- François Ozon
infobox actor
name = François Ozon
caption = François Ozon in 2005
birthname =
birthdate = birth date and age|1967|11|15
birthplace =Paris ,France
deathdate =
deathplace =
occupation =film director ,screenwriter ,editor , producer
yearsactive = 1988 -François Ozon (born
November 15 ,1967 ) is a Frenchfilm director andscreenwriter and whose films are usually characterized by sharp satirical wit and a freewheeling view on human sexuality.He has recently achieved international acclaim for his films "
8 femmes " (2002) and "Swimming Pool" (2003).François 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 ,Yves Caumon .Biography
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 both critically and by audiences.After the
Fassbinder adaptation "Gouttes d'eau sur pierres brûlantes " (2000) came the movie which made him a name outside of France, "8 femmes", starring icons of French cinema asCatherine Deneuve ,Fanny Ardant ,Isabelle Huppert , andEmmanuelle Béart . With its quirky mix of musical numbers and murder mystery and a production design harkening back to 1950sHollywood melodramas such as the ones directed byDouglas Sirk , this film became a huge commercial success.In 2003, "Swimming Pool" starring
Charlotte Rampling andLudivine 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 his latest film "Time To Leave" at various worldwide film festivals.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 the social ladder by becoming a romance novel writer in Edwardian England. Film was set at Tyntesfield House and Estate near Bristol and other UK locations as well as in Belgium.While filming "Angel", Ozon developed a strong relationship with Romola Garai and now calls her his 'muse.'
His work has been associated with the
New French Extremity Quandt, James, "Flesh & Blood: Sex and violence in recent French cinema", "ArtForum", February 2004 [http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m0268/is_6_42/ai_113389507] Access date: July 10, 2008.] .LGBT themes & characters
Ozon, who is openly
gay ,citation |title=FRANÇOIS AND HIS FRIENDS |url=http://www.filmmakermagazine.com/summer2000/features/francois.php |periodical=Filmmaker Magazine |date=Summer 2000 |accessdate=2008-10-07 ] has often featuredLGBT people in his movies. Here are some examples.* "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 transesxual.
* "8 femmes" : one woman is a lesbian 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 Ardent. 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.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 Van plays in "Sitcom", "Regarde la mère" and has co-written "Sous le sable" and "8 femmes".
*Charlotte Rampling plays in "Swimming Pool", "Sous le sable", and "Angel"
*Ludivine Sagnier plays in three movies : "Gouttes d'eau sur pierres brûlantes", "8 femmes", Swimming Pool".
*Lucia Sanchez , who plays the maid in " was the woman who sleeps with the main character in "Une Robe d'été".Filmography
Feature s* 2007 : " Angel" (fr) starring
Romola Garai ,Charlotte Rampling andSam Neill
* 2005 : "Time To Leave" starringMelvil Poupaud
* 2004 : "5x2 " starringValeria Bruni Tedeschi andStéphane Freiss
* 2003 : "Swimming Pool" starringCharlotte Rampling andLudivine Sagnier
* 2002 : "8 Women"
* 2000 : "Under the Sand"
* 2000 : "Water Drops On Burning Rocks"
* 1999 : "Criminal Lovers"
* 1998 : "Sitcom"Short film s*2006 : "A Curtain Raiser" starring
Louis Garrel
*1998 : "X2000"
*1997 : "Regarde la mer (See the Sea )"
*1997 : "Scènes de lit "
*1996 : "Summer Dress"
*1995 : "La Petite Mort (Little Death)"
*1994 : "Action vérité "
*1994 : "Une rose entre nous "
*1993 : "Victor"
*1992 : "Thomas reconstitué "
*1991 : "Deux plus un "
*1991 : "Le Trou madame "
*1991 : "Peau contre peau (les risques inutiles) "
*1991 : "Une goutte de sang "
*1990 : "Mes Parents un Jour D'été "
*1988 : "Les Doigts dans le Ventre "
*1988 : "Photo de Famille "References
*Asibong, Andrew, "Francois Ozon", Manchester University Press (2008)
ISBN 0719074231
*Cavitch, Max, "Sex After Death: François Ozon's Libidinal Invasions," "Screen" 48.3 (2007), 313-26
* Rees-Roberts, Nick. "French Queer Cinema", Edinburgh University Press (2008)ISBN 0748634185 External links
*imdb name|id=0654830|name=François Ozon
* [http://www.francois-ozon.com/ François Ozon's official site]
* [http://www.sensesofcinema.com/contents/directors/04/ozon.html Senses of Cinema: Great Directors Critical Database]
* [http://www.vmagazine.com/feature_film_deathandfashion.html Summer 2006 Interview with Ozon]
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