Michel Safra (1899–1967) was a Russian-born French

film producer A film producer is a person who oversees film production. Either employed by a production company or working independently, producers plan and coordinate various aspects of film production, such as selecting the script, coordinating writing, di ...

. He was born in the Ukrainian city of

Kiev Kyiv, also spelled Kiev, is the capital and most populous city of Ukraine. It is in north-central Ukraine along the Dnieper, Dnieper River. As of 1 January 2021, its population was 2,962,180, making Kyiv the List of European cities by populat ...

, then part of the

Russian Empire The Russian Empire was an empire and the final period of the Russian monarchy from 1721 to 1917, ruling across large parts of Eurasia. It succeeded the Tsardom of Russia following the Treaty of Nystad, which ended the Great Northern War. ...

. After working in the

German cinema The film industry in Germany can be traced back to the late 19th century. German cinema made major technical and artistic contributions to early film, broadcasting and television technology. Babelsberg Studio, Babelsberg became a household synon ...

for a decade during the

silent era A silent film is a film with no synchronized recorded sound (or more generally, no audible dialogue). Though silent films convey narrative and emotion visually, various plot elements (such as a setting or era) or key lines of dialogue may, wh ...

, during the early 1930s he began producing films in the

French film industry French cinema consists of the film industry and its film productions, whether made within the nation of France or by French film production companies abroad. It is the oldest and largest precursor of national cinemas in Europe; with primary infl ...

. In 1938 he established the production and distribution company

DisCina DisCina was a French film production and distribution company established in 1938 by Michel Safra and André Paulvé. It reached its peak during the 1940s and early 1950s, remaining active during the Occupation of France. It also operated a dis ...

with André Paulvé and produced around thirty films until his death in 1967. He was part of a sizeable contingent of Russian-born figures working in the French film industry during the era.Crisp p.168

Selected filmography

* '' Personal Column'' (1939) * ''

The Sharks of Gibraltar ''The Sharks of Gibraltar'' (French: ''Les requins de Gibraltar'') is a 1947 French spy film, spy thriller film directed by Emil E. Reinert and starring Annie Ducaux, Louis Salou and Yves Vincent.Alberca p.154 Cast See also *''Gibraltar (1938 f ...

'' (1947) * '' The King'' (1949) * ''

All Roads Lead to Rome "All Roads Lead to Rome" is a proverb of medieval origin that may refer to: * A proverb in a number of languages referring to Roman roads, especially the Milliarium Aureum * ''All Roads Lead to Rome'' (1949 film), a French film * ''All Roads Lea ...

'' (1949) * ''

Lady Paname ''Lady Paname'' was a 1950 French comedy film directed and written by Henri Jeanson and starring Louis Jouvet, Suzy Delair, Henri Guisol and Henri Crémieux.Crisp p.130 It tells the story of a young female singer who tries to become a star in the ...

'' (1950) * ''

Flesh and the Woman ''Flesh and the Woman'' (french: Le Grand Jeu) is a 1954 French-Italian drama film directed by Robert Siodmak. It was entered into the 1954 Cannes Film Festival. It was released in the USA under the title ''Flesh and the Woman'', and in the UK a ...

'' (1954) * '' Black Dossier'' (1955) * ''

Paris, Palace Hotel ''Paris, Palace Hotel'' is a 1956 French-Italian romantic comedy film directed by Henri Verneuil and starring Charles Boyer, Françoise Arnoul and Tilda Thamar.Parish p.61 It was shot in Eastmancolor at the Boulogne Studios in Paris. The film's ...

'' (1956) * ''

A Kiss for a Killer ''A Kiss for a Killer'' (French: ''Une manche et la belle'') is a 1957 French drama mystery film directed by Henri Verneuil and starring Henri Vidal, Mylène Demongeot and Isa Miranda. It is based on the 1954 novel '' The Sucker Punch'' by James H ...

'' (1957) * ''

Magnificent Sinner ''Magnificent Sinner'' (original French title: ''Katia'') is a 1959 French film by director Robert Siodmak about the romance between Tsar Alexander II of Russia and the then-schoolgirl Catherine Dolgorukov, who later became his mistress and finall ...

'' (1959) * '' Shéhérazade'' (1964) * ''

Gibraltar ) , anthem = " God Save the King" , song = " Gibraltar Anthem" , image_map = Gibraltar location in Europe.svg , map_alt = Location of Gibraltar in Europe , map_caption = United Kingdom shown in pale green , mapsize = , image_map2 = Gib ...

'' (1964) * ''

The Diabolical Dr. Z ''The Diabolical Dr. Z'' ( es, Miss Muerte) is a 1966 French-Spanish horror film directed by Jesús Franco. The film stars Mabel Karr as Irma Zimmer, a surgeon who creates a machine that turns people into zombified slaves. Ms. Zimmer is the daugh ...

'' (1967)

References

Bibliography

* Crisp, C.G. ''The Classic French Cinema, 1930-1960''. Indiana University Press, 1993

External links

* 1899 births 1967 deaths German film producers Ukrainian film producers French film producers Film people from Kyiv Emigrants from the Russian Empire to France {{France-film-bio-stub