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 is a famous French film director and writer. He was born on September 3, 1953. His movies often mix fantasy, real-life situations, and science fiction. He makes everyday things seem special or creates amazing new worlds.

Jeunet started directing with a movie called Delicatessen in 1991. It was a dark comedy, and he worked with Marc Caro on it. They also worked together on The City of Lost Children in 1995. Because he was good at science fiction and horror, he directed Alien Resurrection in 1997. This was the fourth movie in the famous Alien series. It was his first and only American film.

In 2001, Jeunet made his most successful movie, Amélie. This film became very popular around the world. It was even named one of the 100 greatest films of the 21st century by the BBC. Many people see Jeunet as one of the most important directors in modern French cinema. He has been nominated for two Academy Awards.

Jean-Pierre Jeunet's Life and Career

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, a designer and comic book artist, in the 1970s. They became good friends and often worked together.

Early Work and Collaborations

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

Jeunet's films often have a special look and feel. They are inspired by older film styles like German expressionism and French poetic realism.

First Feature Films

Jeunet and Caro's first full-length movie was Delicatessen (1991). It was a funny but sad comedy. The story takes place in a world where food is scarce. An apartment building is run by a butcher who finds strange ways to feed his tenants.

Next, they made The City of Lost Children (1995). This was a dark fantasy film. It was about a mad scientist who steals children's dreams. He wanted to live forever by taking their dreams.

Hollywood and Solo Career

The success of The City of Lost Children led Jeunet to direct Alien Resurrection (1997). This was a big opportunity for him. However, Marc Caro was not interested in working on a large Hollywood movie. He felt he would not have enough creative control. Caro helped for a few weeks with costumes and sets. But then he decided to start his own career in art and computer graphics.

International Success with Amélie

In 2001, Jeunet directed Amélie. This movie starred Audrey Tautou. It tells the story of a woman who loves doing good deeds for others. But she finds it hard to find love for herself. Amélie was a huge hit with both critics and audiences worldwide. It was nominated for several Academy Awards. Jeunet won a European Film Award for Best Director for his work on the film.

Later Projects

In 2004, Jeunet released A Very Long Engagement. This movie was based on a novel. It also starred Audrey Tautou and Jodie Foster. The story follows a woman searching for her missing lover after World War I.

Jeunet was involved in a history project about French aviator Louis Blériot in 2005. But he decided to stop the project after a year. He felt it was too similar to A Very Long Engagement.

In 2009, he released Micmacs. This film is about a man and his friends. They create a clever plan to stop two large weapons companies.

Jeunet has also directed many commercials. One famous commercial was for Chanel N° 5 perfume. It also featured Audrey Tautou.

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

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

Recently, Jeunet has found it hard to get funding for his unique films. In 2019, he mentioned he might work with Netflix. His latest film, Bigbug, was released by Netflix in 2022.

Jean-Pierre Jeunet's Filmography

Short Films

Feature Films

Music Videos

• 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

Jean-Pierre Jeunet and his films have won many awards. Here are some of the most important ones.

Academy Awards

César Awards

The César Awards are France's national film awards.

European Film Awards

Edgar Awards

Awards for Jeunet's Films

This table shows the awards and nominations for films directed by Jean-Pierre Jeunet.

Decorations

• Commander of the Order of Arts and Letters (2016)

See also

In Spanish: Jean-Pierre Jeunet para niños