Corneau, Alain

(August 7, 1943, Meung-sur-Loire, Loiret, France - )

   The son of a veterinarian and movie buff father with whom he saw dozens of American movies (mostly westerns and films noirs), he was an amateur jazz drummer before settling in Paris to study cinema at the IDHEC. Having graduated in 1966, he moved to New York, where he vainly tried to shoot a documentary on free jazz. Having returned to France, he landed a job of trainee assistant director (1967 Un Homme de trop / Il 13° uomo / UK and USA: Shock Troops, Costa-Gavras, France / Italy) and then served as first assistant director (1969 Target: Harry / How to Make It / What's in It for Harry?, also production manager, Roger Corman, USA; Le Temps de vivre, Bernard Paul, France / Italy; 1970 Un Eté sauvage / L'età selvaggia, Marcel Camus, France / Italy, shot in 1968; Elise ou la vraie Vie, Michel Drach, France / Algeria; L'Aveu / La confessione / UK and USA: The Confession, Costa-Gavras, France / Italy; Le Mur de l'Atlantique / Un elmetto pieno di.. . fifa, Marcel Camus, France / Italy; 1971 Un Aller simple / Solo andata / La puerta cerrada, José Giovanni, France / Italy / Spain; Ça n'arrive qu'aux Autres / Tempo d'amore / USA: It Only Happens to Others, Nadine Trintignant, France / Italy; 1973 Défense de savoir / L'uomo in basso a destra nella fotografia, Nadine Trintignant, France / Italy; 1974 Les Deux Mémoires, documentary, Jorge Semprun). He directed several commercials and appeared as himself in documentaries (1990 Gilles Grangier, 50 Ans de Cinéma, TV, Maurice Delbez; 1992 Patrick Dewaere, Marc Esposito; 2006 A l'Ombre du Polar, TV, Fabien Granet; Alain Corneau, du noir au bleu, Grégory Marouzé; 2008 Mémoires du Cinéma français, de la Libération à nos Jours, video, Hubert Niogret). He is the companion of director Nadine Trintignant.

 Filmography

1969 ◘ Le Jazz est-il dans Harlem? (documentary; short; co-director with Daniel Berger; also co-screenwriter)

1974 ◘ France, Société anonyme (also screenwriter, adapter, co-dialogist)

1976 ◘ Police Python 357 / UK and USA: The Case Against Fierro (also co-screenwriter, co-adapter)

1977 ◘ La Menace / The Treat (also co-screenwriter, co-dialogist; France / Canada)

1979 ◘ Série noire (also co-screenwriter, co-adapter)

1981 ◘ Le Choix des Armes / USA: Choice of Arms (also co-screenwriter, co-adapter, co-dialogist)

1984 ◘ Fort Saganne (also co-screenwriter, co-adapter, co-dialogist)

1986 ◘ Le Môme (also co-screenwriter, co-adapter, co-dialogist)

1989 ◘ Nocturne indien (also co-screenwriter, co-adapter, co-dialogist)

1991 ◘ Ecrire contre l'Oubli / Contre l'Oubli / Against Ob­livion / Lest We Forget (documentary; segment "Ali Muhammad al-Qajiiji, Lybie")

        ◘ Tous les Matins du Monde / UK: All the Mornings of the World (also co-screenwriter, co-adapter, co-dialogist)

1995 ◘ Le Nouveau Monde / US video: New World (also original idea, co-screenwriter, co-dialogist)

        ◘ Les Enfants de Lumière (short; co-director only; also screenwriter)

        ◘ Lumière et Compagnie / Lumiere y compania / Lumière and Company (co-director only; France / Spain / Denmark / Sweden)

1997 ◘ Le Cousin (also co-screenwriter, co-dialogist)

2000 ◘ Le Prince du Pacifique / El principe del Pacifico / USA: The Prince of the Pacific (also co-adapter, co-dialogist; France / Spain)

2003 ◘ Stupeur et Tremblements / UK and USA: Fear and Trembling (also screenwriter, adapter, dialogist; France / Japan)

2005 ◘ Les Mots bleus (also co-screenwriter, co-adapter, co-dialogist)

2007 ◘ Le Deuxième Souffle (also screenwriter, adapter, dialogist)

 Television Filmography

1988 ◘ Médecins des Hommes (episode "Afghanistan, le Pays interdit"; also co-screenwriter, co-adapter, co-dialogist)