Chris Marker

Birthday:

07/29/1921

Place of birth:

Neuilly-sur-Seine, Hauts-de-Seine, Île-de-France, France:

Biography:

Christian François Bouche-Villeneuve, also known as Chris Marker (France: 29 July 1921 - 29 July 2012) was a French writer, poet, activist, internaut, critic, photographer, traveler, journalist, film enssayist, multimedia artist and documentary maker. He began his work as part of the French Rive gauche group, parallel but different from the nouvelle vague, with which he would later share themes and works. He is credited with creating the subjective documentary and is considered a pioneer of collective cinema in France. His cinematographic work is known for its poetic, sometimes ethereal, and video-art-like expression. He dedicated himself, during sixty years of work, to observing, with meticulous curiosity, with caustic and often amusing irony, even with anger, the vicissitudes of world history and also of the individual (memory, art, wars, politics, culture, nature, etc), all this while experimenting with various methods of image manipulation and montage. He is also known for the ignorance of his person. For years, hardly anyone knew what Chris Marker looked like, he didn't like being photographed, so there were no photos of him. It amused him to offer contradictory accounts of his life in the few written interviews he gave. The closest you can get to Marker's intimate life is in his film career. Philippe Dubois once said: "Chris Marker is, in a way, the most celebrated of the unknown filmmakers". "Rather than a Man Without Qualities, he is a Man Without Biography," says his official website: chrismarker.org. He used many pseudonyms too, some are Hayao Yamaneko, Jacopo Berenzini, Kosinki, Michel Krasna, Sandor Krasna, Guillaume-en-Égypte (his avatar) & the best known Chris Marker. Some of his most important works are La Jetée (1962), Sans Soleil (1983), Far From Vietnam (1967), A Grin Without a Cat (1977), Level Five (1997), A.K. (1985) & One Day In the Life of Andrei Arsenevitch (1999). He also dabbled in CD-ROMs with Immemory (1997), has a website called Gorgomancy, a Youtube channel called Kosinki & created a whole world dedicated to his interests, life and works, called 'Ouvroir', in the virtual world game: Second Life.



Credits

Ten Lives of a Cat: A Film about Chris Marker (2023)
Kaibyō (archive footage)
The Invention of Chris Marker (2020)
Self
In Chris Marker's Studio (2011)
Self
Agnès Varda: From Here to There (2011)
Self
La Traversée du désir (2009)
Self
One Day in the Life of Andrei Arsenevich (1999)
Self (voice) (uncredited)
Level Five (1997)
Self (voice) (uncredited)
Rush - Voyage à Moscou (1990)
Lui-même
Tokyo Days (1988)
Self (voice) (uncredited)
A. K. (1985)
Narrator (voice)
Tokyo-Ga (1985)
Self (uncredited)
Sans Soleil (1983)
Self (uncredited)
May Days (1978)
Self
Kashima Paradise (1973)
Narrator (voice)
The Koumiko Mystery (1965)
Narrator
The Lovely Month of May (1963)
Self / Interviewer (voice)
Lumière Award to Chris Marker (1962)
Self
Lluvia de jaulas (2019)
Thanks
La Jétee (2013)
Story
Life and Freaky Times of Uncle Luke (2012)
Writer
20 Little Films (2012)
Director
iDead (2011)
Director
Imagine (2011)
Director
Stopover in Dubai (2011)
Director
ROYAL POLKA.mov (2011)
Director
Tempo Risoluto (2011)
Director
Tempo Risoluto (2011)
Editor
Overnight (2011)
Director
Overnight (2011)
Writer
Ouvroir the Movie (2010)
Director
The Morning After (2008)
Director
The Morning After (2008)
Editor
Henchman Glance (2008)
Director
Pictures at an Exhibition (2008)
Director
Metrotopia (2008)
Director
Metrotopia (2008)
Writer
Guillaume Movie (2008)
Director
Guillaume Movie (2008)
Writer
A Year of TV Seen by Guillaume (2007)
Director
A Year of TV Seen by Guillaume (2007)
Editor
Leila Attacks (2007)
Director
Leila Attacks (2007)
Cinematography
The Andrei Tarkovsky Companion (2007)
Director
The Case of the Grinning Cat (2004)
Director
The Case of the Grinning Cat (2004)
Writer
Green Vinyl (2004)
Thanks
Remembrance of Things to Come (2001)
Director
Remembrance of Things to Come (2001)
Writer
Remembrance of Things to Come (2001)
Music
A Mayor in Kosovo (2000)
Director
Eclipse (1999)
Director
One Day in the Life of Andrei Arsenevich (1999)
Director
One Day in the Life of Andrei Arsenevich (1999)
Cinematography
One Day in the Life of Andrei Arsenevich (1999)
Writer
One Day in the Life of Andrei Arsenevich (1999)
Editor
Level Five (1997)
Director
Level Five (1997)
Writer
Level Five (1997)
Director of Photography
Level Five (1997)
Original Music Composer
Immemory (1997)
Director
Immemory (1997)
Editor
Twelve Monkeys (1995)
Original Film Writer
Silent Movie (Edit 2) (1995)
Director
Blue Helmet (1995)
Director
Blue Helmet (1995)
Writer
Blue Helmet (1995)
Editor
Bullfight in Okinawa (1994)
Director
Three Haiku Videos (1994)
Director
Three Haiku Videos (1994)
Producer
Three Haiku Videos (1994)
Writer
Owl Gets in Your Eyes (1994)
Director
Tchaïka (1994)
Director
Tchaïka (1994)
Editor
Petite Ceinture (1994)
Director
Prime Time in the Camps (1993)
Director
Slon Tango (1993)
Director
The Last Bolshevik (1993)
Director
The Last Bolshevik (1993)
Writer
The Last Bolshevik (1993)
Cinematography
The Last Bolshevik (1993)
Editor
Theory of Sets (1991)
Director
Theory of Sets (1991)
Producer
Berliner Ballade (1990)
Director
Berliner Ballade (1990)
Editor
Berliner Ballade (1990)
Writer
Berlin 1990 (1990)
Director
An Owl Is an Owl Is an Owl (1990)
Director
Zoo Piece (1990)
Director
Rush - Voyage à Moscou (1990)
Director
Zapping Zone (1990)
Director
Détour Ceausescu (1990)
Director
Détour Ceausescu (1990)
Writer
Cat Listening to Music (1990)
Director
Tokyo Days (1988)
Director
Tokyo Days (1988)
Editor
Tokyo Days (1988)
Cinematography
Havre (1986)
Thanks
Mémoires pour Simone (1986)
Director
Matta '85 (1985)
Director
A. K. (1985)
Editor
A. K. (1985)
Director
A. K. (1985)
Writer
From Chris to Christo (1985)
Director
2084: Video Clip for the Trade Unions' Reflection and Pleasure (1984)
Director
2084 (1984)
Director
2084 (1984)
Writer
Sans Soleil (1983)
Director
Sans Soleil (1983)
Writer
Sans Soleil (1983)
Music
Sans Soleil (1983)
Director of Photography
Sans Soleil (1983)
Editor
Sans Soleil (1983)
Visual Effects
Junkopia (1981)
Director
Junkopia (1981)
Writer
Junkopia (1981)
Original Music Composer
Junkopia (1981)
Editor
The Battle of Chile: Part III (1979)
Producer
The Battle of Chile: Part III (1979)
Other
When the Century Took Shape (War and Revolution) (1978)
Director
A Grin Without a Cat (1977)
Director
A Grin Without a Cat (1977)
Writer
A Grin Without a Cat (1977)
Editor
The Spiral (1976)
Editor
The Battle of Chile: Part II (1976)
Producer
The Loneliness of the Long Distance Singer (1974)
Director
The Loneliness of the Long Distance Singer (1974)
Editor
Les Deux mémoires (1974)
Editor
The Embassy (1973)
Director
The Embassy (1973)
Writer
You Speak of Chile: What Allende Said (1973)
Director
We Maintain It Is Possible (1973)
Director
Kashima Paradise (1973)
Writer
The Train Rolls On (1973)
Director
Three Cheers for the Whale (1972)
Director
Three Cheers for the Whale (1972)
Writer
Three Cheers for the Whale (1972)
Editor
Three Cheers for the Whale (1972)
Sound
You Speak of Paris: Maspero. Words Have Meaning (1971)
Director
You Speak of Prague: The Second Trial of Artur London (1971)
Director
Congo Oyé (We Have Come Back) (1971)
Editor
Cuba: Battle of the 10,000,000 (1971)
Director
Report on Brazil: Carlos Marighella (1970)
Director
Report on Brazil: Carlos Marighella (1970)
Writer
Report on Brazil: Carlos Marighella (1970)
Editor
The Confession (1970)
Still Photographer
Jour de tournage (1969)
Director
Report on Brazil: Torture (1969)
Director
Report on Brazil: Torture (1969)
Writer
The Sixth Side of the Pentagon (1968)
Director
The Sixth Side of the Pentagon (1968)
Producer
The Sixth Side of the Pentagon (1968)
Cinematography
Cinétracts (1968)
Director
Cinétracts (1968)
Writer
Be Seeing You (1968)
Director
Far from Vietnam (1967)
Supervising Film Editor
Far from Vietnam (1967)
Director
Far from Vietnam (1967)
Writer
If I Had Four Dromedaries (1966)
Director
If I Had Four Dromedaries (1966)
Writer
The Forbidden Volcano (1966)
Screenplay
The Koumiko Mystery (1965)
Director
The Koumiko Mystery (1965)
Writer
The Koumiko Mystery (1965)
Editor
The Koumiko Mystery (1965)
Director of Photography
The Heat of a Thousand Suns (1965)
Editor
From a Distant Gaze (1964)
Cinematography
Valparaiso (1964)
Screenplay
The Lovely Month of May (1963)
Director
The Lovely Month of May (1963)
Writer
Playtime in Paris (1962)
Editor
La Jetée (1962)
Director
La Jetée (1962)
Director of Photography
La Jetée (1962)
Writer
¡Cuba Sí! (1961)
Director
¡Cuba Sí! (1961)
Cinematography
¡Cuba Sí! (1961)
Writer
¡Cuba Sí! (1961)
Screenplay
¡Cuba Sí! (1961)
Director of Photography
Description of a Struggle (1960)
Director
Description of a Struggle (1960)
Writer
America as Seen by a Frenchman (1960)
Writer
The Astronauts (1959)
Director
The Sea and the Days (1958)
Writer
Les hommes de la baleine (1958)
Writer
Des Hommes Dans Le Ciel (1958)
Writer
Broadway by Light (1958)
Writer
Letter from Siberia (1957)
Director
The Mystery of Workshop 15 (1957)
Writer
Django Reinhardt (1957)
Screenplay
Sunday in Peking (1956)
Director
Sunday in Peking (1956)
Writer
Sunday in Peking (1956)
Cinematography
Night and Fog (1956)
Assistant Director
Night and Fog (1956)
Script Editor
Statues Also Die (1953)
Director
Statues Also Die (1953)
Writer
Olympia 52 (1952)
Director
Olympia 52 (1952)
Writer
Democracy or city of dreams ()
Director