Tazieff, Haroun

(May 11, 1914, Warsaw, Po­land-February 5, l998, Paris, France)

   The son of a Tatar Muslim doctor father, killed in action in the early days of World War I, and a Polish chemist and doctor in political sciences mother, he was six years old when he went to Belgium with his mother. Having graduated in agronomy from the Faculty of Gembloux in l938, he also earned a de­gree in geology from the University of Liège. A vol-canologist since the late l940s, he settled in France in l958. His documentaries made him famous the world over. He appeared as himself in Contre l'Oubli / Ecrire contre l'Oubli / Against Oblivion / Lest We Forget (documentary, segment "Pour Mulugetta Mosissa, Ethiopie", Jean-Michel Carré). Several films used documentary footage taken from his movies (l961 Ercole alla conquista di Atlantide / Hercule à la Con­quête de l'Atlantide / UK: Hercules Conquers Atlantis / USA: Hercules and the Captive Women, Vittorio Cot-tafavi, Italy / France; 1965 Crack in the World, Andrew Marton, USA; l972 Pink Floyd: Live at Pompeii / Pink Floyd à Pompéi / Pink Floyd in Pompeii / USA: Echoes: Pink Floyd, Adrian Maben, Belgium / West Germany / France; l983 Sans Soleil, documentary, Chris Marker). Other credit (as cinematographer): l973 National Geographic Specials (documentary; episode "The Violent Earth", Denis Azzarella, USA).

 Filmography

        ◘ Grêle de Feu (documentary; short)

        ◘ Records au Gouffre de la Pierre Saint-Martin (documentary; short)

        ◘ Stromboli (documentary; short)

        ◘ L'Eruption de l'Etna (documentary; short)

        ◘ Au Milieu des Cratères en Feu (documentary; short)

        ◘ Les Eaux souterraines (documentary; short)

        ◘ Les Rendez-vous du Diable / UK: Volcano / USA: The Devil's Blast (documentary; also actor as himself)

        ◘ L'Exploration du Lac de Lave du Niragongo (documentary; short)

1966 ◘ Le Volcan interdit (documentary; shot in l948-l966)

1977 ◘ L'Etna (documentary; medium-length)

 l981 ◘ Les Volcans (documentary; medium-length)

        ◘ Afar ou La Dérive des Continents (documentary; medium-length)