Castano, Xavier

(October 24, 1949, France - )

   From l971 to l973, he worked as a projector opera­tor before entering films as a trainee assistant direc­tor (1977 Dionysos noir, Roger Garaudy, shot in 1973). An occasional assistant unit manager (l976 Les Oeufs brouillés, Joël Santoni; Barocco, André Téchiné; 1977 La Communion solennelle, René Féret; l978 Un Papil­lon sur l'Epaule, Jacques Deray) and unit production manager (l978 La Tortue sur le Dos / USA: Like a Turtle on Its Back, Luc Béraud; L'Horoscope, Jean Girault), he served as a second assistant director (l975 Dreyfus ou L'Intolérable Vérité, documentary, Jean A. Chérasse, shot in l973; l976 Il pleut sur Santiago, France / Bulgaria; l977 La Menace / UK and USA: The Threat, Alain Corneau, France / Canada; l979 Messidor, Alain Tanner, Switzerland / France; l980 Retour à Marseille, René Allio, France / West Germany; l981 La Provinciale / UK and USA: The Girl from Lorraine, Claude Goretta, France / Switzerland) and then first assistant director for twelve years (l976 Les Filles du Faubourg, Maurice Pialat, unfinished; 1981 La storia vera della signora dalle camelie / La Dame auc Camélias / Die Kameliendame, Mauro Bolognini, Italy / France / West Germany; l982 L'Echappée belle / L'amour fugitif, also actor, Pascal Ortega, unreleased; l983 Tchao Pantin, Claude Berri; l984 La Vengeance du Ser­pent à Plumes, Gérard Oury, France / Mexico; l985 Scemmo di guerra / Le Fou de Guerre, Dino Risi, Italy / France; l986 Jean de Florette, Claude Berri, France / Italy; Manon des Sources / Manon delle sorgenti / USA: Manon of the Spring, Claude Berri, France / Italy; Les Fugitifs, Francis Veber; l988 Drôle d'Endroit pour une Rencontre, François Dupeyron; L'Ours / The Bear, also second unit director, Jean Jacques Annaud, France / USA). In l98l, he co-founded with Helvio Soto and Pierre-Henri Deleau a production company, Euroamerica Films. Other credits (as production manager): l989 Valmont (Milos Forman); (as second unit director): 1995 Le Hussard sur le Toit / USA: The Horseman on the Roof (Jean-Paul Rappeneau); l996 Hercule et Sherlock / USA: Mutts (Jeannot Szwarc); Le Jaguar (Francis Veber); 1997 Marquise (Véra Belmont, France / Italy / Spain / Switzerland); 1998 Le Dîner de Cons / UK and USA: The Dinner Game (Francis Ve-ber); l999 Le Fils du Français (Gérard Lauzier); 2001 La Moitié du Ciel (Alain Mazars, shot in l999); 2002 Une Employée modèle / Canada: One Model Employee (Jacques Otmezguine); 2004 Deux Frères / Two Broth­ers (also line producer, actor, Jean-Jacques Annaud, France / UK); (as executive producer): l995 Waati (Souleymane Cissé, France / Mali / Burkina Faso); l999 Belle Maman / USA: Beautiful Mother (Gabriel Aghion); 2005 Mrs Henderson Presents (as executive producer, France, Stephen Frears, UK); 2006 The Queen / La Regina, as executive producer, France, also actor, Stephen Frears, UK / France / Italy); 2007 Sa Majesté Minor / Su Majestad Minor (also delegate producer, second unit director, Jean-Jacques Ann-aud ); (as technical adviser): 2001 Le Roman de Lulu (Pierre-Olivier Scotto).

 Filmography

1991 ◘ Veraz / Bienvenido a Veraz (also co-adapter, co-dialogist; France / Spain / Italy)

1999 ◘ Occupé?! (Incontinence caractérielle) (short; also co-screenwriter)

 Television Filmography

1992 ◘ Runaway Bay / La Baie des Fugitifs (26 x 26'; co-director only; USA / UK / France)

2001 ◘ La Vie devant nous (3 x 52')