Jean-Pierre Jeunet facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Jean-Pierre Jeunet
Jeunet in 2014
Born	(1953-09-03) 3 September 1953 (age 71) Roanne, Loire, France
Occupation	Film director, screenwriter, film producer, television director
Years active	1978–present
Spouse(s)	Liza Sullivan

Jean-Pierre Jeunet (born 3 September 1953) is a famous French filmmaker. He is known for making movies that mix fantasy, real-life situations, and science fiction. His films often create special worlds or make everyday things seem exciting.

Jeunet started his directing career with the movie Delicatessen in 1991. He worked with Marc Caro on this film. They also made The City of Lost Children in 1995. Because of his work in science fiction, he was asked to direct Alien Resurrection (1997). This was the fourth movie in the Alien series and his only time working on an American film.

In 2001, Jeunet had his biggest success with Amélie. This movie became very popular around the world. It even made it onto BBC's 100 Greatest Films of the 21st Century list!

Many people see Jeunet as one of the most important directors in modern French cinema. His successful movies have earned him two nominations for the Academy Awards.

Life and Career of Jean-Pierre Jeunet

Jean-Pierre Jeunet was born in Roanne, France. When he was 17, he bought his first camera. He started making short films while studying animation. He met Marc Caro, who was a designer and comic book artist. They became good friends and worked together for a long time. They first met at an animation festival in the 1970s.

Jeunet and Caro directed many award-winning animated films together. Their first live-action film was a short movie called The Bunker of the Last Gunshots (1981). It was about soldiers in a future world. Jeunet also directed many commercials and music videos, like Jean-Michel Jarre's Zoolook.

Early Feature Films

Jeunet and Caro's first full-length movie was Delicatessen (1991). It was a dark comedy set in a world where food was scarce. The story is about a butcher who kills people to feed his tenants.

Next, they made The City of Lost Children (1995). This was a fantasy film about a mad scientist who steals children's dreams. The movie was very successful.

Working in Hollywood

The success of The City of Lost Children led Jeunet to direct Alien Resurrection (1997). This was the fourth movie in the Alien series. This project was a big chance for Jeunet, but Marc Caro was not interested in working on a large Hollywood movie. He felt he wouldn't have enough creative control. Caro helped for a few weeks with costumes and set design, but then he started his own career in illustration.

Later Successes

Jeunet then directed Amélie (2001), which starred Audrey Tautou. The movie is about a woman who loves doing good things for others but struggles to find love herself. Amélie was a huge success around the world. It was nominated for several Academy Awards. Jeunet won a European Film Award for Best Director for this movie.

In 2004, Jeunet released A Very Long Engagement. This film was based on a book and also starred Audrey Tautou and Jodie Foster. It tells the story of a woman looking for her missing boyfriend after World War I.

In 2009, he released Micmacs. This movie is about a man and his friends who plan to stop two big weapons companies.

Jeunet has also directed many commercials, including one for Chanel N° 5 with Audrey Tautou.

In 2013, Jeunet released The Young and Prodigious T.S. Spivet. This film was based on a book by Reif Larsen and starred Kyle Catlett.

In 2016, Jeunet and Romain Segaud co-directed a short stop-motion animation film called Deux escargots s'en vont. It was based on a poem.

Recent Work

After his last movie, Jeunet tried to get money for new projects. However, he found it hard to find people willing to invest in his unique films. In 2019, he said he might work with Netflix as a "last resort." His next film, Bigbug, was indeed released by Netflix in 2022.

Filmography

Short film

Feature film

Music video

• 1984 : La Fille aux bas nylon by Julien Clerc
• 1985 : Zoolook by Jean-Michel Jarre, with Marc Caro
• 1987 : Tombé pour la France [fr]
• 1987 : Hélène by Julien Clerc
• 1988 : Souvenez-vous de nous by Claudia Phillips [fr]
• 1989 : Cache ta joie by Claudia Phillips
• 1991 : L'Autre Joue by Lio
• 2017: Pourvu by Gauvain Sers

Appearances

• 1981 : Le Bunker de la dernière rafale
• 1983 : Pas de repos pour Billy Brakko
• 2015 : Institut Lumière remake, by Martin Scorsese (short film)

Awards and Nominations

Academy Awards

César Awards

European Film Awards

Edgar Awards

Decorations

• Commander of the Order of Arts and Letters (2016) - This is an honor given by the French government for contributions to the arts.

See also