André Téchiné facts for kids

Quick facts for kids André Téchiné
Téchiné in 2018
Born	(1943-03-13) 13 March 1943 (age 82) Valence-d'Agen, Tarn-et-Garonne, France
Occupation	Filmmaker
Years active	1966–present
Awards	Best Director Award (Cannes Film Festival) 1985 Rendez-vous

André Téchiné (born 13 March 1943) is a famous French screenwriter and film director. He has had a long and successful career, making him one of the most important French filmmakers after the French New Wave era.

Téchiné started as a film critic for Cahiers du cinéma, a well-known film magazine. He followed in the footsteps of other famous directors like François Truffaut and Jean-Luc Godard. He is known for his beautiful and emotional films that explore how people feel and interact. A special thing about Téchiné's movies is how he looks at human relationships in a deep but honest way. Some of his most praised films include My Favorite Season (1993) and Wild Reeds (1994).

André Téchiné's Early Life

André Téchiné was born on 13 March 1943 in Valence-d'Agen, a small town in France. His family owned a business that sold farm equipment. He grew up in the French countryside and developed a strong love for movies when he was a teenager.

From 1952 to 1959, he attended a Catholic boarding school. He could only leave on Sunday afternoons, and he would always go to the cinema. He often had to leave before the movie ended! In 1959, he moved to a different school, which introduced him to new ideas, including a film club and a film magazine. Téchiné once said, "Films were my only opening to the world. They were my only possibility of escaping my family environment and my boarding school. But it was magical, and I was determined to follow the thread of that magic."

When he was 19, he moved to Paris to become a filmmaker. He didn't get into France's main film school, but he started writing movie reviews for Cahiers du cinéma. He worked there for four years. His first article was about François Truffaut's film The Soft Skin in 1964. Téchiné also worked as an assistant director on a few films before making his own.

André Téchiné's Film Career

André Téchiné is known for making films that are elegant and full of emotion. He often explores the complicated feelings and connections between people. He likes to show human relationships in a sensitive but realistic way.

First Films: Finding His Style

André Téchiné directed his first film, Paulina s'en va (Paulina is Leaving), in 1969. The movie is about a character trying to find her purpose in life. It was shown at the Venice Film Festival but wasn't released until 1975.

His second film, Souvenirs d'en France (French Provincial) (1974), helped him become more well-known. This movie mixes comedy, romance, and a feeling of looking back at the past. It tells the story of a small-town family through different periods of French history.

In 1976, Téchiné directed Barocco, a crime drama. The film was praised for its stylish look.

Three years later, he made Les sœurs Brontë (1979), a movie about the famous Brontë sisters who wrote novels. The film shows the difficult lives they led. It starred famous actresses like Isabelle Adjani and Isabelle Huppert.

A New Direction: Hôtel des Amériques

Hôtel des Amériques (1981) was a big change for Téchiné. This film is about the difficult relationship between a successful woman and a troubled man. It was the first time Téchiné let his actors improvise, which means they could make up some of their lines. He has continued this practice in his films ever since. This movie also started a long and successful partnership with actress Catherine Deneuve.

Rendez-vous and Rising Fame

After a TV production, Téchiné gained a lot of attention with Rendez-vous (1985). This film is about a young actress who moves to Paris and gets involved in a complicated situation. Téchiné won the Best Director Award at the Cannes Film Festival for this movie, and it helped launch the career of actress Juliette Binoche.

His next film, Les Innocents (1987), follows a young woman visiting the city of Toulon while her brother has gone missing.

J'embrasse pas (I Don't Kiss) (1991) tells the sad story of a young man who leaves his home to become an actor in Paris but struggles to find his way.

Acclaimed Films: My Favorite Season and Wild Reeds

My Favorite Season (Ma saison préférée) (1993) is a serious story about a brother and sister who are not very close but come together when their mother becomes ill. Téchiné said this film is about "individuality and the coldness of the modern world." It was well-received at the 1993 Cannes Film Festival.

The next year, Téchiné had his biggest success with Wild Reeds (1994). This film was originally made for French television but was shown in cinemas first. It's a story about four teenagers discovering themselves at a boarding school in 1962, with the Algerian War happening in the background. Wild Reeds is Téchiné's most personal film, as the main character's experiences are similar to his own teenage years.

Wild Reeds won four César awards (like the French Oscars), including Best Film, Best Director, and Best Script. It also won awards in the US for Best Foreign Language Film.

Later Works: Exploring Different Themes

In 1996, Téchiné received more praise for Les voleurs (Thieves), a complex crime drama that jumps through time and different viewpoints.

He followed this with Alice et Martin (Alice and Martin) (1998), a love story between two people who have been hurt emotionally. This film reunited him with actress Juliette Binoche.

Loin (Far) (2001) was filmed using digital video and is set in Tangier. It tells the story of three characters who have important decisions to make over three days.

After a couple of less successful films, André Téchiné received good reviews for Strayed (2003). This wartime drama follows a widow and her two children who flee Paris during World War II and find shelter with a mysterious young man.

Changing Times (2004) explores different cultures in modern Morocco. It's about a man searching for a long-lost love from his youth.

Les Témoins (The Witnesses) (2007) deals with a group of friends facing the AIDS epidemic in the 1980s. This film was highly praised and brought Téchiné a lot of international attention.

The Girl on the Train (2009) is based on a real event in France. It's about a young woman who makes up a story about being attacked on a train. Téchiné explored why someone would tell such a lie and its effects.

Impardonnables (Unforgivable) (2011) is set in Venice and is about a writer who hires a detective to find his missing daughter.

In the Name of My Daughter (2014) is another film based on true events. It tells the story of a casino heiress who disappeared in 1977. This was the seventh time André Téchiné worked with actress Catherine Deneuve.

Political Views

In December 2023, André Téchiné, along with many other filmmakers, signed an open letter. This letter asked for a ceasefire and an end to the harm of civilians during the 2023 conflict in Gaza. It also asked for help to reach people in Gaza and for hostages to be released.

Filmography

Actors Téchiné Often Works With

Actor	Paulina is Leaving (1969)	French Provincial (1975)	Barocco (1976)	The Bronte Sisters (1979)	Hotel America (1981)	Rendez-vous (1985)	The Scene of the Crime (1986)	The Innocents (1987)	I Don't Kiss (1991)	My Favorite Season (1993)	Wild Reeds (1994)	Thieves (1996)	Alice and Martin (1998)	Far (2001)	Strayed (2003)	Changing Times (2004)	The Witnesses (2007)	The Girl on the Train (2009)	Impardonnables (2011)	In the Name of My Daughter (2014)
Emmanuelle Béart									Y						Y		Y
Catherine Deneuve					Y		Y			Y		Y				Y		Y		Y
Jacques Nolot					Y	Y		Y		Y	Y						Y
Marie-France Pisier	Y	Y	Y	Y
Marthe Villalonga								Y		Y			Y

See Also

In Spanish: André Téchiné para niños

Images for kids

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  Téchiné in 2018