Godard, Jean-Luc

(December 3, 1930, Paris, France - )

   Born into a Protestant upper-middle-class family (his father was a doctor and his mother a banker's daugh­ter), he grew up in Switzerland and began his second­ary studies in Nyons. He completed them in Paris. Hav­ing graduated with a diploma in ethnology, he spent a lot of his time at the French Cinematheque, where he befriended Jacques Rivette, Eric Rohmer, and François Truffaut. He co-founded a monthly film review, La Ga­zette du Cinéma, which died in November 1950 after five issues. In January 1952, he became a film critic at Les Cahiers du Cinéma. He worked as a press attaché for Fox and an editor of documentaries for Salle Pleyel. He was producer (1956 La Sonate à Kreutzer / UK and USA: The Kreutzer Sonata, short, Eric Rohmer) and directed his first short. He played small parts in many shorts and feature films (1950 QuadrilleF medium-length, also producer, Jacques Rivette; 1952 Le Divertissement, short, also producer, Jacques Rivette; 1956 Le Coup du Berger / USA: Fool's MateF short, Jacques Rivette; 1960 Présentation ou Charlotte et son Steak / USA: Presentation, Or Charlotte and Her Steak, short, Eric Rohmer, shot in 1951; Petit Jou^ short, Jackie Pierre; Paris nous appartient / UK: Paris Is Ours / USA: Paris Belongs to Us, Jacques Rivette; 1962 Le Signe du Lion / UK and USA: The Sign of Leo, Eric Rohmer; Cléo de 5 à 7 / Cleo dalle 5 alle 7 / USA: Cleo from 5 to 7, Agnès Varda, France / Italy, ap­pearing in a short, Les Fiancés du Pont Mac Donald (ou Méfiez-vous des Lunettes nores)F included in the movie; Le Soleil dans l'œiL Jacques Bourdon; 1963 Shéhérazade / La schiava di Bagdad / Scherezade / USA: Scheherazade, Pierre Gaspard-Huit, France / Italy / Spain; Bardot et Godard / Le Parti des Choses: Bardot et Godard / Le Parti des Choses, documentary, short, as himself, Jacques Ro-zier; Paparazzi, documentary, short, as himself, Jacques Rozier; Begegnung mit Fritz Lang, documentary, short, as himself, Peter Fleischmann, West Germany; 1965 Tentazioni proibiteF documentary, Osvaldo Civirani, Italy; 1966 L'Espion / USA: The Defector Raoul J. Lévy, France / West Germany; 1968 Two American Audiences: Godard on Godard, Mark Woodcock; 1969 Ciné-Girl, Francis Le-roi; 1975 Né, Jacques Richard; 1978 Der kleine Godard an das kuratorium junger deutscher Film, documentary, as himself, Helmuth Costard, West Germany; 1981 Re­porters, documentary, as himself, Raymond Depardon; 1982 Chambre 666, documentary, short, Wim Wenders; 1984 CinématonF documentary, short, as himself, Gérard Courant; 1997 Nous sommes tous encore ici, Anne-Ma­rie Miéville; 2000 Après la Réconciliation, Anne-Marie Miéville; 2001 Léaud l'UniqueF documentary, as himself, Serge Le Péron). He appeared as himself in several TV documentaries, including 1964 Cinéastes de notre Temps (episode "La Nouvelle Vague par elle-même", André S. Labarthe, Robert Valey); 1965 Cinéastes de notre Temps (episode "Jean-Luc Godard ou Le Cinéma au Défi"); 1967 Le Dinosaure et le Bébé: Dialogue en Huit Parties entre Fritz Lang et Jean-Luc Godard (André S. Labarthe). Other credits (as delegate producer): 1994 Lou n'a pas dit non (Anne-Marie Miéville); (as produc­tion supervisor): 1997 Twilight of the ice Nymphs (Guy Maddin, USA). Book: 1986 Godard par Godard (Cahiers du Cinéma).

 Filmography

        ◘ Opération Béton (documentary; short; also screenwriter, author of commentary, narrator, editor; Switzerland)

        ◘ Une Femme coquette (short; as Hans Lucas, also screenwriter, cinematographer, actor, editor)

        ◘ Charlotte et Véronique ou Tous les Garçons s'appellent Patrick / UK and USA: All the Boys Are Called Patrick (short; also screenwriter)

        ◘ A Bout de Souffle / UK: By a Tether / UK and USA: Breathless (also screenwriter, dialogist, actor)

        ◘ Charlotte et son Jules / UK: Charlotte and Her Boyfriend / USA: Charlotte and Her Jules (short; also screenwriter, editor, actor)

1961 ◘ Une Histoire d'Eau / UK and USA: A Story of Water (short; also co-screenwriter, co-adapter, actor, editor)

        ◘ Une Femme est une Femme / La donna è donna / USA: A Woman Is a Woman (also screenwriter, dialogist, lyricist; France / Italy)

        ◘ Les Sept Péchés capitaux / I sette peccati capitali / UK: The Seven Capital Sins / USA: The Seven Deadly Sins (segment "La Paresse" / "Laziness"; also screenwriter, dialogist; France / Italy)

        ◘ Vivre sa Vie / Vivre sa Vie: Film en Douze Tableaux / UK: It's My Life / USA: My Life to Live (also story, screenwriter, dialogist, voice, editor; France / Italy)

        ◘ Le Petit Soldat / UK and USA: The Little Soldier (also screenwriter, dialogist, actor; shot in 1960)

        ◘ Ro.Go.Pa.G / Rogopag / UK and USA: Let's Have a Brainwash (segment "Le Nouveau Monde" / "Il nuovo mondo"; also screenwriter; France / Italy)

        ◘ Les Carabiniers / UK: The Soldiers (also co-screenwriter, co-adapter, co-dialogist; France / Italy)

        ◘ Le Mépris / Il disprezzo / USA: Contempt (also screenwriter, dialogist, actor; France / Italy)

        ◘ Les plus belles Escroqueries du Monde / Le più belle truffe del mondo / De Wereld wil bedrogen worden (segment "Le Grand Escroc"; also screenwriter, dialogist, actor, narrator; cut from final version; France / Italy / Japan / Netherlands)

1964 ◘ Reportage sur Orly (documentary; short)

        ◘ Bande à Part / UK: The Outsiders / USA: Band of Outsiders (also screenwriter, adapter, dialogist, narrator)

        ◘ Une Femme mariée / Une Femme mariée: Suite de Fragments d'un Film tourné en 1964 / UK and USA: A Married Woman (also screenwriter, dialogist)

1965 ◘ Paris vu par . . . / UK and USA: Six in Paris (episode "Montparnasse-Levallois"; also screenwriter, adapter, dialogist)

        ◘ Alphaville / Alphaville, une étrange Aventure de Lemmy Caution / Agente Lemmy Caution, mis-sione Alphaville / USA: Alphaville, a Strange Ad­venture of Lemmy Caution / Alphaville, a Strange Case of Lemmy Caution / Dick Tracy on Mars (also screenwriter, dialogist; France / Italy)

        ◘ Pierrot le Fou / Il bandito delle ore undici / Il bandito delle undici / UK: Crazy Pete / Pierrot Goes Wild / UK and USA: Pierrot le Fou (also screenwriter, dialogist; France / Italy)

1966 ◘ Masculin, Féminin / Maskulinum-femininum / UK and USA: Masculine-Feminine (also screenwriter, adapter, dialogist; France / Sweden)

1967 ◘ Made in U.S.A. (also screenwriter, dialogist, voice)

        ◘ Deux ou Trois Choses que je sais d'elle / UK and USA: Two or Three Things I Know About Her (also screenwriter, dialogist, author of com­mentary, voice)

        ◘ Le plus vieux Métier du Monde / L'amore at-traverso i secoli / Das àlteste Gewerbe der Welt / UK: The Oldest Profession in the World / USA: The Oldest Profession (segment "Anticipation"; France / Italy / West Germany)

        ◘ La Chinoise (also screenwriter, adapter, dialogist)

        ◘ Week-End / Week-End, un uomo e una donna dal sabato alla domenica / USA: Weekend (also screenwriter, adapter, dialogist; France / Italy)

        ◘ Foin du Vietnam / USA: Far from Vietnam (segment "Camera-Eye"; also screenwriter, author of commentary, actor)

1968 ◘ Un Film comme les Autres / Le Joli Mois de Mai (short; also screenwriter, cinematographer, editor)

        ◘ Cinétracts (documentary; shorts; segments "14", "16", "23"; also cinematographer)

        ◘ One American Movie (documentary; also screenwriter; unfinished)

1969 ◘ Amore e rabbia / Vangelo '70 / La Contestation / Evangile 70 / UK and USA: Love and Anger (segment "L'amore" / "L'Amour"; also screenwriter, dialogist; Italy / France)

        ◘ Le Gai savoir / Die frôhliche Wissenschaft / UK and USA: Joy of Learning / Joyful Wisdom / The Joy of Knowledge (also screenwriter; France /

        ◘ West Germany; shot in 1967-1968)

        ◘ Fravda / Prawda (co-director with Jean-Pierre Gorin and Group Dziga Vertov; also co-screenwriter, voice, editor; France / West Germany; unreleased)

1970 ◘ One plus One / Sympathy for the Devil (also screenwriter; UK; shot in 1968)

        ◘ Vladimir et Rosa / Wladimir und Rosa / UK and USA: Vladimir and Rosa (co-director with Jean-Pierre Gorin and Group Dziga Vertov; also screenwriter, cinematographer, actor, editor; France / West Germany)

        ◘ British Sounds / USA: See You at Mao (documentary; co-director with Jean-Henri Roger; also screenwriter; UK)

        ◘ Le Vent d'Est / Vento dell'Est / Ostwind / UK and USA: East Wind / Wind from the East (co-director with Jean-Pierre Gorin;also screenwriter, editor; France / Italy / West Germany)

        ◘ Fusqu'à la Victoire (documentary; co-director with Group Dziga Vertov)

        ◘ Lotte in italia / Luttes en Italie / UK: Struggle in Italy (co-director with Group Dziga Vertov; also co-screenwriter, editor; shot in 1969; Italy / France)

        ◘ One P.M. / One A.M. / One American movie / One P.M. / One Parallel Movie / USA: One P.M. / One Pennebaker Movie (documentary; co-director with D. A. Pennebaker; also co-screenwriter)

        ◘ Tout va bien / Crepa padrone, tutto va bene / UK: Just Great / USA: All's Well (co-director with Jean-Pierre Gorin; also co-screenwriter, composer; France / Italy)

        ◘ Letter to Jane: An Investigation About a Still (documentary; medium-length; co-director with Jean-Pierre Gorin; also co-screenwriter, producer, narrator)

1975 ◘ Numéro Deux / UK and USA: Number Two (co-director with Anne-Marie Miéville; also co-screenwriter, actor)

1976 ◘ Ici et ailleurs (documentary; co-director with Jean-Pierre Gorin, Anne-Marie Miéville, Group Dziga Vertov; also screenwriter, producer)

1978 ◘ Comment ça va? (co-director with Anne-Marie Miéville; also co-screenwriter, producer; shot in 1975)

        ◘ Scénario de "Sauve qui peut la Vie" (documentary; short)

        ◘ Sauve qui peut (La Vie) / Rette sich, wer kann (das Leben) / UK: Slow Motion / USA: Every Man for Himself (also co-screenwriter, delegate producer, editor; France / Austria / West Germany / Switzerland)

        ◘ Lettre à Freddy Buache / USA: A Letter to Freddy Buache (documentary; short; also screenwriter, actor as himself, editor)

        ◘ Passion / USA: Godard's Passion (also co-screenwriter, co-dialogist, editor; France / Switzerland)

        ◘ Scénario du Film "Passion" (documentary; short; also actor, narrator)

        ◘ Changer d'Images (documentary; short)

        ◘ Petites Notes à propos du Film "Je vous salue Marie" (documentary; short; also actor)

        ◘ Prénom Carmen / USA: First Name: Carmen (also screenwriter, dialogist, editor; France / Switzerland; shot in 1982)

1985 ◘ Je vous salue, Marie / USA: Hail Mary (also screenwriter, dialogist; France / Switzerland / UK; shot in 1983)

        ◘ Détective (also co-adapter, producer; France / Switzerland)

1986 ◘ Meetin' WA / J.L.G. Meets W.A. / USA: Meeting Woody Allen (documentary; short; also actor as himself, editor)

        ◘ Soft and Hard / Soft Conversation on Hard Sub­jects (medium-length; co-director with Anne-Marie Miéville; also screenwriter, actor as himself; France / UK)

1987 ◘ Soigne ta Droite / UK and USA: Keep Your Right Up (also screenwriter, dialogist, actor, editor; France / Switzerland)

        ◘ Aria (segment Armide; also editor; UK)

1988 ◘ On s'est tous défilé (short; also screenwriter, editor)

        ◘ King Lear (also co-screenwriter, actor, editor; USA)

        ◘ Puissance de la Parole (short; also screenwriter, dialogist, editor)

        ◘ Histoire(s) du Cinéma: Toutes les Histoires (video documentary; also screenwriter, editor)

        ◘ Le Rapport Darty (medium-length; co-director with Anne-Marie Miéville; also actor)

        ◘ Histoire(s) du Cinéma: Une Histoire seule (video documentary; short; also screenwriter, editor)

        ◘ Nouvelle Vague / UK and USA: New Wave (also screenwriter, editor; France / Switzerland)

1991 ◘ Contre l'Oubli / Ecrire contre l'Oubli / Against Oblivion / Lest We Forget (documentary; segment "Pour Thomas Wainggai, Indonésie"; co-director with Anne-Marie Miéville)

        ◘ Allemagne Année 90 Neuf Zéro / USA: Germany Year 90 Nine Zero (also screenwriter, editor)

1993 ◘ Les Enfants jouent à la Russie (documentary; also screenwriter, actor, editor)

        ◘ Je vous salue, Sarajevo (video short; also screenwriter)

        ◘ Hélas pour moi / UK and USA: Alas for Me / Oh, Woe Is Me (also screenwriter, editor; France / Switzerland)

        ◘ Comment vont les Enfants / USA: How Are the Kids? (segment "L'Enfance de l'Art"; France / Switzerland / USA / Colombia / Niger / Philippines / Russia)

1995 ◘ 2 X 50 Ans de Cinéma français / USA: 2 X 50 Years of French Cinema (documentary; medium-length; co-director with Anne-Marie Miéville)

        ◘ LLG / JLG—Autoportrait de Décembre (documentary; also screenwriter, producer, actor as himself, editor)

        ◘ Forever Mozart (also screenwriter, editor; France / Switzerland)

        ◘ Histoire(s) du Cinéma: Fatale Beauté (video documentary; short; also screenwriter, actor as himself, editor)

        ◘ Histoire(s) du Cinéma: Seul le Cinéma (video documentary; short; also screenwriter)

1998 ◘ Histoire(s) du Cinéma: Les Signes parmi nous (video documentary; short; also screenwriter, editor)

        ◘ Histoire(s) du Cinéma: La Monnaie de l'Absolu (video documentary; short; also screenwriter, editor)

        ◘ Histoire(s) du Cinéma: Le Contrôle de l'Univers (video documentary; short; also screenwriter, editor)

        ◘ Histoire(s) du Cinéma: Une Vague nouvelle (video documentary; short; also screenwriter, editor)

        ◘ The Old Place (documentary; medium-length; co-director with Anne-Marie Miéville; France / USA)

        ◘ L'Origine du XXIème siècle (documentary; short; also screenwriter, narrator)

        ◘ Eloge de l'Amour / UK and USA: In Praise of Love (also screenwriter, dialogist; France / Switzerland; shot in 1999-2000)

2002 ◘ Liberté et Patrie (video documentary; short; co-director with Anne-Marie Miéville; also co-screenwriter, editor; Switzerland)

        ◘ Ten Minutes Older: The Cello (segment "Dans le Noir du Temps"; UK / Germany / France)

2004 ◘ Moments choisis des Histoire(s) du Cinéma (documentary; also screenwriter)

        ◘ Notre Musique / USA: Our Music (also screenwriter, actor; France / Switzerland)

2006 ◘ Vrai faux Passeport (documentary; also screenwriter)

 Television Filmography

        ◘ Six Fois Deux / Sur et sous la Communication (documentary; co-director with Anne-Marie Miéville)

        ◘ France / Tour / Détour / Deux / Enfants (documentary; co-director with Anne-Marie Miéville)

1986 ◘ Série noire (episode "Grandeur et Décadence d'un petit Commerce de Cinéma")

1988 ◘ Les Français vus par / UK: The French as Seen by ... / US DVD: The Cowboy and the Frenchman (episode "Le Dernier Mot"; also co-screenwriter)