Philippe Grandrieux (born in 1954) is a French film director and screenwriter. He studied film at the INSAS (Institut National Supérieur des Arts du Spectacle) in Belgium. In 1976, he exhibited his first video work at Galerie Albert Baronian, Bruxelles. He works in several areas of kinetic visual arts, including: television experiments, feature films, documentaries, performance, installation, staging.

Work

Television experiments

In the 1980s, he worked in collaboration with the French Institut national de l'audiovisuel (INA) and the television channel La Sept/Arte where he helped develop new cinematographic forms and formats that reconsider some basic principles of film writing such as the conventions behind documentary, information and film essays. In 1990, he created the “Live” film research laboratory, which produced one-hour-long sequences by Robert Kramer,

Robert Frank Robert Frank (November 9, 1924 – September 9, 2019) was a Swiss American photographer and documentary filmmaker. His most notable work, the 1958 book titled ''The Americans'', earned Frank comparisons to a modern-day de Tocqueville for his ...

br>Thierry Kuntzel
Nick Waplington, Dominique Dubosc, Daniele Incalcatera, Christian Argentino, Lasse Naukkarinen among others.

Feature films

In 1998, his first feature '' Sombre'' (112’) won the Special Jury Prize at the

Locarno Film Festival The Locarno International Film Festival is a major international film festival, held annually in Locarno, Switzerland. Founded in 1946, the festival screens films in various competitive and non-competitive sections, including feature-length narr ...

. Starring Elina Lowensohn and Marc Barbé. In 2002, A New Life (102’) was premiered at the Toronto International Film Festival. Starring Zach Knighton,

Anna Mouglalis Anna Mouglalis (; ; born 26 April 1978) is a French actress and model. She is known for being a house ambassador for Chanel since 2002, and for portraying the fashion designer Coco Chanel in the 2009 film '' Coco Chanel & Igor Stravinsky'', and a ...

, Marc Barbé and Zsolt Nagy. In 2008, A Lake (90') was ready for the 65th Venice Film Festival. It won a Special Mention in the Orizzonti Section which rewards movies that initiate new cinematographic trends. With Dmitry Kubasov, Natalie Rehorova, Alexei Solonchev. In 2016, '' Despite The Night'' (150’), with Christian Marr, Ariane Labed, Roxane Mesquida, Paul Hamy, Aurélien Recoing, was premiered at the Rotterdam International Film Festival. The film was also at Critics' Week during the Berlinale, at Film Comment Selects - Lincoln Center - New York. In 2018, Grandrieux directed ''La Lumière, la lumière'' (10') in the frame of "Liminal" including four films, from

Lav Diaz Lavrente Indico Diaz (born December 30, 1958) is a Filipino independent filmmaker and former film critic. He is frequently known as one of the key members of the slow cinema movement, and has made several of the longest narrative films on reco ...

, Manuel de Laborde, Oscar Enriquez and Philippe Grandrieux. The proposal was to play on the poetic affinities between cinema and music. Liminal was commissioned by FICUNAM and

UNAM The National Autonomous University of Mexico (, UNAM) is a public research university in Mexico. It has several campuses in Mexico City, and many others in various locations across Mexico, as well as a presence in nine countries. It also has 34 ...

. With Camille Grandrieux and Lola Norda. 2025 Grandrieux prepares his new feature film ''Marcus.'' Screenplay co-written with

Jonathan Littell Jonathan Littell (born October 10, 1967) is a writer living in Barcelona. His first novel written in French, '' The Kindly Ones'' (2006; ''Les Bienveillantes''), won two major French awards, including the Prix Goncourt and the Prix de l'Académi ...

Video clip

In 2007

Marilyn Manson Brian Hugh Warner (born January 5, 1969), known professionally as Marilyn Manson, is an American rock musician. He is the lead singer and the only original member remaining of the Marilyn Manson (band), same-titled band he founded in 1989. Th ...

asked Grandrieux to direct the video for the song "Putting Holes in Happiness" from his album Eat Me, Drink Me.

Documentary

His last documentary ''It May Be That Beauty Has Strengthened Our Resolve - Masao Adachi'' won in 2011 the New:Vision Award at CPH:DOX - Copenhagen, in 2012 the Great Experimental Prize at Festival Côté Court - Pantin, France and in 2013 The Great Prize For Documentary at the Tripoli Film Festival - Lebanon. This film was previewed at the Cinémathèque Française, at the Centre Pompidou, at Fid Marseille (international selection) and then in more than 40 festivals.

Films, performances, installations

In 2012 Grandrieux started a work inspired by the concept of «the bare life» from the philosopher

Giorgio Agamben Giorgio Agamben ( ; ; born 22 April 1942) is an Italian philosopher best known for his work investigating the concepts of the state of exception, form-of-life (borrowed from Ludwig Wittgenstein) and '' homo sacer''. The concept of biopolitic ...

. Each movement, ''White Epilepsy'', ''Meurtrière'' and ''Unrest'', is a film and a performance with dancers. Each film was presented for the first time at FID Marseille (international or national competition). This work (performances or films) was also presented at the

Whitney Museum of American Art The Whitney Museum of American Art, known informally as "The Whitney", is a Modern art, modern and Contemporary art, contemporary American art museum located in the Meatpacking District, Manhattan, Meatpacking District and West Village neighbor ...

, the Radcliffe Institute - Harvard University, the University of Chicago, Centre Pompidou-Metz, ICI-CCN - Montpellier, and CCN - Le Havre. In 2019, The Empty Gallery (Hong Kong) presented the exhibition "The Bare Life" with the trilogy ''White Epilepsy, Meurtrière, Unrest'', and ''The Scream'', an installation of eleven projections.

Staging and videos

In May and June 2023, his staging and videos for

Richard Wagner Wilhelm Richard Wagner ( ; ; 22 May 181313 February 1883) was a German composer, theatre director, essayist, and conductor who is chiefly known for his operas (or, as some of his mature works were later known, "music dramas"). Unlike most o ...

’s opera

Tristan and Isolde Tristan and Iseult, also known as Tristan and Isolde and other names, is a medieval chivalric romance told in numerous variations since the 12th century. Of disputed source, usually assumed to be primarily Celtic, the tale is a tragedy about ...

were presented at the Opera Ballet Vlaanderen in Antwerp and Ghent (Belgium), then in June 2024 at the Opéra de Rouen, France.

Teaching

2012 / 2013: Visiting Fiction Film Professor at

Harvard University Harvard University is a Private university, private Ivy League research university in Cambridge, Massachusetts, United States. Founded in 1636 and named for its first benefactor, the History of the Puritans in North America, Puritan clergyma ...

Fellowship

2015 / 2016
Fellowship from The Radcliffe Institute for Advanced Study
at Harvard University

Awards

1983 ''Juste une Image'' (about the new images - 9 x 55’) co-author with Louisette Neil and Thierry Garrel
- Grand Prix Scam 1983'' Pleine Lune'' ("soirée thématique" 180’) co-author with Jérôme Prieur and Thierry Kuntzel
- Prix de l’Association française des critiques de télévision 1998 ''Sombre'' (feature 112')
- Festival de Locarno: Special Mention of the jury 2009 ''Un lac'' (feature 90')
- 65th Mostra of Venice Orizzonti: Special Mention of the jury 2009 ''Un lac'' (feature 90')
- International Film Festival of Las Palmas: Best Photography + Special Mention for Innovation 2016 ''Meurtrière'' (film - installation 59')
- Festival du nouveau cinéma de Montréal: Prix FNC LAB
- Festival FilMadrid: Mention spéciale du jury 2011 ''It May Be That Beauty Has Strengthened Our Resolve - Masao Adachi'' (documentary 74')
- CPH:DOX Copenhagen Documentary Film Festival, Danemark: «New:Vision Award» (2011) - Festival Côté Court, Pantin, France: Great Experimental Prize (2012) - Tripoli Festival, Liban: Great Prize For Documentary «Cultural Resistance» (2013)

Solo Retrospectives

Since 2005, programs devoted to Grandrieux's features (including ''Sombre'', ''La Vie nouvelle'', ''Un lac,'' and ''Malgré la nuit''), installations, documentary work and shorts have been presented across the world. 2005: «Philippe Grandrieux» États généraux du film documentaire, Lussas, France 2007: «Breathless, French New New Wave» Australian Cinematheque, Gallery of Modern Art, Brisbane, Australia 2008: «Extreme Love, around Philippe Grandrieux» Uplink, Tokyo 2008: «Philippe Grandrieux»

Tate Modern Tate Modern is an art gallery in London, housing the United Kingdom's national collection of international Modern art, modern and contemporary art (created from or after 1900). It forms part of the Tate group together with Tate Britain, Tate Live ...

, London, as part of "Paradise Now! Essential French Avant-Garde cinema 1890-2008». With ''A New Life (La Vie nouvelle)'', ''The Late Season'' ''(L'Arrière-saison)'', the video clip ''Putting Holes in Happiness'' and an extract from ''A Lake (Un lac)''. 2009: «Ciclo Philippe Grandrieux» International Film Festival of Guadalajara, Mexico 2009: «Ciclo Philippe Grandrieux» Cineteca Nacional, Mexico 2009: «Ciclo Philippe Grandrieux» Belo Horizonte and Sao Paulo, Brazil 2009: «Ciclo Philippe Grandrieux» International Film Festival of Cali, Colombia 2009: «All about Philippe Grandrieux» CPH:DOX International Film Festival of Copenhagen, Denmark 2010: «Film Comment Selects: Philippe Grandrieux» Lincoln Center, New York, USA 2010: «Philippe Grandrieux» Harvard Film Archive, Cambridge, USA 2010: «Philippe Grandrieux» International Film Festival of Las Palmas, Spain 2011: «World Cinema Now» Monash University, Melbourne, Australia 2012: «Philippe Grandrieux Artist in Focus» Courtisane, Gent, Belgium 2012: «Hommage» organisé par la revue Hors Champ et la Cinémathèque Québécoise, dans le cadre du Festival du nouveau cinéma, Montreal 2013: «Carte Blanche à Philippe Grandrieux»

, New York, US. With the film White Epilepsy and the performance piece Meurtrière (world premiere). 2016: «Philippe Grandrieux Artist in Focus» 17th Jeonju IFF, South Korea 2017: «Philippe Grandrieux» Milan 2017: «Philippe Grandrieux» Seville 2017: «Philippe Grandrieux Tribute» Thessaloniki 2017: «Philippe Grandrieux» ACFK Uherské Hradiště, Czech Republic 2019: ''White Epilepsy'', ''Meurtrière'', ''Unrest'' as well as ''The Scream'', an installation of eleven projections, have been presented at the Empty Gallery/Hong Kong in a solo exhibition entitled
The Bare Life
'. 2019: «Cinéma d’avant-garde: Philippe Grandrieux»

Cinémathèque française A cinematheque is an archive of films and film-related objects with an exhibition venue. Similarly to a book library (bibliothèque in French), a cinematheque is responsible for preserving and making available to the public film heritage. Typically ...

, Paris. With ''Sombre'', ''La Vie nouvelle'', ''Un lac'', ''Malgré la nuit','' ''White Epilepsy', Meurtrière', Unrest'' ''and L'Arrière-saison'.'' 2023: «Rétrospective Philippe Grandrieux» La Filmothèque du quartier latin, Paris

Scripts

1998 ''Sombre'' / Written in collaboration with Pierre Hogdson et Sophie Fillière 1999 ''Karain'' / Adaptation of ''Karain, The Tales of Unrest'' by

Joseph Conrad Joseph Conrad (born Józef Teodor Konrad Korzeniowski, ; 3 December 1857 – 3 August 1924) was a Poles in the United Kingdom#19th century, Polish-British novelist and story writer. He is regarded as one of the greatest writers in the Eng ...

2002 ''A New Life'' (''La Vie nouvelle)'' / Written in collaboration with Éric Vuillard 2008 ''A Lake'' (''Un Lac)'' 2010 ''The Killing Room'' / Written in collaboration with Geoff Cox 2012 ''Beyond The Night'' (''Malgré la nuit)'' / Written in collaboration with Bertrand Schefer, Rebeca Zlotowski et

John-Henry Butterworth John-Henry Butterworth is a British screenwriter who has co-written several screenplays with his brother Jez Butterworth. The brothers won the Writers Guild of America's 2011 Paul Selvin Award for their screenplay for the film '' Fair Game'' ...

2022 ''Marcus'' / Written in collaboration with

Bibliography

Texts about Philippe Grandrieux (extracts) ''Le cinéma de Philippe Grandrieux : un dispositif de transe?'' Milena Escobar, thèse de doctorat Aix-Marseille Université, 2022 ''Philippe Grandrieux, Sonic Cinema'', by Greg Hainge, Bloomsbury Publishing, 2016, 300p. ''Rêverie d’un filmeur solitaire'' par Serge Kaganski, Les Inrockuptibles n°1075, 2016 ''État des corps Malgré la nuit'', Raymond Bellour, Trafic n° 98, P.O.L, 2016 ''Grandrieux dans le flou des corps'' by Guillaume de Sardes, ed. Prussian Blue # 4, p. 52 -57, 2013 ''Philippe Grandrieux de la pulsion à la grâce'' by John Jefferson Selve, Possession Immédiate, # 2, p. 62 - 83, 2015 Cinema and Agamben: ''Ethics, Biopolitics and the Moving Image'', Henrik Gustafsson and Asbjoorn Gronstad - Engaging Hand to Hand with the Moving Image: Serra, Viola and Grandrieux’s Radical Gestures, ed. Bloomsbury Publishing, 2014 Phenomenology and the Future of Film: ''Rethinking Subjectivity beyond French Cinema'', Jenny Chamarette. ''Threatened Corporealities: Thinking the Films of Philippe Grandrieux'', ed. Palgrave Macmillian, 2012 ''Le Futur antérieur'', Raymond Bellour, Trafic, n° 70, P.O.L, 2009 ''Le Corps concrêt'', Greg Hainge : «Of Bodily and Filmic Material Excess in Philippe Grandrieux’s Cinema.», ed. Monash University, Melbourne, 2008 ''Cinema and Sensation: French Film and the Art of Transgression,'' Martine Beugnet, ed. Edinburgh University, 2007 ''L’Au-delà des images'', Christa Blümlinger, Parachute n° 123, Montreal, 2006 ''La Vie nouvelle/nouvelle Vision, à propos d’un film de Philippe Grandrieux'', sous la direction de Nicole Brenez. With texts by: Jonathan Rosenbaum, Raymond Bellour, Nicole Brenez, Sothean Nhieim, Fabien Gaffez, Serge Kaganski Augustin Gimel, Lionel Soukaz, Adrian Martin, Vincent Amiel, Peter Tscherkassky... This publication includes a DVD of the film ''La Vie nouvelle (A New Life)'', Éditions Leo Scheer, Paris, 2005 ''Holly Terror: Philippe Grandrieux «Sombre»,'' Adrian Martin, ed. Senses Of Cinema, 1999 ''Pour Sombre'', Raymond Bellour, Trafic, n° 28, P.O.L, 1998

Publications

Texts by Philippe Grandrieux (extracts) Two drawings and one text for ''

Médéa Médéa () is the capital city of Médéa Province, Algeria. It is located roughly 68 km south of Algiers. The present-day city is situated on the site of an ancient Roman military post and has a history dating back to the 10th century. The ...

'' by Stephan Crasneanscki
Libraryman Editions
2024 ''En vrac,'' Mettray, ed. Didier Morin, 2022 ''Troubles,'' Mettray, ed. Didier Morin, 2021 ''Au bord d’un lac : Qu’est-ce que le réel ? Des cinéastes prennent position,'' dir. Andréa Picard, ed. Post-éditions - Cinéma du réel, 2018 ''Journal de tournage, Malgré la nuit'' (1ère partie), Trafic, n° 98, ed. P.O.L, été 2016 ''Journal de tournage, Malgré la nuit'' (2èrme partie), Mettray, ed. Didier Morin, 2016 ''Philippe Grandrieux à propos d’Ariane Labed''
Possession Immédiate
# 3, p 62. 2015 ''La Première image'', un texte écrit à l’occasion de la parution du n° 700 des Cahiers du cinéma, 2014 ''Congo'', Trafic n° 83, P.O.L, automne 2012 ''Les Morts'', Trafic n° 84, P.O.L, hiver 2012 ''À quoi bon une image'', Le cinéma critique, de l’argentique au numérique, voies et formes de l’objection visuelle : Sorbonne Université Presses, 2010 ''Sous le ciel de Dwoskin'', Trafic n° 76, ed. P.O.L, hiver 2010 ''Bad Lieutnant'' d’

Abel Ferrara Abel Ferrara (; born July 19, 1951) is an American filmmaker. He is best known for the provocative and often controversial content in his movies and his use and redefinition of neo-noir imagery. A long-time independent filmmaker, some of his best ...

, a text by Philippe Grandrieux, commissioned by Nicole Brenez for the booklet of the DVD edition of ''Bad Lieutnant'', 2005 ''Correspondance sur La Vie nouvelle'', Philippe Grandrieux et Éric Vuillard, Trafic n° 44, P.O.L, hiver 2002 ''L’Emprise'', Trafic n° 38, ed. P.O.L., été 2001 ''Sur l’horizon insensé du cinéma'', Cahiers du cinéma, hors-série, novembre 2000 ''Incendie'', Trafic n° 16, ed. P.O.L., autome 1995 ''One Summer'', Livraison n°4 Open Landscapes – Closed rooms, 2009-2010, p. 174, 175, 186

References

External links

* * philippegrandrieux > Instagram {{DEFAULTSORT:Grandrieux, Philippe French film directors French screenwriters French experimental filmmakers 1954 births Living people People from Saint-Étienne