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Claire Denis is an acclaimed film director, screenwriter, and actress, mostly known for her 1999 movie Beau Travail. Born in Paris, France, the filmmaker spent her childhood and formative years traveling through Africa, where her dad worked as a colonial administrator. She moved back to France at the age of twelve, due to her need for medical care, and it’s in Paris that she started to discover cinema, when she attended the Lycée de Saint-Germain-en-Laye. She married a photographer but it didn’t last long, and she eventually moved back to Africa, having made the decision to never get married again and simply focus on filmmaking.
After making a short produced by Pathé Cinema (Le 15 Mai), Claire Denis started working as an assistant director for acclaimed filmmakers, suh as Jim Jarmusch and Wim Wenders. Her first feature was Chocolat (1988), which was selected for the competition at the Cannes Film Festival and where we can already see some of the themes that she would later approach.
Denis’ experiences in Africa shaped her filmmaking, as what usually defines her movies is her analysis of human nature with specific attention not only to strong urges like sex, desire, death, and violence, but also to post-colonialism. To watch a Claire Denis film is to experience something alien and unusual that puts us face to face with all the contradictions that define us, ultimately leaving us with something beautiful but also sad.
Among Claire Denis’ most acclaimed movies are Beau Travail (1999), Trouble Every Day (2001), and White Material (2009). Recent films include the divisive High Life (2018), and 2022 releases Both Sides of the Blade and Stars at Noon. The director is currently working on the Matt Dillon and Mia McKenna-Bruce starring The Cry of the Guards, which is currently in post-production. Keep an eye on this page for all our reviews!
Image credit: Emily Berl
