François Weyergans (; 2 August 1941 – 27 May 2019) was a Belgian writer and director. His father, Franz Weyergans, was a Belgian and also a writer, while his mother was from Avignon in France. François Weyergans was elected to the Académie française on 26 March 2009, taking the 32nd seat which became vacant with the death of

Alain Robbe-Grillet Alain Robbe-Grillet (; 18 August 1922 – 18 February 2008) was a French writer and filmmaker. He was one of the figures most associated with the '' Nouveau Roman'' (new novel) trend of the 1960s, along with Nathalie Sarraute, Michel Butor and ...

in 2008.

Biography

He started film studies at the IDHEC (Hautes Études Cinématographiques), where he came to love the films of

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, ellipses, and sparse use of scoring have l ...

and Jean-Luc Godard, among others. He soon began to write for '' Cahiers du cinéma'' and directed his first film in 1961, on

Maurice Béjart Maurice Béjart (; 1 January 1927 – 22 November 2007) was a French-born dancer, choreographer and opera director who ran the Béjart Ballet Lausanne in Switzerland. He developed a popular expressionistic form of modern ballet, talking vast th ...

, which led to his expulsion from the school as students were banned from making professional films.

Novels

After having been through some

psychoanalysis PsychoanalysisFrom Greek: + . is a set of theories and therapeutic techniques"What is psychoanalysis? Of course, one is supposed to answer that it is many things — a theory, a research method, a therapy, a body of knowledge. In what might b ...

, he published a satirical account of his treatment in a novel called ''Le Pitre'' (1971), which attracted some critical notice and won the

Roger Nimier Prize The Roger Nimier Prize () is a French literature award. It is supposed to go to "a young author whose spirit is in line with the literary works of Roger Nimier". Nimier (1925–1962) was a novelist and a leading member of the Hussards movement. The ...

. His second novel in 1981 was '' Macaire le Copte''. This won the Prix Rossel in his native Belgium, as well as the

Prix des Deux Magots The Prix des Deux Magots is a major French literary prize. It is presented to new works, and is generally awarded to works that are more off-beat and less conventional than those that receive the more mainstream Prix Goncourt. The name derives from ...

in France. From then on, Weyergans devoted himself entirely to writing, spending whole nights working from 11 p.m. until noon. His subsequent works—mostly of an ironic autobiographical nature—also won literary prizes, including the "Prix Méridien des quatre jurys" in 1983 for ''Le radeau de la Méduse'' and the

Prix Renaudot The Prix Théophraste-Renaudot or Prix Renaudot () is a French literary award. History The prize was created in 1926 by ten art critics awaiting the results of deliberation of the jury of the Prix Goncourt. While not officially related to the ...

in 1992 for ''La démence du boxeur''. Most recently, his ''Trois jours chez ma mère'' awarded him the

Prix Goncourt The Prix Goncourt (french: Le prix Goncourt, , ''The Goncourt Prize'') is a prize in French literature, given by the académie Goncourt to the author of "the best and most imaginative prose work of the year". The prize carries a symbolic reward o ...

in 2005. In this, he satirises his own famous difficulties in delivering a promised manuscript in time. In the process he creates a "Russian doll" type structure where he (Weyergans) writes as a writer, ''Weyergraf'', who finds all sorts of distractions or reasons to avoid writing a book called ''Trois jours chez ma mère''. He does this largely by inventing an author called ''Graffenberg'', who in turn invents another author, ''Weyerstein'', who sketches out a possible structure—but he keeps getting waylaid by humorous meditations on his own life, love (or just encounters), family, films and multiple enthusiasms and interests.

Films

* 1962: '' Béjart'' * 1963: ''

Hieronymus Bosch Hieronymus Bosch (, ; born Jheronimus van Aken ; – 9 August 1516) was a Dutch/ Netherlandish painter from Brabant. He is one of the most notable representatives of the Early Netherlandish painting school. His work, generally oil on o ...

'' * 1965: '' Robert Bresson: Ni vu, ni connu'' (des portraits ''Cinéastes de notre temps''), 65 minutes * 1967: '' Baudelaire is gestorven in de zomer'' * 1967: ''Aline'' * 1972: ''Un film sur quelqu'un'' * 1977: ''Maladie mortelle'' * 1977: ''Je t'aime, tu danses'' * 1978: ''Couleur Chair'' (''

Flesh Color Flesh Color (French: Couleur Chair) is a 35 mm film by François Weyergans (Prix Goncourt 2005). Weyergans is one of the forty members known as immortals of the French Academy (L'Académie française). It features a band called Flesh Colour f ...

'')

References

External links

Biography, complete bibliography and citations of François Weyergans, in FrenchInterview with François Weyergans in French (Dec. 2005)
* {{DEFAULTSORT:Weyergans, Francois 1941 births 2019 deaths People from Etterbeek Belgian writers in French Prix Goncourt winners Belgian film directors Prix Renaudot winners Prix des Deux Magots winners Roger Nimier Prize winners Members of the Académie Française Analysands of Jacques Lacan Chevaliers of the Légion d'honneur Commandeurs of the Ordre des Arts et des Lettres Belgian people of French descent Belgian male novelists 20th-century Belgian male writers 20th-century Belgian novelists 21st-century Belgian male writers 21st-century Belgian novelists

Biography

Novels

Films

References

Further reading

External links