Encyclopedia of French Film Directors

712 • MENEZ, BERNARD
MENEZ, BERNARD (August 8, 1944, Mailly-le-
Château, Yonne, France–)
Parallel with his work as a mathematics and physics
teacher, he attended acting courses with Raymond
Girard. He made his stage debut in 1967 and entered
fi lms two years later (Du Côté d’Orouet, Jacques Rozier).
Seen in more than forty movies, including La Nuit
américaine / Effetto notte / USA: Day for Night (François
Truffaut, France / Italy, 1973), La Grande Bouffe / La
grande abbuffata / UK: Blow-Out / USA: The Grande
Bouffe (Marco Ferreri, France / Italy, 1973), Pleure pas
la Bouche pleine / USA: Don’t Cry with Your Mouth Full
(Pascal Thomas, 1973), Le Chaud Lapin (Pascal Thomas,
1974), Nono Nénesse (Pascal Thomas, 1976) and Maine
Océan, he wrote, directed, and performed a comedy.
Filmography
1982 Les P’tites Têtes (also co-screenwriter, codialogist,
actor)
MENOUD, JEAN-BERNARD (February 21, 1954,
Bulle, Switzerland–)
Having graduated from the Vevey photography school
in Switzerland, he started out as a camera operator
(1980 Sauve qui peut (la Vie) / Rette sich, wer kann (das
Leben) / UK: Slow Motion / USA: Every Man for Himself,
Jean-Luc Godard, France / Austria / West Germany /
UK). Known mostly for his work as a cinematographer
(1981 Lettre à Freddy Buache / USA: A Letter to
Freddy Buache, documentary, Jean-Luc Godard; 1983
Prénom Carmen / USA: First Name: Carmen, Jean-Luc
Godard; 1984 Signé Renart / A toi pour la Vie: Signé
Renart, Michel Soutter, Switzerland; Le Livre de Marie
/ USA: The Book of Marie, short, Anne-Marie Miéville,
France / Switzerland; 1985 Je vous salue Marie / USA:
Hail Mary, Jean-Luc Godard, France / Switzerland /
UK; 1986 Faire la Fête, short, Anne-Marie Miéville;
1988 Mon Cher Sujet, Anne-Marie Miéville, France /
Switzerland; 1989 Rose ou L’Ivraie en Famille, short,
Gérard Frot-Coutaz; Man No Run, documentary,
Claire Denis; 1990 La Campagne de Cicéron, Jacques
Davila; Après Après-Demain, Gérard Frot-Coutaz; 1991
Peinture fraîche, short, Gérard Frot-Coutaz, Jean-
Claude Guiguet; Le Cri du Lézard / Jeu de Mains, Jeu
de Vilains, Bertrand Treubet, France / Switzerland; Le
Jour des Rois, Marie-Claude Treilhou) and video operator
(1982 Passion / USA: Godard’s Passion, Jean-Luc
Godard, France / Switzerland), he directed only one
feature fi lm. Other credit (as camera operator): 1991
Great Performances (TV, episode “The Fred Astaire
Songbook,” David Heeley, USA).
Filmography
1986 Jour et Nuit (also co-screenwriter; Switzerland
/ France)
MERCANTON, LOUIS (1879, Switzerland–April
29, 1932, Paris, France)
After being an actor in South Africa in 1904 and then
a theater administrator in London, he was artistic
director of the French-British production company
Eclipse. The fi rst movie he directed was also the
fi rst of Sarah Bernhardt’s fi lm appearances. He soon
became the favorite director of the great tragedienne.
He often worked with foreign fi lm stars like
Ivor Novello (1920 L’Appel du Sang; Miarka, la Fille à
l’Ourse). Other credit (as screenwriter): 1920 Gosse
de Riche (Charles Burguet).
Filmography
1911 L’Assassinat d’Henri III (short; co-director with
Henri Desfontaines)
1912 Adrienne Lecouvreur / USA: An Actress’s Romance
(short; co-director with Henri Desfontaines;
also screenwriter, adapter)
La Reine Elisabeth / USA: Queen Elizabeth
(short; co-director with Henri Desfontaines,
Gaston Roudès)
1913 Anne de Boleyn / USA: Anne Boleyn (short; codirector
with Henri Desfontaines)
Shylock, le Marchand de Venise (short; codirector
with Henri Desfontaines; also screenwriter,
adapter)
Le Spectre du Passé (short; co-director with
René Hervil)
1914 La Remplaçante (co-director with René Hervil)
Vendetta (co-director with René Hervil; also
screenwriter, adapter)
1915 Sadounah
1916 Jeanne Doré (co-director with René Hervil)
Le Lotus d’Or
Suzanne (co-director with René Hervil; also
screenwriter)
Suzanne, Professeur de Flirt (co-director with
René Hervil)
1917 Le Tournant (co-director with René Hervil)
Mères françaises (co-director with René
Hervil)