Encyclopedia of French Film Directors

After shooting several reports all over the world
for French TV, in 1993 he created his production
company, Key Light, which notably fi nanced his own
fi lms and those of Dominique Choisy (2000 Confort
moderne), Sylvaine Rathier (2002 Les Habits vieux
de l’Empereur, documentary), Luc Gétreau (2003
Le Piroguier blanc), and Charlotte Silvera (2006 Nos
chères Têtes blondes). Seen as an actor in L’Homme sur
les Quais / UK and USA: The Man by the Shore / The
Man on the Shore (Raoul Peck, France / Canada), he
also authored several plays (Lomoza; Monologue à trois;
Les Guichets du Diable).
Filmography
1994 Une Vie en Couleurs (documentary; also delegate
producer)
1998 On ne va nulle part et c’est très bien (also
screenwriter, dialogist, delegate producer;
shot in 1996)
2000 Le Mystère Gilot (documentary; short; also
delegate producer)
2003 Juliettes et Roméos (documentary; also delegate
producer)
2004 Le Ministère des Neiges (documentary; also coscreenwriter,
delegate producer)
Vendues (also co-screenwriter, dialogist, producer)
2006 L’Eldorado de Tarzenat (documentary; also delegate
producer)
JEANJEAN, BERNARD (June 18, 1967, Cherbourg,
Manche, France–)
Known mostly as a TV screenwriter (P.J. TV series,
2000–2004), he also co-wrote a short (1996 Avenue
Lénine, Félix Olivier) and a feature-length fi lm (2007
Tel Père telle Fille, Olivier de Plas).
Filmography
1991 Fin de Soirée (short; also screenwriter, dialogist)
1992 Chasseur d’Hôtel (short; co-director with Yvan
Gauthier; also co-screenwriter)
1993 On n’a pas tous les Jours 20 Ans (short; codirector
with Christophe Restiau; also coscreenwriter,
co-producer)
1995 Pique-Nique Douille (short; co-director with
Yvan Gauthier)
2004 Je me sens pas belle (also screenwriter, dialogist)
2007 J’veux pas que tu t’en ailles (also screenwriter,
dialogist)
JESSUA, ALAIN • 535
JEANSON, HENRI (March 6, 1900, Paris, France–
November 7, 1970, Equerdreville-Hainneville, Manche,
France)
After dropping out of school at age sixteen, he became
a journalist in 1917 (La Bataille syndicale) and
joined the satirical weekly newspaper Le Canard
enchaîné in 1919. By 1925, he won huge fame with
the fi rst play he wrote, Toi que j’ai tant aimé. From
1932 (La Dame de chez Maxim’s, Alexander Korda) to
1966 (L’Homme à la Buick, Gilles Grangier, released in
1968), he wrote eighty fi lms, including several masterpieces
(1937 Pépé le Moko, Julien Duvivier; Un Carnet
de Bal / UK: Christine / USA: Dance Program / Dance of
Life / Life Dances On, Julien Duvivier; 1938 Entrée des
Artistes / USA: The Curtain Rises, Marc Allégret; Hôtel
du Nord, Marcel Carné; 1945 Boule de Suif / USA: Angel
and Sinner, Christian-Jaque; 1952 Fanfan la Tulipe / UK:
Soldier of Love / USA: Fan-Fan the Tulip, Christian-Jaque,
La Fête à Henriette / UK / Henriette / USA: Holiday for
Henrietta, Julien Duvivier). He authored some of the
wittiest and most memorable dialogues of French
cinema. He just had time to complete his autobiography
(1972 70 Ans d’Adolescence, Editions Stock)
before dying of pulmonary edema at age seventy.
Filmography
1950 Lady Paname (with the collaboration of Hervé
Bromberger; also screenwriter, dialogist)
JESSUA, ALAIN (January 16, 1932, Paris, France–)
An assistant director for almost ten years (1952
Casque d’Or / UK: Golden Helmet / USA: Golden Marie,
Jacques Becker, France / Italy; Métier de Danseur,
short, Jacques Baratier; 1953 Madame de . . . / I gioielli
di Madame de . . . / UK: Diamond Earrings / USA: The
Earrings of Madame de . . . , Max Ophüls, France / Italy;
Chevalier de Ménilmontant, short, Jacques Baratier;
1954 Mam’zelle Nitouche / Santarellina / UK: Oh No,
Mam’zelle, Yves Allégret, France / Italy; 1955 Oasis /
Oase, Yves Allégret, France / Italy; Lola Montès / Lola
Montez / UK: The Fall of Lola Montes / USA: The Sins
of Lola Montes, Max Ophüls, France / West Germany;
1957 Escapade, Ralph Habib; 1960 Le Huitième
Jour, Marcel Hanoun; Terrain vague / Gioventù nuda,
Marcel Carné, France / Italy), he directed his fi rst
feature-length fi lm in 1964. He is also a novelist: 1998
Crèvecoeur (Editions Jean-Claude Lattès); 2003 Ce
Sourire-là (Editions Jean-Claude Lattès); 2006 Bref Séjour
parmi les Hommes (Editions du Rocher); 2007 La
Vie à l’Envers (Editions du Rocher); 2008 Un Jardin au