Leos Carax

Early life

Carax was born Alex Christophe Dupont in Suresnes, Hauts-de-Seine, a commune in the suburbs of Paris, France. His mother is American and his father is French.

Career

Carax's film career began with a series of short films, and as a film critic, before he released Boy Meets Girl (1984), which established his reputation for a mature visual style. It also saw the first grouping of Carax with Denis Lavant and cinematographer Jean-Yves Escoffier. His next film was Mauvais Sang (literally Bad Blood but mostly known as The Night is Young) in 1986, which alienated some of his audience, but continued to explore the complexities of love in the modern world, this time through a darker, more criminal viewpoint. The work was clearly an homage to French New Wave cinema, and his use of such actresses as Juliette Binoche was a tribute to his influences, especially Jean-Luc Godard. The film was entered into the 37th Berlin International Film Festival.

Five years later, Carax returned to directing with Les Amants du Pont-Neuf, an expensive undertaking as Parisian authorities granted him only 10 days to film on Pont Neuf. His initial reaction to the problems of filming on a public bridge had been to construct a model of the bridge in the community of Lansargues, in Southern France. But on the first day of filming Lavant severely injured his thumb, which pushed the movie back by a month. Subsequent financial difficulties further pushed filming over a much longer period than intended. The movie was released to critical acclaim and opened the door for Carax to enter more experimental waters with his fourth feature, Pola X (1999), an adaptation of Herman Melville's Pierre: or, The Ambiguities.

Carax's 2012 film Holy Motors also stars Lavant. The film competed for the Palme d'Or at the 2012 Cannes Film Festival.

In 2017, Carax performed vocals and accordion on the track "When You're a French Director" on Sparks's album Hippopotamus.

In 2021, Carax directed Annette, a music-filled drama feature film written by Sparks and starring Adam Driver and Marion Cotillard, for which he won the Cannes Film Festival Award for Best Director at the 2021 Cannes Film Festival.

In 2024, Carax starred in the short film An Urban Allegory, directed by Alice Rohrwacher and JR, which premiered out of competition at the 81st Venice International Film Festival.

Filmography

Feature film

Short film

Acting roles

Music video

References

References

1. Philippe Rège.. (2010). "Encyclopedia of French film directors". Scarecrow Press.
2. Manohla Dargis.. (16 October 2012). "It's Not About the Destination, but About the Dizzying Ride". The New York Times.
3. (2 September 2009). "The a to Z of French Cinema". Bloomsbury Publishing PLC.
4. "Berlinale: 1987 Programme". berlinale.de.
5. (16 June 2011). ""Holly motors", le retour de Léos Carax, avec Denis Lavant - News films Tournages - AlloCiné". Allocine.fr.
6. "2012 Official Selection". Cannes.
7. "Cannes Film Festival 2012 line-up announced". timeout.
8. Daly, Rhian. (17 July 2021). "'Titane', Leos Carax, Caleb Landry Jones and more take home top prizes at Cannes 2021".
9. (12 July 2024). "Biennale Cinema 2024 {{!}} Allégorie Citadine".
10. Roxborough, Scott. (23 July 2024). "'Joker 2,' 'Maria,' 'Wolfs' in Venice Lineup".
11. Mooney, William H.. (2021). "Adaptation and the New Art Film: Remaking the Classics in the Twilight of Cinema". Springer Nature.
12. (23 April 2013). "ONE DREAM RUSH".
13. Elsa Keslassy.. (21 June 2023). "'Annette' Director Leos Carax Helms Self-Portrait 'It's Not Me;' Les Films du Losange Boards Project (EXCLUSIVE)". Variety.