Claire Denis

One of the most important filmmakers of contemporary French cinema

Claire Denis is one of the most important filmmakers and authors of contemporary French cinema. She recently received the "Silver Bear" for best director at the 2022 Berlinale for "Avec amour et acharnement" with Juliette Binoche and Vincent Lindon. The daughter of a French colonial official, Claire Denis grew up partly in Cameroon, Burkina Faso and Djibouti. She studied at the Institut des Hautes Études Cinématographiques (today: La Fémis), and after graduating in 1971 worked as an assistant director with Dušan Makavejev, Costa Gavras, Jacques Rivette, Jim Jarmusch and Wim Wenders. In 1988 she made her debut film, "Chocolat", set in Africa at the turn of anti-colonialism. Since then, she has repeatedly dealt with colonial and anti-colonial themes in West Africa, but also with contemporary problems in France, with questions of identity, origin and continued destabilisation.

The daughter of a French colonial official, Claire Denis grew up partly in Cameroon, Burkina Faso and Djibouti. She studied at the Institut des Hautes Études Cinématographiques (today: La Fémis), and after graduating in 1971 worked as an assistant director with Dušan Makavejev, Costa Gavras, Jacques Rivette, Jim Jarmusch and Wim Wenders. In 1988 she made her debut film, "Chocolat", set in Africa at the turn of anti-colonialism. Since then, she has repeatedly dealt with colonial and anti-colonial themes in West Africa, but also with contemporary problems in France, with questions of identity, origin and continued destabilisation.

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