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Born in Chamalières, Auvergne, France. Usually known for his film, LE CRABE-TAMBOUR / THE DRUMMER-CRAB (1977), the story of a French naval officer and winner of the 1978 César. His other films have also merited acclaim: LA 317E SECTION / 317TH PLATOON (1965), a profound story of a French platoon in the French-Indochina War in its own right and a tangential explanation of a subplot of LE CRABE-TAMBOUR; THE ANDERSON PLATOON (1967), a documentary on a racially diverse American platoon in the Vietnam War and winner of the 1967 Academy Award for Best Documentary Feature; and DIÊN BIÊN PHU (1982), a documentary on the famous battle. The American film, FAREWELL TO THE KING (1989), with Nick Nolte, bears the title of one of his books, but similarities beyond character names and locations are rare. Other films include LÀ-HAUT / UP THERE (2002), L'HONNEUR D'UN CAPITAINE / A CAPTAIN'S HONOR (1982), OBJECTIF 500 MILLIONS (1966), LA PASSE DU DIABLE / DEVIL'S PASS (1959), PÊHEUR D'ISLANDE / ISLAND FISHERMAN (1959), and RAMUNTCHO (1959). The literary foundations of his films include Le Crab Tambour, The Paths of the Sea (in English), The 317th Platoon, and Farewell to the King. All are fine reads.
Biographical information available in English is sparse. Born in France in 1928, he served in the alpine infantry and as a combat photographer in the French army during the French Indochina War. Captured at the battle of Dien Bien Phu (1954), he suffered in a Vietnamese POW camp until his amnesty in 1955.
1 nomination, 1 Award |
Best Documentary (Features)