Schiffman, Suzanne

(September 27, 1929, Paris, France - June 5, 2001, Paris, France)

   She studied literature at the Sorbonne before spend­ing two years at the Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique and completing her studies at the Uni­versity of Chicago. While earning her living working at the Radiodiffusion Française, she befriended some of the future French New Wave directors. She made her film debut with one of them, Jacques Rivette, as dialogue coach on Paris nous appartient / UK: Paris Is Ours / USA: Paris Belongs to Us (1960, shot in 1958). A script girl first (1960 Tirez sur le Pianiste / UK: Shoot the Pianist / Canada: Shoot the Piano Player, François Truf-faut; 1961 Lola / Donna di vita, Jacques Demy, France / Italy; Une Femme est une Femme / La donna è donna / USA: A Woman Is a Woman, Jean-Luc Godard, France / Italy; 1962 Jules et Jim / UK and USA: Jules and Jim, François Truffaut; Vivre sa Vie / UK: It's My Life / USA: My Life to Live, Jean-Luc Godard; 1963 Le Petit Soldat, Jean-Luc Godard, France / Italy, shot in 1960; Le Mépris / Il disprezzo / USA: Contempt, Jean-Luc Godard, France / Italy; 1964 La Peau douce / Angustia / USA: The Soft Skin, François Truffaut) and then script supervisor (1964 Bande à Part / UK: The Outsiders / USA: Band of Outsiders, Jean-Luc Godard; Une Femme mariée: Suite de Fragments d'un Film tourné en 1964 / Une Femme Mariée / UK and USA: A Married Woman, Jean-Luc Go­dard; 1968 Les Gauloises bleues, Michel Cournot; Bais­ers volés / USA: Stolen Kisses, François Truffaut; 1969 La Sirène du Mississippi / La mia droga si chiama Julie / USA: Mississippi Mermaid, François Truffaut, France / Italy), she soon became one of the favorite collabora­tors of François Truffaut. From 1966 (Farenheit 451) to 1981 (La Femme d'à Côté / UK and USA: Woman Next Door), she worked as an assistant director on all his films and co-wrote several of them (1973 La Nuit américaine / Effetto notte / USA: Day for Night, France / Italy; 1975 L'Histoire d'Adèle H / USA: The Story of Adele H; 1976 L'Argent de Poche / UK: Pocket Money / USA: Small Change; 1977 L'Homme qui aimait les Femmes / USA: The Man Who Loved Women, also actress; 1979 L'Amour en Fuite / UK and USA: Love on the Run; 1980 Le Dernier Métro / UK and USA: The Last Metro; 1981 La Femme d'à Côté / UK and USA: The Woman Next Door; 1983 Vivement Dimanche / UK: Finally, Sunday / USA: Confidentially Yours). Other credits (as co-screenwriter): 1971 Le Bateau sur l'Herbe / USA: The Boat on the Grass (Gérard Brach); Out 1: Noli me tangere / Out 1 (Jacques Rivette); 1973 Pleure pas la Bouche pleine / USA: Don't Cry with Your Mouth Full (also first assist­ant director, Pascal Thomas); 1974 Out One: Spectre (shortened version of Out 1: Noli me tangere (Jacques Rivette); 1981 Le Pont du Nord (also first assistant di­rector, Jacques Rivette); 1983 Merry-Go-Round (Jacques Rivette, shot in 1977); 1984 L'Amour par Terre / USA: Love on the Ground (also first assistant director, Jacques Rivette); 1985 Rouge-Gorge (Pierre Zucca); Flugel und Fesseln / L'Avenir d'Emilie / UK and USA: The Future of Emily (Helma Sanders-Brahms, West Germany / France); Hurlevent / USA: Wuthering Heights (also first assistant director, Jacques Rivette); 1990 Corps perdus / Cuerpos perdidos (Eduardo de Gregorio, France / Ar-getina); 2002 Tangos volés / Tangos robados (Eduardo de Gregorio, France / Spain); 2003 Bolondok éneke (Csaba Bereczky, Hungary / France); 2005 The Ikaro's Dream (Costa Natsis, Greece).

 Filmography

1987 ◘ Le Moine et la Sorcière / USA: Sorceress (also co-screenwriter, co-adapter, co-dialogist)

 Television Filmography

1988 ◘ Femme de Papier / UK festival: Front Woman (also co-screenwriter, co-dialogist)