Barbet Schroeder (born 26 August 1941) is an Iranian-born Swiss film director and producer who started his career in French cinema in the 1960s, working with directors such as

Jean-Luc Godard Jean-Luc Godard ( , ; ; 3 December 193013 September 2022) was a French-Swiss film director, screenwriter, and film critic. He rose to prominence as a pioneer of the French New Wave film movement of the 1960s, alongside such filmmakers as Fran ...

and

Jacques Rivette Jacques Rivette (; 1 March 1928 – 29 January 2016) was a French film director and film critic most commonly associated with the French New Wave and the film magazine '' Cahiers du Cinéma''. He made twenty-nine films, including '' L'amour f ...

. Since the late 1980s, he has directed many big budget

Hollywood Hollywood usually refers to: * Hollywood, Los Angeles, a neighborhood in California * Hollywood, a metonym for the cinema of the United States Hollywood may also refer to: Places United States * Hollywood District (disambiguation) * Hollywoo ...

films, often mixing

melodrama A modern melodrama is a dramatic work in which the plot, typically sensationalized and for a strong emotional appeal, takes precedence over detailed characterization. Melodramas typically concentrate on dialogue that is often bombastic or exce ...

with the

thriller genre Thriller is a genre of fiction, having numerous, often overlapping subgenres. Thrillers are characterized and defined by the mood (psychology), moods they elicit, giving viewers heightened feelings of suspense, Psychomotor agitation, excitement, ...

in films like ''

Single White Female ''Single White Female'' is a 1992 American psychological erotic thriller film based on John Lutz's 1990 novel '' SWF Seeks Same''. It stars Bridget Fonda and Jennifer Jason Leigh and was directed by Barbet Schroeder. Plot New York City softwa ...

Kiss of Death Kiss of Death may refer to: * Kiss of Judas, Judas's betrayal of Jesus with a kiss identifying him to his executioners * Kiss of death (mafia), a Mafia signal that someone has been marked for execution Film and television * ''Kiss of Death'' ...

'', and ''

Murder by Numbers ''Murder by Numbers'' is a 2002 American psychological thriller film produced and directed by Barbet Schroeder and starring Sandra Bullock in the main role, Ben Chaplin, Ryan Gosling, and Michael Pitt. It is loosely based on the Leopold and Loeb c ...

''. He has been nominated for the

Palme d'Or The Palme d'Or (; en, Golden Palm) is the highest prize awarded at the Cannes Film Festival. It was introduced in 1955 by the festival's organizing committee. Previously, from 1939 to 1954, the festival's highest prize was the Grand Prix du Fe ...

for his 1987 film ''Barfly'', and an

Academy Award for Best Director The Academy Award for Best Director (officially known as the Academy Award of Merit for Directing) is an award presented annually by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS). It is given in honor of a film director who has exhibi ...

for his 1990 film ''

Reversal of Fortune ''Reversal of Fortune'' is a 1990 American drama film adapted from the 1985 book ''Reversal of Fortune: Inside the von Bülow Case'', written by law professor Alan Dershowitz. It recounts the true story of the unexplained coma of socialite Sun ...

''.

Biography

Schroeder was born in

Tehran Tehran (; fa, تهران ) is the largest city in Tehran Province and the capital of Iran. With a population of around 9 million in the city and around 16 million in the larger metropolitan area of Greater Tehran, Tehran is the most popul ...

, Iran, the son of Ursula, a German physician, and Jean-William Schroeder, a

Swiss Swiss may refer to: * the adjectival form of Switzerland *Swiss people Places * Swiss, Missouri *Swiss, North Carolina * Swiss, West Virginia *Swiss, Wisconsin Other uses * Swiss-system tournament, in various games and sports * Swiss Internation ...

geologist. From ages 6 to 11, he lived in Colombia where his father was a diplomat for the Swiss government. Both he and his family then left for France, where he studied at the

Sorbonne Sorbonne may refer to: * Sorbonne (building), historic building in Paris, which housed the University of Paris and is now shared among multiple universities. *the University of Paris (c. 1150 – 1970) *one of its components or linked institution, ...

in Paris. Schroeder's production company "

Les Films du Losange Les films du losange is a film production company founded by Barbet Schroeder and Éric Rohmer in 1962. The company funds and distributes many films from the French nouvelle vague era, directed by Rohmer, Schroeder, Roger Planchon, Jacques Rivett ...

", founded by him at age 23, produced some of the best-known films of the

French New Wave French New Wave (french: La Nouvelle Vague) is a French art film movement that emerged in the late 1950s. The movement was characterized by its rejection of traditional filmmaking conventions in favor of experimentation and a spirit of iconocla ...

. His directorial debut, ''

More More or Mores may refer to: Computing * MORE (application), outline software for Mac OS * more (command), a shell command * MORE protocol, a routing protocol * Missouri Research and Education Network Music Albums * ''More!'' (album), by Booka ...

'' (1969), about

heroin Heroin, also known as diacetylmorphine and diamorphine among other names, is a potent opioid mainly used as a recreational drug for its euphoric effects. Medical grade diamorphine is used as a pure hydrochloride salt. Various white and bro ...

addiction, became a hit in Europe.

Pink Floyd Pink Floyd are an English rock band formed in London in 1965. Gaining an early following as one of the first British psychedelic groups, they were distinguished by their extended compositions, sonic experimentation, philosophical lyrics an ...

wrote music for this movie and released the album, ''

''. They also wrote the soundtrack for his 1972 film '' La Vallée'', released as the album ''

Obscured by Clouds ''Obscured by Clouds'' is the seventh studio album by the English progressive rock band Pink Floyd, released on 2 June 1972 by Harvest and Capitol Records. It serves as the soundtrack for the French film '' La Vallée'', by Barbet Schroeder. I ...

''. He later went on to direct more mainstream Hollywood fare, such as ''

Barfly Barfly may refer to: * ''Barfly'' (album), 1995 album by the band Buck-O-Nine * Barfly (club), a music venue in Camden Town, London, UK * ''Barfly'' (film), 1987 American film starring Mickey Rourke and Faye Dunaway * Barfly, a bar in Montreal o ...

'' (1987) starring

Mickey Rourke Philip Andre "Mickey" Rourke Jr. (; born September 16, 1952) is an American actor and former boxer who has appeared primarily as a leading man in drama, action, and thriller films. During the star of the 1980s, Rourke played supporting roles i ...

, ''

'' (1992), and ''

'' (1990), for which

Jeremy Irons Jeremy John Irons (; born 19 September 1948) is an English actor and activist. After receiving classical training at the Bristol Old Vic Theatre School, Irons began his acting career on stage in 1969 and has appeared in many West End theatre ...

as Claus von Bülow received an

Academy Award The Academy Awards, better known as the Oscars, are awards for artistic and technical merit for the American and international film industry. The awards are regarded by many as the most prestigious, significant awards in the entertainment ind ...

. Despite his many commercially successful films, Schroeder continues to be interested in making smaller films with a more limited audience, such as the adaptation of

Colombia Colombia (, ; ), officially the Republic of Colombia, is a country in South America with insular regions in North America—near Nicaragua's Caribbean coast—as well as in the Pacific Ocean. The Colombian mainland is bordered by the ...

n writer

Fernando Vallejo Fernando Vallejo Rendón (born 1942 in Medellín, Colombia) is a Colombian-born novelist, filmmaker and essayist. He obtained Mexican nationality in 2007. Biography Vallejo was born and raised in Medellín, though he left his hometown early in l ...

's controversial novel '' La virgen de los sicarios'' (2000) or the documentary '' General Idi Amin Dada: A Self Portrait'' (1974), featuring extensive interviews with the Ugandan dictator and ''Terror's advocate'' (2007) about terrorism in the last 50 years seen through the eyes of a lawyer,

Jacques Vergès Jacques Vergès (5 March 1925 – 15 August 2013) was a Siamese-born French lawyer and anti-colonial activist. Vergès began as a fighter in the French Resistance during World War II, under Charles de Gaulle's Free French forces. After becoming ...

, and his clients. Schroeder has also made some appearances as an actor: playing one of the 'ghosts' in

's ''

Céline et Julie vont en bateau ''Céline and Julie Go Boating'' (french: Céline et Julie vont en bateau: Phantom Ladies Over Paris) is a 1974 French film directed by Jacques Rivette. The film stars Dominique Labourier as Julie and Juliet Berto as Céline. It won the Special ...

'' (''Céline and Julie Go Boating''), a cameo as a Porsche driver in ''

Beverly Hills Cop III ''Beverly Hills Cop III'' is a 1994 American action comedy film starring Eddie Murphy and directed by John Landis, who had previously worked with Murphy on ''Trading Places'' and ''Coming to America''. It is the third film in the Beverly Hills C ...

'' (1994), as the President of France in ''

Mars Attacks! ''Mars Attacks!'' is a 1996 American science fiction comedy film directed by Tim Burton, who also co-produced it with Larry J. Franco. The screenplay by Jonathan Gems was based on the Topps trading card series of the same name. The film featu ...

'' (1996), as a hair products salesman in ''

Paris, je t'aime ''Paris, je t'aime'' (; ''Paris, I love you'') is a 2006 anthology film starring an ensemble cast of actors of various nationalities. The two-hour film consists of eighteen short films set in different arrondissements (districts). The 22 director ...

'' (2006), and as the mechanic in ''

The Darjeeling Limited ''The Darjeeling Limited'' is a 2007 American comedy-drama film directed by Wes Anderson, which he co-produced with Scott Rudin, Roman Coppola, and Lydia Dean Pilcher, and co-wrote with Roman Coppola and Jason Schwartzman. The film stars Owen Wi ...

'' (2007). Today he resides in France and is married to actress

Bulle Ogier Bulle Ogier (born Marie-France Thielland; 9 August 1939) is a French actress and screenwriter. She adopted the professional surname Ogier, which was her mother's maiden name. Her first appearance on screen was in ''Voilà l'Ordre'', a short film ...

. In 2009, Schroeder signed a petition in support of film director

Roman Polanski Raymond Roman Thierry Polański , group=lower-alpha, name=note_a ( né Liebling; 18 August 1933) is a French-Polish film director, producer, screenwriter, and actor. He is the recipient of numerous accolades, including an Academy Award, tw ...

, calling for his release after Polanski was arrested in Switzerland in relation to his 1977 charge for drugging and raping a 13-year-old girl. Schroeder directed the 12th episode of the 3rd season of the American dramatic television series ''

Mad Men ''Mad Men'' is an American period drama television series created by Matthew Weiner and produced by Lionsgate Television. It ran on the cable network AMC from July 19, 2007, to May 17, 2015, lasting for seven seasons and 92 episodes. Its f ...

'' that first aired on 1 November 2009. The episode was entitled "The Grown Ups", and was notable for its depiction of the events of the

Kennedy assassination John F. Kennedy, the 35th president of the United States, was assassinated on Friday, November 22, 1963, at 12:30 p.m. CST in Dallas, Texas, while riding in a presidential motorcade through Dealey Plaza. Kennedy was in the vehicle with ...

Filmography

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Documentary film , , - !scope="row", ''

Celine and Julie Go Boating ''Céline and Julie Go Boating'' (french: Céline et Julie vont en bateau: Phantom Ladies Over Paris) is a 1974 French film directed by Jacques Rivette. The film stars Dominique Labourier as Julie and Juliet Berto as Céline. It won the Specia ...

'' , , , , , , as Olivier , , - !scope="row", ''

Maîtresse ''Maîtresse'' (French for "mistress" or "teacher") is a 1975 French sex comedy film co-written and directed by Barbet Schroeder, starring Bulle Ogier and, in one of his earliest leading roles, Gérard Depardieu. The film provoked controversy in ...

'' , 1975 , , , , , , , , - !scope="row", '' Koko, le gorille qui parle'' , 1978 , , , , , , en, Koko: A Talking Gorilla
Documentary film , , - !scope="row", ''Roberta'' , rowspan=2, 1979 , , , , , , as Vittorio , , - !scope="row", ''La Mémoire courte'' , , , , , , Un invité au dîner , , - !scope="row", ''

Tricheurs ''Tricheurs'' (English: ''Cheaters'') is a 1984 drama film directed by Barbet Schroeder Barbet Schroeder (born 26 August 1941) is an Iranian-born Swiss film director and producer who started his career in French cinema in the 1960s, working wit ...

'' , rowspan=2, 1984 , , , , , , Un joueur (uncredited) , , - !scope="row", ''

Love on the Ground ''Love on the Ground'' (french: L'Amour par terre) is a 1984 French film directed by Jacques Rivette. The film stars Jane Birkin, Geraldine Chaplin, André Dussollier and Jean-Pierre Kalfon. It was released in France on 17 October 1984. Plot On t ...

'' , , , , , , as Audience (uncredited) , , - !scope="row", ''

The Charles Bukowski Tapes ''The Charles Bukowski Tapes'' are a collection of short interviews with the American writer/poet Charles Bukowski, filmed and assembled by Barbet Schroeder and first published in 1985. Today, the video documentary is considered a cult classic. ...

'' , 1985 , , , , , , Documentary film , , - !scope="row", ''

'' , 1987 , , , , , , , , - !scope="row", ''

'' , rowspan=3, 1990 , , , , , , , , - !scope="row", '' La Reine Margot'' , , , , , , as an advisor , , - !scope="row", '' The Golden Boat'' , , , , , , Mean Passer-by , , - !scope="row", ''

'' , 1992 , , , , , , , , - !scope="row", ''

'' , 1994 , , , , , , Man in Porsche , , - !scope="row", ''

'' , 1995 , , , , , , , , - !scope="row", '' Before and After'' , rowspan=2, 1996 , , , , , , , , - !scope="row", ''

'' , , , , , , Maurice, the French President , , - !scope="row", '' Desperate Measures'' , 1998 , , , , , , , , - !scope="row", '' La virgen de los sicarios'' , 2000 , , , , , , , , - !scope="row", '' Our Lady of the Assassins'' , 2000 , , , , , , uncredited , , - !scope="row", ''

'' , 2002 , , , , , , , , - !scope="row", ''Ne fais pas ça!'' , 2004 , , , , , , Un client du restaurant #1 , , - !scope="row", ''Une aventure'' , 2005 , , , , , , Dr. Idelman , , - !scope="row", ''

'' , 2006 , , , , , , Monsieur Henny (segment "Porte de Choisy") , , - !scope="row", '' Terror's Advocate'' , 2007 , , , , , , Documentary film, narrated by himself , , - !scope="row", ''

The Duchess of Langeais ''The Duchess of Langeais'' is a 2007 French-Italian period drama film directed by Jacques Rivette. Its original French title is ''Ne touchez pas la hache'' ("Don't touch the axe"). It is based on the 1834 novel of the same name by Honoré de B ...

'' , 2007 , , , , , , Duc de Grandlieu , , - !scope="row", ''

'' , 2007 , , , , , , The Mechanic , , - !scope="row", '' Inju, la bête dans l'ombre'' , 2008 , , , , , , en, Inju: The Beast in the Shadow , , - !scope="row", ''L'avocat'' , 2011 , , , , , , Jacques Meco , , - !scope="row", '' Le grand soir'' , 2012 , , , , , , Jacques Meco , , - !scope="row", ''Par exemple, Electre'' , 2013 , , , , , , , , - !scope="row", '' Portrait of the Artist'' , 2014 , , , , , , Le médecin (final film role) , , - !scope="row", ''

Amnesia Amnesia is a deficit in memory caused by brain damage or disease,Gazzaniga, M., Ivry, R., & Mangun, G. (2009) Cognitive Neuroscience: The biology of the mind. New York: W.W. Norton & Company. but it can also be caused temporarily by the use ...

'' , 2015 , , , , , , , , - !scope="row", '' The Venerable W.'' , 2017 , , , , , , , , -

Television

*2009: ''

'': "The Grown-Ups" (TV)

References

External links

Les Films du Losange
*
Barbet Schroeder Website

A day on location with Schroeder's "Barfly"
by Roger Ebert, * Barbet Schroeder, ombres et clarté from Jérôme d'Estais, Editions LettMotif, 2017, http://www.edition-lettmotif.com/produit/barbet-schroeder/ {{DEFAULTSORT:Schroeder, Barbet 1941 births Living people French people of German descent French people of Swiss descent French male film actors French film directors People from Tehran