Zidi, Claude

(July 25, 1934, Paris, France - )

   Educated at the prestigious Vaugirard Photography School, he landed a job as a trainee cameraman (1956 Marguerite de la Nuit / Margherita della notte / USA: Marguerite of the Night, Claude Autant-Lara, France / Italy). He was successively an assistant camera opera­tor (ten films, including LaTête contre les Murs / UK: The Keepers / USA: Head Against the Wall, Georges Franju, 1959; The Longest Day, Ken Annakin, Andrew Marton, Gerd Oswald, Bernhard Wicki, Elmo Williams, Darryl F. Zanuck, USA, 1962; Landru / USA: Bluebeard, Claude Chabrol, France / Italy, 1963; Charade, Stanley Donen, USA, 1963; The Train / Le Train / Il treno, John Franken-heimer, USA / France / Italy, 1964), camera operator (a dozen movies, notably two of the best Claude Chab­rol works of the 1960s: Que la Bête meure! / Uccidero un uomo / UK: The Beast Must Die / USA: The Man Must Die, France / Italy, 1969; Le Boucher / Il tagliagole / UK and USA: The Butcher, France / Italy, 1970), and cinematographer (1969 Quarante-Huit Heures d'Amour, Cécil Saint-Laurent, Poussez pas Grand-Père dans les Cactus, Jean-Claude Dague; 1970 Elise ou la vraie Vie, Michel Drach, France / Algeria; 1971 L'Homme qui vient de la Nuit / Das Lied der Balalaïka, Jean-Claude Dague, France / West Germany; La Grande Java, Philippe Clair; Hans Hartung, documentary, short, Christian Ferlet). He directed his first feature film in 1971 and occa­sionally worked as a delegate producer (1985 L'Amour propre, Martin Veyron; 2000 Antilles sur Seine, Pascal Légitimus). He is the author of the original idea of Pro­motion Canapé (Didier Kaminka, 1990) and co-wrote a movie (1996 Ma Femme me quitte, Didier Kaminka) and an episode of the French TV series Capitaine Casta (Amélie a disparu). In 1994, James Cameron shot a re­make of his film La Totale! (True Lies).

 Filmography

        ◘ Les Bidasses en Folie / UK: The Five Crazy Boys (also screenwriter, dialogist)

        ◘ Les Fous du Stade (also co-screenwriter, co-dialogist)

        ◘ Le Grand Bazar (also co-screenwriter, co-dialogist)

        ◘ La Moutarde me monte au Nez / USA: Lucky Pierre (also co-screenwriter, co-dialogist)

        ◘ Les Bidasses s'en vont en Guerre / 5 matti vanno in guerra / Tollen Charlots—Die Trottel von der 3. Kompanie (also screenwriter, dialogist; France / Italy / West Germany)

        ◘ La Course à l'Echalote / Der Tolpatsch mit dem sechsten Sinn / USA: The Wild Goose Chase (also co-screenwriter, co-dialogist; France / West Germany)

        ◘ L'Aile ou la Cuisse (also co-screenwriter, co-dialogist)

        ◘ L'Animal / UK and USA: Stuntwoman / The Ani­mal (also co-screenwriter)

        ◘ La Zizanie / USA: The Spat (also co-screenwriter, co-adapter)

        ◘ Bête, mais discipliné (also co-screenwriter, co-dialogist)

        ◘ Les Sous-Doués (also co-screenwriter, co-dialogist)

        ◘ Inspecteur la Bavure (also co-screenwriter, co-dialogist)

        ◘ Les Sous-doués en Vacances (also co-screenwriter, co-dialogist)

        ◘ Banzaï (also co-screenwriter, co-adapter, co-dialogist)

        ◘ Les Ripoux / UK: Le Cop / USA: My New Partner (also screenwriter)

        ◘ Les Rois du Gag (also co-screenwriter)

1987 ◘ Association de Malfaiteurs (also co-screenwriter)

        ◘ Deux (also co-screenwriter, co-dialogist, del­egate producer)

        ◘ Ripoux contre Ripoux / UK: Le Cop 2 / USA: My New Partner II / My New Partner at the Races (also co-screenwriter)

        ◘ La Totale (also co-screenwriter)

1993 ◘ Profil bas (also co-screenwriter, co-producer)

1997 ◘ Arlette (also screenwriter)

1999 ◘ Astérix et Obélix contre César / Asterix e Obelix contro Cesare / Asterix & Obelix gegen Caesar / German TV: Asterix—Sieg uber Caesar / UK: Asterix and Obelix Take on Caesar (also co-screenwriter; France / Italy / Germany)

2001 ◘ La Boîte (also co-screenwriter)

2003 ◘ Ripoux 3 (also co-screenwriter, co-dialogist, delegate producer)