Quick Facts
Biography
Claude Berri (French: [bɛʁi]; 1 July 1934 – 12 January 2009) was a French film director, writer, producer, actor and distributor.
Early life
Born Claude Berel Langmann in Paris, Berri was the son of Jewish immigrant parents His mother Beila (née Bercu) was from Romania and his father Hirsch Langmann, was a furrier from Poland. His sister was the screenwriter and editor Arlette Langmann.
Career
Berri won the "Best Film" BAFTA for Jean de Florette, and was also nominated for twelve César Awards, though he never won. Berri also won the Oscar for Best Short Film for Le Poulet at the 38th Academy Awards in 1966, and produced Roman Polanski's Tess which was nominated for Best Picture in 1981.
Internationally, however, two films in 1986 overshadow all his other achievements. Jean de Florette and its sequel Manon des Sources were huge hits. In 1991, his film Uranus was entered into the 41st Berlin International Film Festival. Six years later, his film Lucie Aubrac was entered into the 47th Berlin International Film Festival.
In 2003, he was elected President of the Cinémathèque Française where he obtained enough state subsidies to cover the costs of its resurgence at its new site in the rue de Bercy.
Personal life
Berri's wife, Anne-Marie Rassam, committed suicide in 1997, jumping from the apartment of Isabelle Adjani's mother. Berri and Rassam had two children: actor Julien Rassam and actor and film producer Thomas Langmann.
Death
Berri died of a stroke on 12 January 2009, aged 74. After his death, a group of nine works by Robert Ryman, Ad Reinhardt, Giorgio Morandi, Richard Serra and Lucio Fontana was promised to the Centre Pompidou in Paris in lieu of tax. But the heirs of the film director finally sold them through French art dealer Philippe Ségalot for about €50 million to Qatar.
Filmography
Director
- 1962 : Le Poulet (short) (released 1965) Winner Best Live Action Short Film Oscar (also produced)
- 1964 : Les Baisers (segment « Baiser de 16 ans »)
- 1964 : La Chance et l'amour (segment « La Chance du guerrier »)
- 1967 : Le Vieil Homme et l'Enfant (US title: The Two of Us) (also screenwriter)
- 1968 : Mazel Tov ou le Mariage
- 1969 : Le Pistonné (1969)
- 1971 : Le Cinéma de papa
- 1972 : Sex-shop
- 1975 : Le Mâle du siècle
- 1976 : La Première fois
- 1977 : Un moment d'égarement
- 1980 : Je vous aime
- 1981 : Le Maître d'école
- 1983 : Tchao Pantin (English title: So Long, Stooge)
- 1986 : Jean de Florette
- 1986 : Manon des Sources (US title: Manon of the Spring) — sequel to Jean de Florette (second half of the book L'Eau des collines)
- 1990 : Uranus
- 1993 : Germinal at the time, the most expensive French feature film ever made
- 1996 : Lucie Aubrac
- 1999 : La débandade
- 2002 : Une femme de ménage (English title: A Housekeeper)
- 2004 : L'Un reste, l'autre part
- 2007 : Ensemble, c'est tout (English title: Hunting and Gathering)
- 2009 : Trésor (also screenwriter and producer; died after four days of filming)
Producer
- 1962 : Le Poulet (dir. Claude Berri)
- 1967 : Marie pour mémoire (dir. Philippe Garrel) – associate producer
- 1968 : Oratorio for Prague short documentary film (dir. Jan Nemec)
- 1969 : L'Enfance nue (dir. Maurice Pialat)
- 1970 : Le Pistonné (dir. Claude Berri)
- 1970 : La Maison (dir. Gérard Brach)
- 1972 : L'Œuf (dir. Jean Herman)
- 1973 : Pleure pas la bouche pleine (dir. Pascal Thomas)
- 1975 : Le Mâle du siècle (dir. Claude Berri)
- 1976 : Je t'aime… moi non-plus (dir. Serge Gainsbourg) – (co-producer)
- 1978 : Vas-y maman (dir. Nicole de Buron) (uncredited)
- 1979 : Tess (dir. Roman Polanski)
- 1980 : Inspecteur la Bavure (dir. Claude Zidi)
- 1982 : Deux heures moins le quart avant Jésus-Christ (dir. Jean Yanne)
- 1983 : L'Africain (dir. Philippe de Broca)
- 1983 : Banzaï (dir. Claude Zidi)
- 1983 : L'Homme blessé (dir. Patrice Chéreau)
- 1983 : La Femme de mon pote (dir. Bertrand Blier)
- 1983 : Garçon ! (English title: Waiter!|) (dir. Claude Sautet)
- 1985 : Les Enragés (dir. Pierre-William Glenn)
- 1985 : Le Fou de guerre (English title: Madman at War) (dir. Dino Risi) (also French adaptation)
- 1987 : Hôtel de France (dir. Patrice Chéreau)
- 1988 : À gauche en sortant de l'ascenseur (dir. Édouard Molinaro)
- 1988 : L'Ours (English title: The Bear) (dir. Jean-Jacques Annaud)
- 1988 : Trois places pour le 26 (dir. Jacques Demy)
- 1988 : La Petite Voleuse (dir. Claude Miller)
- 1989 : Valmont (dir. Miloš Forman)
- 1992 : L'Amant (English title: The Lover) (dir. Jean-Jacques Annaud)
- 1993 : Une journée chez ma mère (dir. Dominique Cheminal)
- 1994 : La Reine Margot (dir. Patrice Chéreau)
- 1994 : La Séparation (dir. Christian Vincent)
- 1995 : Les Trois Frères (dir. Didier Bourdon) and Bernard Campan (also actor)
- 1995 : Gazon maudit (dir. Josiane Balasko) – (executive producer)
- 1996 : Le Roi des aulnes (German title: Der Unhold; English The Ogre) (dir. Volker Schlöndorff) – (executive producer)
- 1997 : Didier (dir. Alain Chabat)
- 1997 : Arlette (dir. Claude Zidi)
- 1997 : Le Pari (English title: The Bet) (dir. Didier Bourdon and Bernard Campan)
- 1998 : Mookie (dir. Hervé Palud) – (associate producer)
- 1999 : Astérix et Obélix contre César (English title: Asterix and Obelix vs Caesar)(dir. Claude Zidi)
- 1999 : Mauvaise passe (dir. Michel Blanc)
- 2001 : La Boîte (dir. Claude Zidi)
- 2001 : Ma femme est une actrice (dir. Yvan Attal)
- 2002 : Amen. (dir. Costa-Gavras)
- 2002 : Astérix & Obélix : Mission Cléopâtre (English title: Asterix & Obelix: Mission Cleopatra) (dir. Alain Chabat)
- 2003 : Le Bison (dir. Isabelle Nanty)
- 2003 : Une femme de ménage (dir. Claude Berri)
- 2003 : Les Sentiments (dir. Noémie Lvovsky)
- 2004: San-Antonio (dir. Frederic Auburtin)
- 2004 : Ils se marièrent et eurent beaucoup d'enfants (dir. Yvan Attal)
- 2005 : L'Un reste, l'autre part (dir. Claude Berri)
- 2005 : Les Enfants (dir. Christian Vincent)
- 2005 : Le Démon de midi (dir. Marie-Pascale Osterrieth)
- 2005 : La Maison du Bonheur (dir. Dany Boon)
- 2007 : Ensemble, c'est tout (English title: Hunting and Gathering) (dir. Claude Berri)
- 2007 : La Graine et le Mulet (dir. Abdellatif Kechiche)
- 2008 : Bienvenue chez les Ch'tis (English title: Welcome to the Sticks) (dir. Dany Boon)
Writer
- 1967 : Le Vieil Homme et l'Enfant, novel that was adapted by Berri for the film. (English: The Two of Us. Helen Weaver (translation), Lydia Rosier (drawings). Morrow. 1968. OCLC 343943.)
- 1968 : Mazel Tov ou le Marriage
- 1969 : Le Pistonné
- 1970 : Le Cinéma de Papa
- 1972 : Sex-shop
- 1975 : Le Mâle du Siècle (English title: Male of the Century )
- 1976 : La Première Fois
- 1977 : Un Moment d'Égarement
- 1980 : Je Vous Aime
- 1981 : Le Maître d'École
- 1983 : Tchao Pantin (English title: So Long, Stooge)
- 1986 : Manon des Sources (US title: Manon of the Spring)
- 1986 : Jean de Florette
- 1990 : Uranus
- 1993 : Germinal
- 1997 : Lucie Aubrac
- 1999 : La Débandade
- 2002 : Une Femme de Ménage (English title: A Housekeeper)
- 2004 : L'un Reste, l'Autre Part (English title: One Stays, the Other Leaves)
- 2007 : Ensemble, c'est tout (English title: [Hunting and Gathering)
Actor
- The Wounded Man (1983), directed by Patrice Chéreau
- Un grand cri d'amour (1998), directed by Josiane Balasko