Vahé-Karnik Khatchadourian better known as Vahé Katcha (in

Armenian Armenian may refer to: * Something of, from, or related to Armenia, a country in the South Caucasus region of Eurasia * Armenians, the national people of Armenia, or people of Armenian descent ** Armenian diaspora, Armenian communities around the ...

Վահէ Քաչա) (born in

Damascus Damascus ( , ; ) is the capital and List of largest cities in the Levant region by population, largest city of Syria. It is the oldest capital in the world and, according to some, the fourth Holiest sites in Islam, holiest city in Islam. Kno ...

Syria Syria, officially the Syrian Arab Republic, is a country in West Asia located in the Eastern Mediterranean and the Levant. It borders the Mediterranean Sea to the west, Turkey to Syria–Turkey border, the north, Iraq to Iraq–Syria border, t ...

1 April 1928 - died in Paris on 14 January 2003) was a French Armenian author, screenwriter and journalist. Katcha wrote 25 novels and two theatre pieces in addition to a great number of adaptations and screenwriting for a great number of French films. His novel ''L'Hameçon'' was adapted for the American film ''

The Hook The Hook, or the Hookman, is an urban legend about a killer with a pirate-like hook for a hand attacking a couple in a parked car. In many versions of the story, the killer is typically portrayed as a faceless, silhouetted old man wearing a r ...

''.

Career

Born in Syria, Katcha spent his childhood in

Lebanon Lebanon, officially the Republic of Lebanon, is a country in the Levant region of West Asia. Situated at the crossroads of the Mediterranean Basin and the Arabian Peninsula, it is bordered by Syria to the north and east, Israel to the south ...

, immigrating to France in 1945 when he was just 17 and where he pursued studies at IDEC in film screenwriting and won the Pelman prize in 1962 for 2 film reportages, ''Pas de pitié pour les aveugles'' et ''Les cancéreux''. He published his first book at age 20 titled ''Les mégots du dimanche'' on Gallimard followed up by ''Œil pour œil''. The latter was adapted to film directed by

André Cayatte André Cayatte (; 3 February 1909 – 6 February 1989) was a French filmmaker, writer and lawyer, who became known for his films centering on themes of crime, justice, and moral responsibility. Biography Cayatte began his directoral career at ...

. Katcha wrote 25 novels including ''Un homme est tombé dans la rue'' in addition to two theatre pieces. He was involved in screenwriting for 15 films. His books adapted to the screen include ''Galia'' that launched Mireille Darc, '' À Cœur joie'' (English title ''Two Weeks in September'') starring

Brigitte Bardot Brigitte Anne-Marie Bardot ( ; ; born 28 September 1934), often referred to by her initials B.B., is a French former actress, singer, and model as well as an animal rights activist. Famous for portraying characters with Hedonism, hedonistic life ...

, '' Le Maître-nageur'' starring

Jean-Louis Trintignant Jean-Louis Xavier Trintignant (; 11 December 1930 – 17 June 2022) was a French actor. He made his theatrical debut in 1951, and went on to be regarded as one of the best French dramatic actors of the post-World War II, war era. He starred in m ...

and

Jean-Claude Brialy Jean-Claude Brialy (30 March 1933 – 30 May 2007) was a French actor and film director. Early life Brialy was born in Aumale (now Sour El-Ghozlane), French Algeria, where his father was stationed with the French Army. Brialy moved to mainland ...

and ''La Grande Sauterelle'' starring Mireille Darc. He worked with 1963 MGM film ''

'' starring

Kirk Douglas Kirk Douglas (born Issur Danielovitch; December 9, 1916 – February 5, 2020) was an American actor and filmmaker. After an impoverished childhood, he made his film debut in '' The Strange Love of Martha Ivers'' (1946) with Barbara Stanwyck. ...

, adapted from his book ''L'Hameçon''. He also cooperated with French film director of Armenian origin Henri Verneuil co-screenwriting for '' Le Casse'' (English title '' The Burglars'') starring

Jean-Paul Belmondo Jean-Paul Charles Belmondo (; 9 April 19336 September 2021) was a French actor. Initially associated with the New Wave of the 1960s, he was a major French film star for several decades from the 1960s onward, frequently portraying police officer ...

and

Omar Sharif Omar Sharif (, ; born Michel Yusef Dimitri Chalhoub ; 10 April 1932 – 10 July 2015) was an Egyptian actor, generally regarded as one of his country's greatest male film stars. He began his career in his native country in the 1950s. He is bes ...

and in '' Mayrig'' starring

Claudia Cardinale Claude Joséphine Rose Cardinale (; born 15 April 1938), known as Claudia Cardinale (), is an Italian actress. Born and raised in La Goulette, a neighbourhood of Tunis, Cardinale won the "Most Beautiful Italian Girl in Tunisia" competition ...

and Omar Sharif. One of his best known books is ''Un poignard dans ce jardin'' published in 1981 about the life of an Armenian family in Constantinople during the Ottoman Empire and the Armenian massacres. Other notable works include ''Un bateau de singes'' in 1966, ''La mort d'un juif'' in 1972, ''Un bruit qui court'' in 1979 and ''Le Chypriote'' (a collaboration with Arlen Papazian in 1982) all published by Les Presses de la Cité. His theatre pieces are ''Le Repas des fauves'' in 1960Theatres Parisiens Associes: ''Le Repas des fauves'' de Vahe Katcha
/ref> and ''La Farce'' in 1963 (with mise en scène by Jean-Jacques Aslanian). His works have been translated into many languages including English, Spanish, German and Armenian in separate covers or through literary journals like «Գրական թերթ» and «Գարուն».

Novels

*1953: ''Les mégots du dimanche'' *1955: ''Oeil pour oeil'' *1957: ''L'hameçon'' **1958: ''The Hook'' (translated by Alexandra Torok) (adaptation of ''L'hameçon'') *1962: ''L'Homme qui troubla la fête'' *1963: ''La Canne'' *1964: ''Se réveiller démon'' *1966: ''Un bateau de singes'' *1967: ''A coeur joie'' *1967: ''Galia'' **1968: ''Quitte ou double, Galia'' *1968: ''Dix filles qui se lèvent à midi'' *1972: ''La mort d'un juif'' *1973: ''Laisser mourir les autres'' *1975: ''Un homme est tombe dans la rue'' *1977: ''La revanche des seigneurs'' *1979: ''Le Maitre-nageur'' *1979: ''Un bruit qui court'' *1980: ''Que faites-vous ce soir, Monsieur Kilian?'' *1981: ''Un poignard dans ce jardin'' *1982: ''Le Chypriote'' (with Arlen Papazian) *1983: ''Un poignard dans ce jardin'' *1985: ''Le provocateur''

Filmography / Screenwriting

*1957: '' An Eye for an Eye'' (from his same-titled novel ''Œil pour œil'') *1963: ''

'' (from his novel ''L'Hameçon'') *1964: ''Le repas des fauves'' (from his same-titled novel ''Le repas des fauves'') *1966: ''Two Hours to Kill'' *1966: ''Galia'' (original scenario and dialogue) *1967: ''La grande sauterelle'' (from his novel ''Quelqu'un mourra ce soir'') *1967: '' À Cœur joie'' (English title ''Two Weeks in September'') *1970: ''Moto Shel Yehudi'' *1971: '' Le Casse'' (English title '' The Burglars'') *1972: '' Les galets d'Étretat'' *1973: ''Les voraces'' (novel, screenplay, adaptation) *1979: ''Je vous ferai aimer la vie'' (writer) *1979: '' Le maître-nageur'' (novel) *1986: ''Mehmani-e khosoosi'' (story) *1987: ''The Last Image'' (story) ;Television *1972: ''La canne'' (TV film) (from his novel) *1990/1991: ' (TV series) (3 episodes, adaptation and dialogue) ;Reportages *''Pas de pitié pour les aveugles'' *''Les cancéreux''

Theatre

*1960: ''Le Repas des fauves'' *1963: ''La Farce'' (with mise en scène by Jean-Jacques Aslanian)

Sources

*''Who's Who: Armenians'' (in Armenian, «Ով ով է։ Հայեր»), volume 2, published by Armenian Encyclopedia Yerevan, 2007

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Katcha, Vahe Writers from Damascus Syrian people of Armenian descent 20th-century French novelists 20th-century French screenwriters 1928 births 2003 deaths French people of Armenian descent 20th-century French journalists Syrian emigrants to France Syrian expatriates in Lebanon