Alain Tanner facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Alain Tanner
Born	(1929-12-06)6 December 1929 Geneva, Switzerland
Died	11 September 2022(2022-09-11) (aged 92) Geneva, Switzerland
Occupation	Filmmaker
Years active	1957–2012
Spouse(s)	Janine
Children	2

Alain Tanner (born December 6, 1929 – died September 11, 2022) was a famous film director from Switzerland. He was known for making movies that explored interesting ideas about society and life.

Alain Tanner's Early Life

Alain Tanner was born in Geneva, Switzerland. He went to the University of Geneva to study economics. In 1951, he joined a film club at the university. This club was started by his friend, Claude Goretta.

After finishing his studies, Alain worked for shipping companies in London for a short time. But he still felt very drawn to making films.

Becoming a Filmmaker

In 1955, Alain Tanner started working at the British Film Institute. He helped with subtitling, translating, and organizing old films. His very first film was a short documentary called Nice Time (1957). He made it with Claude Goretta. The film showed what Piccadilly Circus looked like on weekend evenings.

This first film was a big success! It won an award at the Venice Film Festival. It also received a lot of praise from critics.

Working in France

After his first film, Tanner moved to France. He helped make several commercial films there. He met important directors from the French New Wave movement in Paris. He also met Henri Langlois, who ran the Cinémathèque Française. However, Alain didn't like the competitive feeling among filmmakers in Paris. He said it felt "cutthroat."

Returning to Switzerland

Between 1960 and 1968, Alain Tanner went back to Switzerland. He made more than 40 films and documentaries for French television. In 1962, he helped start a group called "Groupe Cinque." This group was for young Swiss filmmakers.

His first full-length movie was Charles, Dead or Alive (1969). This film won the top prize at the Locarno International Film Festival.

Alain Tanner in 1993

Alain Tanner made two more important films: La Salamandre (1971) and Jonah Who Will Be 25 in the Year 2000 (1976). He worked closely with an art critic and writer named John Berger on these movies. Berger also helped with Charles, but wasn't credited.

Famous Movies

Alain Tanner was inspired by the British Free Cinema movement and the French New Wave. He is best known for films like Jonas qui aura 25 ans en l'an 2000 (Jonah Who Will Be 25 in the Year 2000), Messidor, and Dans la ville blanche (In the White City).

His film Dans la ville blanche starred Bruno Ganz. It was filmed in Lisbon, Portugal. This movie was shown at the 33rd Berlin International Film Festival.

Another one of his films, Light Years Away, was made in English in Ireland. It won the top award, the Grand Prix Prize, at the 1981 Cannes Film Festival.

His Family and Later Years

Alain Tanner was married to his wife, Janine. They had two children together. He passed away in a hospital in Geneva on September 11, 2022. He was 92 years old.

List of His Films

• Nice Time - 1957
• Ramuz, passage d'un poète - 1961
• L'École - 1962
• The Apprentices (Les Apprentis) - 1964
• A City at Chandigarh (Une ville à Chandigarh) - 1966
• Docteur B., médecin de campagne - 1968
• Charles, Dead or Alive (Charles mort ou vif) - 1969
• The Salamander (La Salamandre) - 1971
• Return from Africa (Le Retour d'Afrique) - 1972
• The Middle of the World (Le Milieu du monde) - 1974
• Jonah Who Will Be 25 in the Year 2000 (Jonas qui aura 25 ans en l'an 2000) - 1976
• Messidor - 1979
• Light Years Away (Les Années lumière) - 1981
• In the White City (Dans la ville blanche) - 1983
• No Man's Land - 1985
• A Flame in My Heart (Une flamme dans mon cœur) - 1987
• La Vallée fantôme - 1987
• The Woman from Rose Hill (La Femme de Rose Hill) - 1989
• The Man Who Lost His Shadow (L'Homme qui a perdu son ombre) - 1991
• The Diary of Lady M (Le journal de Lady M) - 1993
• Men of the Port (Les Hommes du port) - 1995
• Fourbi - 1996
• Requiem - 1998
• Jonah and Lila, Till Tomorrow (Jonas et Lila, à demain) - 1999
• Fleurs de sang - 2002
• Paul s'en va - 2004

See Also

In Spanish: Alain Tanner para niños