Jacques Demy facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Jacques Demy
Born	(1931-06-05)5 June 1931 Pontchâteau, Loire-Atlantique, France
Died	27 October 1990(1990-10-27) (aged 59) Paris, France
Resting place	Montparnasse Cemetery, Paris, France
Occupation	Film director, screenwriter
Years active	1955–1988
Movement	French New Wave
Spouse(s)	Agnès Varda ​ (m. 1962)​
Children	Rosalie Varda (step-daughter) Mathieu Demy

Jacques Demy (born June 5, 1931 – died October 27, 1990) was a famous French film director and writer. He was known for his unique movies, especially his musicals. He was part of a group of filmmakers called the French New Wave. This group changed how movies were made in France during the 1950s and 1960s.

Demy's films are special because of their beautiful look and feel. He was inspired by many things, like old Hollywood musicals, fairy tales, jazz music, and even Japanese comics. His movies often had characters who appeared in different films, and they always had wonderful music, usually by Michel Legrand. Demy's stories often explored themes like young love, unexpected meetings, and the mix of dreams and real life. He was married to Agnès Varda, who was also a well-known director. Demy is most famous for his two musical films from the 1960s: The Umbrellas of Cherbourg (1964) and The Young Girls of Rochefort (1967).

A Filmmaking Career

Jacques Demy started his career working with other filmmakers. His first major film was Lola in 1961. It starred Anouk Aimée as a cabaret singer. This movie showed many things that would become typical of Demy's work.

In Lola, characters sometimes sing their feelings, and the music was by Michel Legrand. Demy loved to use images from classic Hollywood movies. His stories often showed how fate and chance meetings could change lives. Many of his films, including Lola, were set in the French Atlantic coast, near where he grew up.

His next film, La Baie des Anges (The Bay of Angels, 1963), starred Jeanne Moreau. This movie also explored the idea of fate, with a story about love and gambling.

Demy is perhaps best known for his musical, Les Parapluies de Cherbourg (The Umbrellas of Cherbourg, 1964). What made this film special was that all the dialogue was sung. The movie was a sad story about everyday life. It also showed Demy's signature visual style. The film was shot in very bright, rich colors, and every detail, from clothes to hair, was chosen to look amazing. A character from Lola, Roland Cassard, even appears in this film, which was a common thing in Demy's movies.

Although his later films didn't always get as much attention as The Umbrellas of Cherbourg, Demy continued to make interesting dramas and musicals. Les Demoiselles de Rochefort (The Young Girls of Rochefort, 1967) was another musical. It starred Catherine Deneuve and her sister Françoise Dorléac as sisters living in a seaside town. This film was shot in widescreen and featured famous dancers like Gene Kelly.

In 1968, Demy went to Los Angeles, USA, to make his first American film. This movie was Model Shop (1969). The character Lola from his first film reappears here, showing a different, more serious side of her life. The film shows Los Angeles in the late 1960s and explores themes of searching for love and meaning.

Demy also explored fairy tales and historical stories in films like The Pied Piper and Lady Oscar. Lady Oscar (1979) was based on a Japanese comic series. It tells the story of a girl who is raised as a boy in 18th-century France.

Many of Demy's films have been restored and re-released. In 2014, a special collection of his important films was released. This collection included Lola, Bay of Angels, The Umbrellas of Cherbourg, The Young Girls of Rochefort, and others.

Personal Life

Jacques Demy was good at learning languages. He learned English by taking classes and spending time in the United States. He also learned Russian for one of his film projects. In the early 1970s, he even got a pilot's license to fly passenger planes.

In 1958, Jacques Demy met Agnès Varda, another film director, at a film festival. They got married in 1962. They had a son named Mathieu Demy (born 1972). Jacques also adopted Agnès's daughter, Rosalie Varda (born 1958), from a previous relationship. They had homes in Paris and on an island called Noirmoutier.

Agnès Varda made a film about Jacques Demy's childhood called Jacquot de Nantes (1991). This film showed his early life and his love for movies and theater. Agnès also made other films that honored her husband after he passed away.

Jacques Demy died on October 27, 1990, when he was 59 years old. He died from an illness. He was buried in the Montparnasse Cemetery in Paris.

Filmography

Film

Short films

Television

Awards and Honors

• 1963: Louis Delluc Prize for Les Parapluies de Cherbourg
• 1964: Golden Palm at the Cannes Film Festival for Les Parapluies de Cherbourg

On June 5, 2019, which would have been Demy's 88th birthday, he was honored with a Google Doodle.

Images for kids

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  Jacques Demy

See also

In Spanish: Jacques Demy para niños