François Leterrier (26 May 1929 – 4 December 2020) was a French film director and actor. He entered the film industry when he was cast in

Robert Bresson Robert Bresson (; 25 September 1901 – 18 December 1999) was a French film director. Known for his ascetic approach, Bresson contributed notably to the art of cinema; his non-professional actors, Ellipsis (narrative device), ellipses, and s ...

's film ''

A Man Escaped ''A Man Escaped or The Wind Bloweth Where It Listeth'' (french: Un condamné à mort s'est échappé ou Le vent souffle où il veut, which literally translates as: "A man condemned to death has escaped or The wind blows where it wants"; the subtitl ...

''. After this he went on to become a director himself.

Life and career

François Leterrier studied at the

University of Paris , image_name = Coat of arms of the University of Paris.svg , image_size = 150px , caption = Coat of Arms , latin_name = Universitas magistrorum et scholarium Parisiensis , motto = ''Hic et ubique terrarum'' (Latin) , mottoeng = Here and a ...

where he took a degree in philosophy. During his student years he frequently attended the university's film club. He did his military service in Morocco, where he was discovered by the film director

, known for casting unknowns, who gave him the leading role in the 1956 film ''

''. After this, Leterrier was able to work as an assistant director for

Louis Malle Louis Marie Malle (; 30 October 1932 – 23 November 1995) was a French film director, screenwriter, and producer who worked in both Cinema of France, French cinema and Cinema of the United States, Hollywood. Described as "eclectic" and "a fi ...

, Etienne Périer and

Yves Allégret Yves Allégret (13 October 1905 – 31 January 1987) was a French film director, often working in the film noir genre. He was born in Asnières-sur-Seine, Hauts-de-Seine and died in Paris. He was an assistant to film directors such as his brothe ...

. His first film as director was ''

Les Mauvais Coups ''Les Mauvais Coups'' (''Naked Autumn'') is a 1961 French psychological drama under the direction of François Leterrier. It tells the story of the tragic demise of a 10-year marriage. The austere screenplay is based on a Roger Vailland novel. ...

'' from 1961, based on a novel by

Roger Vailland Roger Vailland (16 October 1907 – 12 May 1965) was a French novelist, essayist, and screenwriter. Biography Vailland was born in Acy-en-Multien, Oise. His novels include the prize winning ''Drôle de jeu'' (1945), ''Les mauvais coups'' (194 ...

. He also went on to adapt works by

Jean Giono Jean Giono (30 March 1895 – 8 October 1970) was a French writer who wrote works of fiction mostly set in the Provence region of France. First period Jean Giono was born to a family of modest means, his father a cobbler of Piedmontese descent a ...

Paul Morand Paul Morand (13 March 1888 – 24 July 1976) was a French author whose short stories and novellas were lauded for their style, wit and descriptive power. His most productive literary period was the interwar period of the 1920s and 1930s. He was mu ...

and

Raymond Queneau Raymond Queneau (; 21 February 1903 – 25 October 1976) was a French novelist, poet, critic, editor and co-founder and president of Oulipo ('' Ouvroir de littérature potentielle''), notable for his wit and cynical humour. Biography Queneau wa ...

. François's son

Louis Louis may refer to: * Louis (coin) * Louis (given name), origin and several individuals with this name * Louis (surname) * Louis (singer), Serbian singer * HMS ''Louis'', two ships of the Royal Navy See also Derived or associated terms * Lewis (d ...

is a film director notable for his

action Action may refer to: * Action (narrative), a literary mode * Action fiction, a type of genre fiction * Action game, a genre of video game Film * Action film, a genre of film * ''Action'' (1921 film), a film by John Ford * ''Action'' (1980 fil ...

and

blockbuster Blockbuster or Block Buster may refer to: *Blockbuster (entertainment) a term coined for an extremely successful movie, from which most other uses are derived. Corporations * Blockbuster (retailer), a defunct video and game rental chain ** Bl ...

films such as the

first First or 1st is the ordinal form of the number one (#1). First or 1st may also refer to: *World record, specifically the first instance of a particular achievement Arts and media Music * 1$T, American rapper, singer-songwriter, DJ, and rec ...

two 2 (two) is a number, numeral and digit. It is the natural number following 1 and preceding 3. It is the smallest and only even prime number. Because it forms the basis of a duality, it has religious and spiritual significance in many cultur ...

'' Transporter'' films, ''

The Incredible Hulk The Hulk is a superhero appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. Created by writer Stan Lee and artist Jack Kirby, the character first appeared in the debut issue of '' The Incredible Hulk'' (May 1962). In his comic book a ...

'', '' Clash of the Titans'' and '' Now You See Me''.

Filmography

Directed for film

* ''

'' (1961) * ''

A King Without Distraction ''A King Without Distraction'' () is a 1963 French mystery film directed by François Leterrier, starring Claude Giraud and Colette Renard. The story is set in the winter of 1843 and follows a police captain who investigates the disappearance of s ...

'' (''Un roi sans divertissement'') (1963) * ''

The Royal Chase ''The'' () is a grammatical article in English, denoting persons or things already mentioned, under discussion, implied or otherwise presumed familiar to listeners, readers, or speakers. It is the definite article in English. ''The'' is the m ...

'' (''La Chasse royale'') (1969) * ''

Private Screening A public screening is the showing of moving pictures to an audience in a public place. The event screened may be live or recorded, free or paid, and may use film, video, or a broadcast method such as satellite or closed-circuit television. Popular ...

'' (''Projection privée'') (1973) * ''

Goodbye Emmanuelle ''Goodbye Emmanuelle'' (aka ''Emmanuelle 3'') is a 1977 French softcore erotica movie directed by François Leterrier, and starring Sylvia Kristel. The music score is by Serge Gainsbourg. In this sequel, Emmanuelle and Jean move to the Seychel ...

'' (1977) * ''

Your Turn, My Turn In Modern English, ''you'' is the second-person pronoun. It is grammatically plural, and was historically used only for the dative case, but in most modern dialects is used for all cases and numbers. History ''You'' comes from the Proto- ...

'' (''Va voir maman, papa travaille'') (1978) * ''

Rat Race A rat race is an endless, self-defeating, or pointless pursuit. The phrase equates humans to rats attempting to earn a reward such as cheese, in vain. It may also refer to a competitive struggle to get ahead financially or routinely. The term is ...

'' (''Je vais craquer'') (1980) * ''

Les Babas Cool ''Les Babas Cool'' is a French comedy film directed by François Leterrier. It was released in 1981. Plot Antoine Bonfils is a household appliance salesman. His car breaks down close to a farm. Looking for help, he figures out that the people the ...

'' (1981) * '' Le Garde du corps'' (1984) * ''

Tranches de vie ''Slices of Life'' (''Tranches de vie'') is a 1985 French comedy-sci fi film directed by François Leterrier. It is based on Gérard Lauzier's comic strip of the same name. Plot The film is a series of sketches Cast * Laura Antonelli as Monic ...

'' (1985) * ''

The Son of the Mekong ''The'' () is a grammatical article in English, denoting persons or things already mentioned, under discussion, implied or otherwise presumed familiar to listeners, readers, or speakers. It is the definite article in English. ''The'' is the m ...

'' (''Le Fils du Mékong'') (1992)

Directed for television

* ''La Guêpe'' (1965) * ''Milady'' (1976) * ''Pierrot mon ami'' (1979) * ''Le Voleur d'enfants'' (1981) * ''Le Cœur du voyage'' (1986) * ''L'Île'' (1987) * ''Imogène'' (1989, 3 episodes) * ''Clovis'' (1993, 2 episodes) * ''Les Disparus de Reillanne'' (1993)

Actor

* ''

'' (1956) - Le lieutenant Fontaine * ''

Stavisky ''Stavisky...'' is a 1974 French biographical drama film based on the life of the financier and embezzler Alexandre Stavisky and the circumstances leading to his mysterious death in 1934. This gave rise to a political scandal known as the Stavis ...

'' (1974) - André Malraux (final film role)

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Leterrier, Francois 1929 births 2020 deaths 20th-century French male actors French film directors French television directors People from Oise French male film actors