Marie-Annick Bellon, usually known as Yannick Bellon, (6 April 1924 – 2 June 2019), was a French film director, editor and

screenwriter A screenplay writer (also called screenwriter, scriptwriter, scribe or scenarist) is a writer who practices the craft of screenwriting, writing screenplays on which mass media, such as films, television programs and video games, are based. ...

. Initially known for her documentary work, in 1972 she made her first

feature film A feature film or feature-length film is a narrative film (motion picture or "movie") with a running time long enough to be considered the principal or sole presentation in a commercial entertainment program. The term ''feature film'' originall ...

, ''Quelque part quelqu’un'' (''Somewhere, Someone''), presenting contemporary views of

Paris Paris () is the capital and most populous city of France, with an estimated population of 2,165,423 residents in 2019 in an area of more than 105 km² (41 sq mi), making it the 30th most densely populated city in the world in 2020. S ...

. She went on to make several more feature films, including '' L'amour violé'' (''Rape of Love'') with its feminist insights in 1978 and ''Les Enfants du désordre'' in 1989, evoking the difficulties a drug addict experiences when trying to return to normal life. 2010_Paris_-Yannick_Bellon

Early life and family

Born on 6 April 1924 in

Biarritz Biarritz ( , , , ; Basque also ; oc, Biàrritz ) is a city on the Bay of Biscay, on the Atlantic coast in the Pyrénées-Atlantiques department in the French Basque Country in southwestern France. It is located from the border with Spain. ...

, Marie-Annick Bellon was the daughter of Jacques Bellon, a magistrate, and Denise Simone Hulmann, a photographer. On 23 December 1954, she married the journalist Henry Magnan (1919–1965), divorcing in 1963. She was the elder sister of the actress and playwright

Loleh Bellon Marie Laure Viole Bellon, generally known as Loleh Bellon, (1925–1999) was a French stage and film actress as well as a playwright. In 1949, for her role in Robert Desnos' ''La Place de l'Étoile'', she was awarded the ''Prix des Jeunes comédie ...

(1925–1999).

Professional life

After studying for just one year at the

Institut des hautes études cinématographiques L'Institut des hautes études cinématographiques (IDHEC; the "Institute for Advanced Cinematographic Studies") is a French film school, founded during World War II under the leadership of Marcel L'Herbier who was its president from 1944 to 1969. I ...

, she became the assistant of the film editor Myriam Borsoutsky, working on a series of documentaries and on

Albert Dubout Albert Dubout (15 May 1905 – 27 June 1976) was a French cartoonist, illustrator, Painting, painter, and sculpture, sculptor. Biography Albert Dubout was born in Marseille. After attending school at Nîmes (where he met Jean Paulhan) he s ...

's cartoons. She went on to help the film director

Nicole Védrès Nicole Védrès (4 September 1911 – 20 November 1965), born Nicole Henriette Désirée Charlotte Cahen dit Nathan dit Rais, was a French author, columnist, essayist, journalist, screenwriter and film director. Life and work Védrès was ...

with her ''

Paris 1900 The 1900 Summer Olympics (french: Jeux olympiques d'été de 1900, link=no), today officially known as the Games of the II Olympiad () and also known as Paris 1900, were an international multi-sport event that took place in Paris, France, from 1 ...

''. The first film she produced on her own was the documentary ''Goémons'' (1947), telling how the inhabitants of the island of Béniguet make use of the local seaweed. It won the Grand Prix for documentaries at the

Venice Biennale The Venice Biennale (; it, La Biennale di Venezia) is an international cultural exhibition hosted annually in Venice, Italy by the Biennale Foundation. The biennale has been organised every year since 1895, which makes it the oldest of ...

in 1949. In 1950, she made a half-hour documentary on the French author

Colette Sidonie-Gabrielle Colette (; 28 January 1873 – 3 August 1954), known mononymously as Colette, was a French author and woman of letters. She was also a mime, actress, and journalist. Colette is best known in the English-speaking world for her ...

. In 1972, she created the production company Les Films de l'Équinoxe, now concentrating on directing a series of feature films. She had no doubt hoped these would reflect the intentions she expressed in 1961 when she said: "If through my works, you conclude that injustice revolts me and dignity seems to me to be the most important virtue, so much the better." Her films do indeed appear to demonstrate this approach, highlighting women's liberation in ''La Femme de Jean'' (1974), rape in ''L'Amour violé'' (1978), cancer in ''L'Amour nu'' (1981) and homosexuality in ''La Triche'' (1984).

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Bellon, Yannick 1924 births 2019 deaths French film producers French film directors French screenwriters French women film directors People from Biarritz