Josipovici, Jean

(Jean-François Josipovici / Au­gust 8, 1914, Triel-Sur-Seine, Val-d'Oise, France - June 25, 1992, Rossano, Italy)

   The son of a diplomat father, he grew up in Cairo, where he was initiated into sufism and Coptic reli­gion at age fifteen. A few years later, he returned to France and, following philosopher Henri Bergson's advice, completed his studies at Aix-en-Provence University. Having graduated in law and as a doctor of letters at age twenty-three with his thesis Fragments de Vie intérieure, he published an essay (1939, Lettre à Jean Giono, Grasset), a collection of short stories (1945 Etrange comme la Vie, Editions des Deux Rives), and a novel (1946 Bellecuisse, Editions des Deux Rives). Also a playwright (1950 Docteur Hinterland), he co-wrote three of Edmond T. Gréville's movies (1945 Dorothée cherche l'Amour; 1947 Pour une Nuit d'Amour, as co-dialogist; Le Diable souffle, as co-adapter) and two Italian productions (1953 L'uomo, la bestia e la virtù / UK and USA: Man, Beast and Virtue, Steno = Stefano Vanzina; 1972 Spara Joe . . . e cosi sia! / USA: Joe Dakota / Shoot Joe, and Shoot Again, Emilio P. Mi-raglia). Married to French actress Viviane Romance (1912-1991), he directed her three times before divorcing and moving to Italy. After working as an as­sistant director to Carlo Ludovico Bragaglia (1960 Gli amori di Ercole / Les Amours d'Hercule / USA: The Loves of Hydra / US TV: Hercules vs the Hydra / Hercules and the Hydra, Italy / France) and making a final direct­ing effort, he studied Raja Yoga and created his own therapy (transforming negative vibrations into a posi­tive energy). He still authored several esoteric books that were published in Italy (1975 La prigione esoterica; 1976 Il fattore; 1977 Catarsi di Maria Maddalena; 1978 La scienza oscurantista; 1982 Iniziazione alla felicità; 1986 L'avventura spirituale di Anton Mesmer; 1987 Sotto l'azzuro del tuo cielo; 1988 Suite).

 Filmography

1954 ◘ La Chair et le Diable / Il fuoco nelle vene / USA: Flesh and Desire (also screenwriter, France / Italy)

1956 ◘ L'Inspecteur connaît la Musique (also screenwriter)

        ◘ Pitié pour les Vamps (also screenwriter, producer)

1964 ◘ Delitto allo specchio / Les Possédées du Démon / USA: Death on the Fourposter / Sexy Party (also co-screenwriter; Italy / France)