea...
where he lived for about 10 years in a kibbutz
Kibbutz
A kibbutz is a collective community in Israel that was traditionally based on agriculture. Today, farming has been partly supplanted by other economic branches, including industrial plants and high-tech enterprises. Kibbutzim began as utopian communities, a combination of socialism and Zionism...
. Returning to 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...
in 1981, he turned to photography
Photography
Photography is the art, science and practice of creating durable images by recording light or other electromagnetic radiation, either electronically by means of an image sensor or chemically by means of a light-sensitive material such as photographic film...
and worked for more than ten years as a photo-reporter for several agencies like Gamma (1972–1976) and Sygma (1976–1983). Then he started to direct movies.
Since the end of the eighties, Karel has directed many historical and political documentaries dealing with sensitive subjects of the twentieth century, from the Vel' d'Hiv Roundup (Rafle du Vélodrome d'Hiver) to the Israeli-Arab conflict, while talking about the FMI policy in Jamaica
Jamaica
Jamaica is an island nation of the Greater Antilles, in length, up to in width and 10,990 square kilometres in area. It is situated in the Caribbean Sea, about south of Cuba, and west of Hispaniola, the island harbouring the nation-states Haiti and the Dominican Republic...
or the extreme right wing in 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...
. His documentaries are frequently broadcast by the Arte
Arte
Arte is a Franco-German TV network. It is a European culture channel and aims to promote quality programming especially in areas of culture and the arts...
and France 3
France 3
France 3 is the second largest French public television channel and part of the France Télévisions group, which also includes France 2, France 4, France 5, and France Ô....
channels. He has also done portraits of French and American politicians -- Valéry Giscard d'Estaing
Valéry Giscard d'Estaing
Valéry Marie René Georges Giscard d'Estaing is a French centre-right politician who was President of the French Republic from 1974 until 1981...
, François Mitterrand
François Mitterrand
François Maurice Adrien Marie Mitterrand was the 21st President of the French Republic and ex officio Co-Prince of Andorra, serving from 1981 until 1995. He is the longest-serving President of France and, as leader of the Socialist Party, the only figure from the left so far elected President...
, Jean-Marie Le Pen
Jean-Marie Le Pen
Jean-Marie Le Pen is a French far right-wing and nationalist politician who is founder and former president of the Front National party. Le Pen has run for the French presidency five times, most notably in 2002, when in a surprise upset he came second, polling more votes in the first round than...
, John F. Kennedy
John F. Kennedy
John Fitzgerald "Jack" Kennedy , often referred to by his initials JFK, was the 35th President of the United States, serving from 1961 until his assassination in 1963....
and George W. Bush
George W. Bush
George Walker Bush is an American politician who served as the 43rd President of the United States, from 2001 to 2009. Before that, he was the 46th Governor of Texas, having served from 1995 to 2000....
.
Studies of the United States are an important part of Karel's work. After The Men of the White House (2000), a film about presidents during periods of crisis, he explored the secrets of the CIA in CIA, Secret Wars (2003). This movie is based primarily on interviews of former CIA directors, former CIA agents such as Robert Baer, and historians. Inspired by Eric Laurent's books about George W. Bush, he released The World According to Bush
The World According to Bush
The World According to Bush is a 2004 French documentary, co-wriiten and directed by William Karel based on the book by Eric Laurent, about the presidency of George W. Bush and the history of the Bush family, including his grandfather Prescott Bush, who was on the board of German-owned companies...
(2004) which quickly became famous in France through television and theatres.
Refusing to stick to a single genre, he also directed the mockumentary
Mockumentary
A mockumentary , is a type of film or television show in which fictitious events are presented in documentary format. These productions are often used to analyze or comment on current events and issues by using a fictitious setting, or to parody the documentary form itself...
Dark Side of the Moon
Dark Side of the Moon (documentary)
Dark Side of the Moon is a French mockumentary by director William Karel which originally aired on Arte in 2002 with the title Opération Lune. The basic premise for the film is the theory that the television footage from the Apollo 11 Moon landing was faked and actually recorded in a studio by the...
(2002). In The Empire State Building Murders (2008) he combines clips from film noir and recent interviews with actors to tell a narrative story. He likes to recall François Truffaut
François Truffaut
François Roland Truffaut was an influential film critic and filmmaker and one of the founders of the French New Wave. In a film career lasting over a quarter of a century, he remains an icon of the French film industry. He was also a screenwriter, producer, and actor working on over twenty-five...
's words, "A documentary is one thousand times more of a lie than a fiction, where things are clear from the beginning".
Filmography
- 1988 : De Gaulle? Connais pas, Envoyé spécial, France 2France 2France 2 is a French public national television channel. It is part of the state-owned France Télévisions group, along with France 3, France 4, France 5 and France Ô...
. - 1989 : L'Argentine dans la crise, Envoyé spécial, France 2France 2France 2 is a French public national television channel. It is part of the state-owned France Télévisions group, along with France 3, France 4, France 5 and France Ô...
. - 1989 : Les juifs du bout du monde, Envoyé spécial, France 2France 2France 2 is a French public national television channel. It is part of the state-owned France Télévisions group, along with France 3, France 4, France 5 and France Ô...
. - 1992 : La Rafle du Vel' d'Hiv, La Marche du siècle, France 3France 3France 3 is the second largest French public television channel and part of the France Télévisions group, which also includes France 2, France 4, France 5, and France Ô....
. - 1992 : Les deux morts de Joseph Staline, Planète chaude, France 3France 3France 3 is the second largest French public television channel and part of the France Télévisions group, which also includes France 2, France 4, France 5, and France Ô....
. - 1993 : La Guerre du Kippour, Les Brûlures de l'Histoire, France 3France 3France 3 is the second largest French public television channel and part of the France Télévisions group, which also includes France 2, France 4, France 5, and France Ô....
. - 1993 : Sartre-Aron : 50 ans d'histoires, Les Brûlures de l'Histoire, France 3France 3France 3 is the second largest French public television channel and part of the France Télévisions group, which also includes France 2, France 4, France 5, and France Ô....
. - 1993 : John F. Kennedy, Les Brûlures de l'Histoire, France 3France 3France 3 is the second largest French public television channel and part of the France Télévisions group, which also includes France 2, France 4, France 5, and France Ô....
. - 1994 : Le FMI en Jamaïque, Grand Format, ArteArteArte is a Franco-German TV network. It is a European culture channel and aims to promote quality programming especially in areas of culture and the arts...
. - 1994 : La Nuit des Longs Couteaux, Les Brûlures de l'Histoire, France 3France 3France 3 is the second largest French public television channel and part of the France Télévisions group, which also includes France 2, France 4, France 5, and France Ô....
. - 1995 : Une journée particulière : le 8 mai 1945, Les Brûlures de l'Histoire, France 3France 3France 3 is the second largest French public television channel and part of the France Télévisions group, which also includes France 2, France 4, France 5, and France Ô....
. - 1995 : Albert Cohen, Un Siècle d'écrivains, France 3France 3France 3 is the second largest French public television channel and part of the France Télévisions group, which also includes France 2, France 4, France 5, and France Ô....
. - 1995 : Contre l'oubli (co-réalisation avec Blanche Finger), Documents, France 2France 2France 2 is a French public national television channel. It is part of the state-owned France Télévisions group, along with France 3, France 4, France 5 and France Ô...
. - 1996 : Primo Levi, Un Siècle d'écrivains, France 3France 3France 3 is the second largest French public television channel and part of the France Télévisions group, which also includes France 2, France 4, France 5, and France Ô....
. - 1996 : Mourir à Verdun, Les Dossiers de l'Histoire, France 3France 3France 3 is the second largest French public television channel and part of the France Télévisions group, which also includes France 2, France 4, France 5, and France Ô....
. - 1996 : La Cagoule, Les Dossiers de l'Histoire, France 3France 3France 3 is the second largest French public television channel and part of the France Télévisions group, which also includes France 2, France 4, France 5, and France Ô....
. - 1997 : Une terre deux fois promise : Israël-Palestine, Les Dossiers de l'Histoire, France 3France 3France 3 is the second largest French public television channel and part of the France Télévisions group, which also includes France 2, France 4, France 5, and France Ô....
. - 1999 : Histoire d'une droite extrême, Les Mercredis de l'Histoire, ArteArteArte is a Franco-German TV network. It is a European culture channel and aims to promote quality programming especially in areas of culture and the arts...
. - 1999 : Le Journal commence à vingt heures, La Vie en face, ArteArteArte is a Franco-German TV network. It is a European culture channel and aims to promote quality programming especially in areas of culture and the arts...
. - 2000 : Les Hommes de la Maison Blanche, Les Mercredis de l'Histoire, ArteArteArte is a Franco-German TV network. It is a European culture channel and aims to promote quality programming especially in areas of culture and the arts...
. - 2001 : Conversation avec les hommes du Président, Histoire.
- 2001 : François Mitterrand. Un mensonge d'Etat passé sous silence, France 3France 3France 3 is the second largest French public television channel and part of the France Télévisions group, which also includes France 2, France 4, France 5, and France Ô....
. - 2002 : Valéry Giscard d'Estaing, le théâtre du pouvoir, Les Dossiers de l'Histoire, France 3France 3France 3 is the second largest French public television channel and part of the France Télévisions group, which also includes France 2, France 4, France 5, and France Ô....
. - 2002 : Opération LuneDark Side of the Moon (documentary)Dark Side of the Moon is a French mockumentary by director William Karel which originally aired on Arte in 2002 with the title Opération Lune. The basic premise for the film is the theory that the television footage from the Apollo 11 Moon landing was faked and actually recorded in a studio by the...
or Dark Side of the MoonDark Side of the Moon (documentary)Dark Side of the Moon is a French mockumentary by director William Karel which originally aired on Arte in 2002 with the title Opération Lune. The basic premise for the film is the theory that the television footage from the Apollo 11 Moon landing was faked and actually recorded in a studio by the...
, Les Mercredis de l'Histoire, ArteArteArte is a Franco-German TV network. It is a European culture channel and aims to promote quality programming especially in areas of culture and the arts...
. - 2003 : CIA, Guerres secrètes - 1947-1977, Opérations clandestines, Les Mercredis de l'Histoire, ArteArteArte is a Franco-German TV network. It is a European culture channel and aims to promote quality programming especially in areas of culture and the arts...
. - 2003 : CIA, Guerres secrètes - 1977-1989, La fin des illusions, Les Mercredis de l'Histoire, ArteArteArte is a Franco-German TV network. It is a European culture channel and aims to promote quality programming especially in areas of culture and the arts...
. - 2003 : CIA, Guerres secrètes - 1989-2003, D'une guerre à l'autre, Les Mercredis de l'Histoire, ArteArteArte is a Franco-German TV network. It is a European culture channel and aims to promote quality programming especially in areas of culture and the arts...
. - 2004 : The World According to BushThe World According to BushThe World According to Bush is a 2004 French documentary, co-wriiten and directed by William Karel based on the book by Eric Laurent, about the presidency of George W. Bush and the history of the Bush family, including his grandfather Prescott Bush, who was on the board of German-owned companies...
- 2005 : La Fille du Juge.
- 2008 : Meurtres à 'Empire State Building or The Empire State Building Murders
- 2009 : Mais qui a tué Maggie?
List of books
- Karel, William and Laurent Rucker, Israël-Palestine, une terre deux fois promise, Le Rocher, ParisParisParis 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...
, 1998.