Luc Besson facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Luc Besson
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Besson at San Diego Comic-Con in July 2016
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| Born |
Luc Paul Maurice Besson
18 March 1959 Paris, France
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| Occupation |
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| Years active | 1981–present |
| Spouse(s) |
Virginie Silla
(m. 2004) |
| Children | 5, including Shanna Besson and Thalia Besson |
Luc Besson (born March 18, 1959) is a famous French filmmaker. He is known for directing and producing many exciting movies. Some of his well-known films include Subway (1985), The Big Blue (1988), and La Femme Nikita (1990).
He has won awards for his work, like Best Director for his science fiction film The Fifth Element (1997). He also wrote and directed the action movie Lucy (2014) and the space adventure Valerian and the City of a Thousand Planets (2017).
In 1980, Luc Besson started his own film company called Les Films du Loup. Later, he co-founded EuropaCorp in 2000. He has been involved in making more than 50 films as a writer, director, or producer.
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Luc Besson's Early Life
Luc Besson was born in Paris, France. His parents were scuba-diving instructors. Because of this, Luc dreamed of becoming a marine biologist when he grew up. He traveled a lot with his parents to places like Italy, Yugoslavia, and Greece.
When Luc was 10, his family moved back to France. At age 17, he had a diving accident that stopped him from diving anymore. This made him think about what else he could do. He realized he loved writing and taking pictures, so he decided to try making movies. He visited a film set and knew right away that filmmaking was for him. He even made a short film soon after!
Luc Besson's Film Career
Luc Besson started writing stories when he was a teenager. Some of these ideas later became famous movies. For example, he began writing the story for The Fifth Element (1997) when he was young. This popular science fiction film was inspired by the French comic books he read.
When he was 18, Luc moved back to Paris. He took small jobs in the film industry to learn how everything worked. He also directed short films and commercials. He then started his own production company, first called Les Films du Loup, then Les Films du Dauphin.
Luc Besson has written and produced many action movies. These include the Taxi film series (1998–2007) and Transporter series (2002–2008). He also worked on the Taken films, which were very successful.
Luc Besson has won several awards for his films. He won the Lumières Award for Best Director and the César Award for Best Director for The Fifth Element (1997). He was also nominated for awards for Léon: The Professional (1994) and The Messenger: The Story of Joan of Arc (1999). The French actor Jean Reno has appeared in many of Besson's films, like Subway and Léon: The Professional.
Recently, in 2024, Luc Besson directed a new movie called Dracula: A Love Tale.
What is Cinéma du Look?
Some film experts say Luc Besson is a key figure in the Cinéma du look movement. This was a special style of French filmmaking from the 1980s and early 1990s. Films like Subway, The Big Blue, and La Femme Nikita are examples of this style.
Cinéma du look films are known for being very visual and stylish. They often focus on beautiful pictures and exciting scenes. Luc Besson and other directors in this style wanted to make movies that looked better and were more fun to watch.
Popular Films by Luc Besson
Many of Luc Besson's films have been very popular with audiences. For example, The Big Blue was a huge hit in France. Young people loved it and watched it many times. It sold 10 million tickets!
Luc Besson also created the very successful Arthur series of books and films. These include Arthur and the Minimoys and Arthur and the War of the Two Worlds. He directed Arthur and the Invisibles, which mixed live actors with animation. Famous actors like Madonna and Robert DeNiro were in it.
Luc Besson's Personal Life
Luc Besson has been married four times and has five children. His first wife was actress Anne Parillaud, who starred in his film La Femme Nikita. They had a daughter named Juliette.
He later married actress and director Maïwenn Le Besco, and they had a daughter named Shanna. After that, he married actress Milla Jovovich, who was in his film The Fifth Element.
Since 2004, Luc Besson has been married to film producer Virginie Silla. They have three children together, including actress Thalia Besson.
Selected Films Directed by Luc Besson
- Le Dernier Combat (1983)
- Subway (1985)
- The Big Blue (1988)
- La Femme Nikita (1990)
- Léon: The Professional (1994)
- The Fifth Element (1997)
- The Messenger: The Story of Joan of Arc (1999)
- Arthur and the Minimoys (2006)
- The Extraordinary Adventures of Adèle Blanc-Sec (2010)
- The Lady (2011)
- Lucy (2014)
- Valerian and the City of a Thousand Planets (2017)
- Anna (2019)
- Dogman (2023)
- Dracula: A Love Tale (Coming Soon)
Awards and Recognition
Luc Besson has received many awards for his filmmaking. These include:
- The Brussels International Festival of Fantasy Film Critics Prize for Le Dernier Combat (1983).
- The Italian National Syndicate of Film Journalists Silver Ribbon for La Femme Nikita (1990).
- The Alexander Korda Award for Best British Film for Nil by Mouth (1997).
- The Best Director Cesar Award for The Fifth Element (1997).
He also received the Inkpot Award in 2016, which honors people who have made great contributions to comics, science fiction, and fantasy.
Luc Besson's Film Company
In 2000, Luc Besson started a new film company called EuropaCorp with his friend Pierre-Ange Le Pogam. This company has grown a lot and made many successful English-language films that are shown all over the world. EuropaCorp has offices in Paris, Normandy, and Hollywood. They also work with partners in Japan and China to share their films.
Music Videos Directed by Luc Besson
Luc Besson has also directed music videos for famous singers:
- "Pull Marine" for Isabelle Adjani (1983)
- "Mon légionnaire" for Serge Gainsbourg (1988)
- "Que mon cœur lâche" for Mylène Farmer (1992)
- "Love Profusion" for Madonna (2003)
- "I Feel Everything" for Cara Delevingne (2017)
See also
In Spanish: Luc Besson para niños
