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Born in London, England; educated at Manchester University. The youngest director ever to work at London's National Theatre, he also directed for British television until 1981. Joffe made his big-screen mark in the mid-1980s with two large-scale, politically oriented spectacles. THE KILLING FIELDS (1984) was based on the experiences of New York Times correspondent Sydney Schanberg and his Cambodian assistant, Dith Pran, before and after the fall of Phnom Penh to the Khmer Rouge in 1975; THE MISSION (1986) focused on political intrigue and exploitation in a Jesuit mission in Brazil in the late 18th century. Both films were visually sumptuous -- they earned Chris Menges two Oscars for best cinematography -- though the lushness and length of each was felt by some critics to lessen their dramatic impact.
Other notable directing credits include FAT MAN AND LITTLE BOY (1989, also screenplay), CITY OF JOY (1992, also producer), SUPER MARIO BROS. (1993 - uncredited, also producer), THE SCARLET LETTER (1995, also producer), WATERPROOF (1999 - producer), VATEL (2000, also producer), CAPTIVITY (2007) and FINDING T.A.T.U. and SINGULARITY (also writer) (both 2008).
2 nominations |
Nominated for Directing