Marcel Ophuls facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Marcel Ophuls
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| Born | 1 November 1927 |
| Died | 24 May 2025 (aged 97) |
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| Education | Occidental College University of California, Berkeley |
| Occupation | Film director |
| Years active | 1950–2025 |
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Notable work
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The Sorrow and the Pity (1969) Hôtel Terminus: The Life and Times of Klaus Barbie (1988) |
| Spouse(s) | Regine Ophuls |
| Children | 3 |
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| Awards | Academy Award for Best Documentary Feature (1988) |
Marcel Ophuls (born November 1, 1927 – died May 24, 2025) was a famous German-French and American filmmaker. He was best known for his documentaries, which are films that tell true stories. Two of his most important films were The Sorrow and the Pity (1969) and Hôtel Terminus: The Life and Times of Klaus Barbie (1988).
Marcel was born into a German-Jewish family. When the Nazis came to power in Germany in 1933, his family had to leave their home. They moved to France, but had to flee again in 1940 when the Nazis took over France. In 1941, his family moved to the United States, and Marcel became an American citizen in 1950.
His career in film started in 1950. He made movies in the United States, France, and the United Kingdom. At first, he made fictional movies, but in the late 1960s, he started making documentaries in France. Later, he also made documentaries for American TV networks like CBS and ABC. He won an Academy Award (also known as an Oscar) in 1989 for his film Hôtel Terminus. Marcel Ophuls continued making films until he passed away in France in 2025.
Contents
Early Life and Family
Marcel Ophuls was born in Frankfurt, Germany, on November 1, 1927. His father, Max Ophüls, was also a well-known film director. In 1933, when the Nazi Party gained power, his family left Germany and settled in Paris, France.
However, in May 1940, Germany invaded France, and the family was forced to hide. After more than a year, they traveled through Spain to the United States, arriving in December 1941. Marcel went to high school in Hollywood and later studied at Occidental College and the University of California, Berkeley. He became a French citizen in 1938 and an American citizen in 1950.
In 1956, Marcel married Regine Ackermann. They had three daughters and three grandchildren. Marcel, like his father, chose not to use the German umlaut (two dots) over the "u" in their last name.
Career as a Filmmaker
When Marcel's family returned to Paris in 1950, he began working as an assistant director. He helped on films like John Huston's Moulin Rouge (1952) and his father's Lola Montès (1955). He also directed a part of the film Love at Twenty (1962) and a detective film called Banana Peel (1963).
Becoming a Documentary Director
Marcel Ophuls eventually started making documentaries for television. He enjoyed making entertainment films, but he became famous for his documentaries. He used a calm interview style to bring together different stories and create a strong message. He felt that his father, Max, was a genius at making fictional films, and he himself was better suited for documentaries.
French TV asked him to make a documentary about the Munich Agreement of 1938, which was called Munich (1967).
He was then asked to make a film about France during the Nazi occupation. This film was The Sorrow and the Pity (1969). The film was four and a half hours long and showed how some French citizens cooperated with the German occupiers. It challenged the idea that everyone in France resisted the Nazis. The film caused a lot of discussion in France and was not shown on French TV until 1981.
Films of the 1970s
The BBC asked Marcel to make A Sense of Loss (1972). This film explored "The Troubles" in Northern Ireland, which was a period of conflict. It included interviews with people from different sides, politicians, and soldiers. Like his previous film, this documentary was not immediately shown on television and premiered at the New York Film Festival.
The Memory of Justice (1976) was a very ambitious film. It compared the actions of the United States in the Vietnam War and France in the Algerian War to the terrible acts of the Nazis. It also looked at the lessons learned from the Nuremberg Trials, where Nazi leaders were put on trial. Marcel Ophuls considered this film to be his most personal work. In the mid-1970s, he also started making documentaries for American TV networks CBS and ABC.
Hôtel Terminus and an Oscar
With money from America, Marcel made the documentary Hôtel Terminus: The Life and Times of Klaus Barbie (1988). This film featured interviews with people who supported and opposed the trial of Klaus Barbie, a former Nazi officer. The film showed how Barbie was brought to trial and sentenced to life in prison.
When the film premiered at the Cannes Film Festival, it caused a strong reaction. It later won an Academy Award for Best Documentary Feature in 1989.
1990s Works
His next film was November Days (1992), which featured interviews with two senior East German Communist leaders.
In 1995, a special event was held in Toronto to celebrate Marcel Ophuls's films. This included his newest film, The Trouble We've Seen (1994). This film explored how journalists report on wars, especially the Bosnian War. Marcel Ophuls explained that he continued to make documentaries to help people understand the many images they see every day. He believed that documentarians are like "professional witnesses" who must share important messages.
Later Life
Marcel Ophuls's films continued to be recognized. In 2007, his film The Sorrow and the Pity was chosen as one of the top ten classic documentaries by Iranian filmmaker Maziar Bahari. In 2015, Marcel Ophuls received the Berlinale Camera award for his life's work at the 65th Berlin International Film Festival.
In 2014, he started working on a new film called Unpleasant Truths. This film was about the ongoing situation in the Occupied Palestinian territories. The film was not completed due to financial and legal issues.
Marcel Ophuls passed away in Lucq-de-Béarn, France, on May 24, 2025, at the age of 97.
Filmography
As director
- Matisse, ou Le talent du Bonheur (1960) (short film)
- Love at Twenty (1962)
- Peau de banane (1963)
- Fire at Will (1965)
- Munich or Peace in our Time (1967)
- The Sorrow and the Pity (1969) – This film changed how people in France viewed the Vichy Regime.
- The Harvest of My Lai (1970)
- A Sense of Loss (1972) – About the conflicts in Northern Ireland.
- The Memory of Justice (1973–76) – Explored the Nuremberg Trials, the Vietnam War, and the nature of war.
- Hôtel Terminus: The Life and Times of Klaus Barbie (1988) – Won an Academy Award for Best Documentary Feature.
- November Days (1992)
- Veillées d'armes (The Troubles We've Seen: A History of Journalism in Wartime) (1994)
- Un Voyageur (2012) – A film where Marcel Ophuls shared his own memories and experiences.
See also
In Spanish: Marcel Ophüls para niños
- Hôtel Terminus – Information about the actual hotel.
