François Ozon (; born 15 November 1967) is a French

film director A film director controls a film's artistic and dramatic aspects and visualizes the screenplay (or script) while guiding the film crew and actors in the fulfilment of that vision. The director has a key role in choosing the cast members, pr ...

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. ...

. Ozon is considered one of the most important modern French filmmakers. His films are characterized by aesthetic beauty, sharp satirical humor and a free-wheeling view of

human sexuality Human sexuality is the way people experience and express themselves sexually. This involves biological, psychological, physical, erotic, emotional, social, or spiritual feelings and behaviors. Because it is a broad term, which has varied ...

. Recurring themes in his films are friendship, sexual identity, different perceptions of reality, transience and death. Ozon has achieved international acclaim for his films '' 8 femmes'' (2002) and ''

Swimming Pool A swimming pool, swimming bath, wading pool, paddling pool, or simply pool, is a structure designed to hold water to enable Human swimming, swimming or other leisure activities. Pools can be built into the ground (in-ground pools) or built ...

'' (2003). He is considered one of the most important directors in the new "New Wave" in French cinema, along with Jean-Paul Civeyrac,

Philippe Ramos Philippe Ramos (born 1966) is a French film director, screenwriter and film editor. He directed an adaptation of '' Moby-Dick'': '' Capitaine Achab'' with Valérie Crunchant and Frédéric Bonpart in 2004. Ramos is considered to be associated wi ...

, and

Yves Caumon Yves Caumon (born 27 May 1964) is a French director. He is Professor in Toulouse's University in France. He worked as assistant-director with Agnès Varda, and Jean-Paul Civeyrac. He directed several short movies as ''A la Hache'' with Valérie ...

, as well as a group of French filmmakers associated with a ''cinema du corps'' ("cinema of the body").

Life and career

Ozon was born in

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. Si ...

France France (), officially the French Republic ( ), is a country primarily located in Western Europe. It also comprises of Overseas France, overseas regions and territories in the Americas and the Atlantic Ocean, Atlantic, Pacific Ocean, Pac ...

. Having studied directing at the French film school La Femis, Ozon made several short films such as ''

A Summer Dress ''A Summer Dress'' (french: Une robe d'été) is a 1996 short film directed by François Ozon about a flagging gay relationship that is refueled in an unexpected way. Plot Luc ( Frédéric Mangenot) spends his holiday by the sea with his slightly ...

'' (''Une robe d'été'', 1996) and ''Scènes de lit'' (1998). His motion picture directing debut was ''

Sitcom A sitcom, a portmanteau of situation comedy, or situational comedy, is a genre of comedy centered on a fixed set of characters who mostly carry over from episode to episode. Sitcoms can be contrasted with sketch comedy, where a troupe may use ...

'' (also 1998), which was well received by both critics and audiences. After the

Fassbinder Rainer Werner Fassbinder (; 31 May 1945 – 10 June 1982), sometimes credited as R. W. Fassbinder, was a German filmmaker. He is widely regarded as one of the major figures and catalysts of the New German Cinema movement. Fassbinder's main ...

adaptation '' Water Drops on Burning Rocks'' (''Gouttes d'eau sur pierres brûlantes'', 2000) came the film which made his name outside France, ''

8 Women ''8 Women'' (french: 8 femmes) is a 2002 dark comedy musical film written and directed by François Ozon. Based on the 1958 play by Robert Thomas, it features an ensemble cast of high-profile French actresses that includes Catherine Deneuve, Is ...

'' (''8 femmes'', 2002), starring Catherine Deneuve,

Fanny Ardant Fanny Marguerite Judith Ardant (born 22 March 1949) is a French actress and film director. She is the recipient of numerous accolades, including two César Awards and a Lumières Award. Early life Ardant was born in Saumur, Maine-et-Loire, ...

Isabelle Huppert Isabelle Anne Madeleine Huppert (; born 16 March 1953) is a French actress. Described as "one of the best actresses in the world", she is known for her portrayals of cold and disdainful characters devoid of morality. She is the recipient of sev ...

and Emmanuelle Béart. With its quirky mix of musical numbers and murder mystery and a production design harking back to 1950s

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 ...

melodramas such as those directed by Douglas Sirk, the film became a huge commercial success. In 2003, ''

'', starring

Charlotte Rampling Tessa Charlotte Rampling (born 5 February 1946) is an English actress, known for her work in European arthouse films in English, French, and Italian. An icon of the Swinging Sixties, she began her career as a model. She was cast in the role ...

and Ludivine Sagnier, was released. Ozon considered it a very personal film that gives insight into the difficult process of writing a novel or screenplay. In 2004 he directed the film ''

5x2 ''5x2'' (also ''Cinq fois deux''; en, Five Times Two) is a 2004 French film directed by François Ozon, which uncovers the back story to the gradual disintegration of a middle class marriage by depicting five key moments in the relationship, bu ...

''. In 2005 his film '' Time to Leave'' (''Le temps qui reste'') was screened at film festivals worldwide. Ozon's first full English-language production, ''

Angel In various theistic religious traditions an angel is a supernatural spiritual being who serves God. Abrahamic religions often depict angels as benevolent celestial intermediaries between God (or Heaven) and humanity. Other roles ...

'', starring Romola Garai, was released in 2007. The film, based on a novel by British writer

Elizabeth Taylor Dame Elizabeth Rosemond Taylor (February 27, 1932 – March 23, 2011) was a British-American actress. She began her career as a child actress in the early 1940s and was one of the most popular stars of classical Hollywood cinema in the 1950s. ...

, follows the story of a poor girl who climbs Edwardian England's social ladder by becoming a romance writer. The film was shot at Tyntesfield House and Estate near Bristol, at other UK locations and in Belgium. While filming ''Angel'', Ozon developed a strong friendship with Garai and called her his "muse". His film '' The Refuge'' had its world premiere at the

Toronto International Film Festival The Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF, often stylized as tiff) is one of the largest publicly attended film festivals in the world, attracting over 480,000 people annually. Since its founding in 1976, TIFF has grown to become a perman ...

in September 2009. Ozon was on the jury for the 62nd Berlin International Film Festival, held in February 2012. His 2013 film ''

Young & Beautiful ''Young & Beautiful'' (french: Jeune & Jolie) is a 2013 French erotic drama film directed by François Ozon and produced by Eric and Nicolas Altmayer. The film stars Marine Vacth in the leading role of Isabelle, a teenage prostitute, and feat ...

'' (''Jeune & Jolie'') was nominated for the Palme d'Or at the

2013 Cannes Film Festival The 66th Cannes Film Festival took place in Cannes, France, from 15 to 26 May 2013. Steven Spielberg was the head of the jury for the main competition. New Zealand film director Jane Campion was the head of the jury for the Cinéfondation and ...

. Ozon was voted best screenwriter at the 2013 European Film Awards for his 2012 film '' In the House''. His 2014 film ''

The New Girlfriend ''The New Girlfriend and Other Stories'' is a short story A short story is a piece of prose fiction that typically can be read in one sitting and focuses on a self-contained incident or series of linked incidents, with the intent of evokin ...

'' premiered at the

in September 2014. His film '' Peter von Kant'', a gender-flipped reinterpretation of

Rainer Werner Fassbinder Rainer Werner Fassbinder (; 31 May 1945 – 10 June 1982), sometimes credited as R. W. Fassbinder, was a German filmmaker. He is widely regarded as one of the major figures and catalysts of the New German Cinema movement. Fassbinder's mai ...

's 1972 film ''

The Bitter Tears of Petra von Kant ''The Bitter Tears of Petra von Kant'' (german: Die bitteren Tränen der Petra von Kant) is a 1972 West German romantic drama film written and directed by Rainer Werner Fassbinder, based on his own play. Featuring an all-female cast, the plot tak ...

'', premiered at the 2022 Berlin Film Festival.Manori Ravindran
"Francois Ozon’s ‘Peter Von Kant’ to Open Berlin Film Festival"
'' Variety'', January 12, 2022.

Awards

* 1999: Seattle International Film Festival - Emerging Masters Showcase Award * 2004: Filmfest Hamburg - Douglas-Sirk-Award * 2006: Frameline Film Festival - Frameline Award * 2011:

Jameson Dublin International Film Festival The Dublin International Film Festival (DIFF; ) is an annual film festival held in Dublin, Ireland, since 2003. History Dublin International Film Festival was established in 2003. It was revived by Michael Dwyer, international film critic and ...

- Career Achievement Award

Filmography

Awards and nominations

References

External links

*
François Ozon's official site

Senses of Cinema: Great Directors Critical Database

POTICHE Facebook Page
{{DEFAULTSORT:Ozon, Francois 1967 births Living people Best Director Lumières Award winners European Film Award for Best Screenwriter winners Film directors from Paris French film editors French film producers French male non-fiction writers French male screenwriters French screenwriters French-language film directors German-language film directors French gay writers LGBT film directors LGBT screenwriters Officers Crosses of the Order of Merit of the Federal Republic of Germany Officiers of the Ordre des Arts et des Lettres