Roland Joffé facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Roland Joffé
Joffé in 2012
Born	(1945-11-17) 17 November 1945 (age 79) London, England
Education	Lycée Français Charles de Gaulle Carmel College, Oxfordshire
Alma mater	University of Manchester
Occupation	Film director, producer, screenwriter
Years active	1960–present
Spouse(s)	Jane Lapotaire ​ ​ (m. 1974; div. 1980)​
Children	Rowan Joffé Nathalie Lunghi

Roland Joffé (born 17 November 1945) is an English film and television director, producer, and screenwriter. He is well-known for directing the highly praised films The Killing Fields (1984) and The Mission (1986). Both films earned him nominations for the Best Director award. The Mission also won the top prize, the Palme d'Or, at the 1986 Cannes Film Festival.

Joffé started his career working in television. He directed episodes of popular shows like Coronation Street. He also worked on serious dramas for a series called Play for Today. In the late 1980s, he helped start a film production company called Lightmotive.

Early Life and School Days

Roland Joffé was born in London, England. His family had roots in France and a Jewish background.

He went to two special schools. One was the Lycée Français Charles de Gaulle in London. The other was Carmel College in Wallingford, Oxfordshire. This was a Jewish boarding school, which means students lived there. He later studied at the University of Manchester.

Roland Joffé's Career in Film and TV

Starting in TV Directing

After finishing university, Joffé began working at Granada Television in 1973. He trained to be a director there. He directed episodes for many TV shows. These included Coronation Street, Sam, and Crown Court.

In 1977, a producer wanted Joffé to direct a play for the BBC. There was a small delay in hiring him. However, the issue was quickly resolved, and Joffé directed the play The Spongers. This play later won a special award called the Prix Italia. Joffé continued to direct other TV plays for the BBC, including The Legion Hall Bombing (1979) and United Kingdom (1981).

Becoming a Film Director

Roland Joffé's first two major films were very successful. These were The Killing Fields (1984) and The Mission (1986). For both films, he was nominated for an Best Director award. He worked closely with producer David Puttnam on these projects.

The Killing Fields tells the story of a friendship between an American journalist and his translator. The translator becomes a prisoner during a difficult time in Cambodia. The film won three Academy Awards. These included awards for Best Supporting Actor and Best Cinematography.

The Mission is about Jesuit missionaries in South America. They tried to help the Guaraní people. The film shows the conflict between the missionaries and the Spanish and Portuguese colonizers. These colonizers wanted to enslave the native people. Joffé said the film shows how innocent people can bring out different reactions in others. The Mission won the Palme d'Or at the Cannes Film Festival. It also received six Academy Award nominations, winning one for Best Cinematography.

In 1993, Joffé helped produce a movie based on the video game Super Mario Bros.. He also partly directed it. Later, some of his films were not as successful. These included his 1995 film The Scarlet Letter and the 2007 film Captivity.

His 2011 film, There Be Dragons, explored themes of faith and forgiveness. Joffé felt a strong connection to this movie. He said he was proud of the message it shared with people. In 2013, Joffé directed The Lovers, a historical romance and adventure film.

Personal Life

Roland Joffé by Jacob Epstein, around 1949

Roland Joffé was married to actress Jane Lapotaire from 1974 to 1980. They have a son, Rowan Joffé, who is also a screenwriter and director. Later, he had a long-term relationship with actress Cherie Lunghi. They have a daughter, Nathalie Lunghi, who is an actor.

Joffé is involved with a charity called Operation USA. He also supported the 2011 Cambodia Volleyball World Cup. Today, Roland Joffé lives in Malta. He helps organize the Valletta Film Festival there. He has described his own beliefs as being a "wobbly agnostic," meaning he is unsure about religious matters.

Filmography

Films Directed

Executive producer

• Blood on the Crown (2021)

Television Work

Awards and Nominations

See also

• List of Academy Award winners and nominees from Great Britain