Encyclopedia of French Film Directors

DINI, GENNARO
Napolitan born, he settled on the French Riviera.
A diplomat, engineer, architect, sculptor, musician,
and painter, he entered fi lms as an actor (1918
Reine-Lumière, twelve episodes: “L’Usine aux Secrets,”
“L’Effroyable Aventure,” “La Justice de César,” “La
Nuit terrible,” “Le Repaire,” “Le Crime en Déroute,”
“Un Coup de Tonnerre dans le Ciel bleu,” “L’Explosif,”
“Ahmed le Marocain,” “Le Château de la Mort,” “La
Bataille suprême,” “Lino Manzoni,” René Navarre,
reedited in 1921; 1919 Barrabas, Louis Feuillade; 1920
Tue-la-Mort, twelve episodes: “L’Auberge du Petit
Chaperon Rouge,” “La Forge des Quatre Chemins,”
“Les Contrebandiers,” “L’Inconnu,” “Tue-la-Mort et
Ovilla,” “Une Etrange Hypothèse,” “L’Incendie,” “Canzonette,”
“Tu ne tueras point,” “Un et un font un,”
“Tiberio,” “La Vengeance d’Ovillia,” René Navarre;
Le Secret d’Alta Rocca, twelve episodes: “Les Dessous
d’Alta Rocca,” “Octave Bernac,” “L’Homme à
l’Anneau de Fer,” “La Rencontre,” “La Boutique de la
Rue Picpus,” “Le Magazine révélateur,” “La Méprise
rouge,” “L’Hydravion mystérieux,” “Détresse,” “Une
Levée d’Ecrou imprévu,” “Le Camion disparu,” “La
Cave à Noyade,” André Liabel; 1921 Le Sept de Trèfl e,
twelve episodes: “La Carte fatale,” “L’Idylle de Lottie,”
“La Princesse Irène,” “Le Fond de l’Abîme,” “Les
Deux Frères,” “En Cage,” “Le Mariage de Lottie,”
“Ce que Femme veut,” “La Dernière Route,” “L’Enjeu
suprême,” “Les Cachots de Venise,” “Le Vainqueur du
Sept de Trèfl e”). He also drew fi lm posters and was
a set decorator (1924 J’ai tué / Fidélité / USA: I Have
Killed, Roger Lion).
Filmography
1923 L’Expiation (also screenwriter, producer, actor)
Paternité (also screenwriter, producer)
1924 La Nuit d’un Vendredi 13 (also producer)
1926 Âme de Femmes (also screenwriter, producer)
Romanetti, le Roi du Maquis (four parts; also
producer; shot in 1924)
1928 Les Capes noires / Amour de Perdition / Justice
(also actor)
1929 Quand l’Ombre descend (also screenwriter,
producer designer)
1931 Les Vagabonds magnifi ques (also screenwriter,
dialogist)
1932 La Voix qui meurt (also screenwriter, dialogist)
DION, JEAN-FRANÇOIS (October 22, 1948,
Troyes, Aube, France–)
He started out as an assistant director before fi lming
shorts.
Filmography
1971 Les Machins de l’Existence (short)
1973 L’Audition (short; also screenwriter)
1975 Thomas (also screenwriter, adapter, dialogist)
DIONYSIUS, ERIC (1951, France–)
DOILLON, JACQUES • 329
Mostly a fi lm producer, he directed a couple of musical
documentaries. He also was a second assistant
director (1987 Cronaca di una morte annunciata /
Chronique d’une Mort annoncée / Cronica de una muerte
anunciada / UK and USA: Chronicle of a Death Foretold,
Francesco Rosi, Italy / France / Colombia).
Filmography
1980 AC / DC the Film: Let There Be Rock (documentary)
2005 AC / DC: Family Jewels (video documentary; codirector
only; segments “Hells Bells,” “Back in
Black,” “What Do You Do for Money Honey?”,
“Rock and Roll Ain’t Noise Pollution,” “You
Shook Me All Night Long”; Australia)
DOILLON, JACQUES (March 15, 1944, Paris,
France–)
A former post offi ce worker, he became an apprentice
(1966 Trans-Europ-Express, Alain Robbe-Grillet,
France / Belgium; Le Volcan interdit, documentary, Haroun
Tazieff; 1967 Mexico, Mexico / Soy México, documentary,
François Reichenbach, France / Mexico) and
then full editor (1969 Paris Top secret, Pierre Roustang;
1970 Trop Petit mon Ami / UK: Ticky / USA: Too Small
My Friend, Eddy Matalon; 1971 Le Feu sacré, Vladimir
Forgency). A fi lm director since 1969, he played in a
few movies (1974 L’Inventaire, short, Gébé; 1985 Elle
a passé tant d’Heures sous les Sunlights . . . , Philippe
Garrel; 1988 Les Ministères de l’Art, TV documentary,
as himself, Philippe Garrel; 2004 Bâtons d’Encens pour
Mizoguchi, documentary, as himself, Noël Simsolo;
2005 Un Couple parfait, Nobuhiro Suwa, France /
Japan) and TV documentaries (1998 Jacques Doillon—
Les Mots, l’Emotion, Anne Brochet, Françoise Dumas;
2007 Dominique Laffi n, Portrait d’une Enfant pas sage,
Laurent Perrin).