|
 |
     |
 
|
|
Directors of the 11 episodes (in order of appearance) |
|
|
Samira Makhmalbaf - Biography
Born Tehran, 1980. The daughter of the film director Mohsen Makhmalbaf. After attending her father’s private film school, in 1998 she was assistant director on LE SILENCE. Only eighteen years old, she was the youngest film director ever to be selected at the Cannes Film Festival with THE APPLE. At nineteen she directed her second film BLACKBOARDS.
Shown in competition at Cannes Film Festival 2000, the film was awarded the Special Jury Prize. In 2000 she was one of the Jury members of the 57th Venice Film Festival.
|
|
|
|
Claude Lelouch - Biography
Born Paris, 1937. Self-taught from an early age. In the mid 50s he worked for French television, where he made his first shorts. During his military service, he was active as a director for the Army. 1960 saw his first feature LE PROPRE DE L’HOMME. In 1966, UN HOMME ET UNE FEMME brought him worldwide attention, winning the Palme d’Or in Cannes, two Academy Awards and a Nastro d’argento. In 1981, with LES UNS ET LES AUTRES, he gained new great commercial success.
|
|
|
|
Youssef Chahine - Biography
Born Alexandria, Egypt 1926. Studied in Alexandria before moving to the U.S., where he took courses on film and dramatic arts. Back in Egypt, he made his film debut with BABA AMIN (1950). In 1951, he was invited to Cannes with IBN EL NIL. He won a Silver Bear at Berlin for ISKANDERIJA...LIH? (1978). In 1992 he started writing AL MOHAGER, a story inspired by the biblical character of Joseph, son of Jacob, that he shot in 1994. In 1997, he won Cannes’ 50th Anniversary Palme d’Or with AL MASSIR. In 2001 he participated at the Venice Mostra with SILENCE...ON TOURNE.
|
|
|
|
Danis Tanovic - Biography
Born Zenica, Bosnia, 1969. Attended civil engineering school and music school. He graduated from the Academy of performing arts, department of intermedia directing. He directed a short film, YOUR LOVER CALLED, a theatre play, A MADMAN AND A NUN, a documentary, DERVISHS, a short documentary, MY MOTHER SHAHID, a documentary reportage A YEAR AFTER, and a series of video clips for the B & H army. In 2000, Danis finished his first feature film NO MAN’S LAND which received a Golden Palm award for best scenario at the 2001 Cannes Film Festival, a Golden Globe and the Academy Award for the Best Foreign Film.
|
|
|
|
Idrissa Ouedraogo - Biography
Born Banfora, Burkina Faso, 1954. Graduated at the African Institute for Film Studies and was appointed to the Burkina Faso Film Production Office. After directing POKO, his first short film, he lived briefly in Kiev.
In 1985 he graduated from the IDHEC, the French Film School, and also gained a diploma in film studies from the Sorbonne. His films YAABA and TILAI have been awarded several prizes.
|
|
|
|
Ken Loach - Biography
Born Nuneaton, 1936. Studied Law at Oxford, then trained as an actor and director at the BBC. Politically engaged, he made his directorial debut in 1967 with POOR COW. In the seventies he worked mostly for television; in 1980 he went back to the cinema with BLACK JACK. In 1990 and 1993 he won the Special Jury Prize at the Cannes Film Festival with HIDDEN AGENDA and RAINING STONES. His comedy RIFF-RAFF was awarded the 1992 Felix for Best European Film. THE NAVIGATORS was screened at the Venice Film Festival in 2001 . His latest feature SWEET SIXTEEN won the Best Screenplay Award at this year’s Cannes Film Festival. When 11’ 09” 01 - SEPTEMBER 11 was premiered at the recent Venice Film Festival, Ken Loach’s episode was awarded with the Fipresci critics’ prize for outstanding short film.
|
|
|
|
Alejandro González Iñárritu - Biography
Born Mexico, 1963. A highly successful director, producer and D.J. for WFM, a radio station in Mexico by the age of twenty-three. In 1990 he was appointed creative director of Televisa. In 1991 he founded the production company, Zeta Film. In 2000, his debut film AMORES PERROS won the Critic’s Week Grand Prize at the Cannes Film Festival and many other awards worldwide.
|
|
|
|
Amos Gitai - Biography
Born Haifa, Israel, 1950. Studied architecture at Haifa, then Berkeley.
From 1973 he started shooting with Super8, showing a preference for documentaries. In 1989 Israeli television censored his BAÏT for its merciless comment on government policies; however, the documentary was screened at many festivals. ESTHER, his first feature film, was presented at Cannes in 1986 and won the first prize at the Turin Film Festival. In 1989 his BERLIN-JERUSALEM was screened in competition in Venice. From 1992 he has devoted his time to theatrical features.
|
|
|
|
Mira Nair - Biography
Born Bhubaneshwar, India, 1957. Educated at Delhi University and at Harvard. She directed several documentaries before making her feature debut SALAAM BOMBAY! in 1988, which was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film. It also received the Camera d’Or and the Prix du Publique at the Cannes Film Festival. Her documentary THE LAUGHING CLUB OF INDIA was awarded the Special Jury Prize in the Festival International de Programmes Audiovisuels. In 2001 her feature film MONSOON WEDDING won the Golden Lion at the Venice Film Festival.
|
|
|
|
Sean Penn - Biography
Born Santa Monica, 1960. Active in local theatre during his teens; he apprenticed at Los Angeles’ Group Repertory Theatre and worked as an assistant to actor/director Pat Hingle. His work on Broadway led to his first movie. He turned his energies behind the camera to direct THE INDIAN RUNNER in 1991. He participated at the Venice Film Festival in 1995 with THE CROSSING GUARD and in 2001 at the Cannes Film Festival with THE PLEDGE.
|
|
|
|
Shohei Imamura - Biography
Born Tokyo, 1926. Began working at Shochiku Studio in 1951 as an assistant to Yasujiro Ozu, Masaki Kobayashi and Yoshitaro Nomura. In 1954 he joined Nikkatsu Studio, where he became Yuzo Kawashima’s co-writer and assistant to So Yamamura and Kinuyo Tanaka. In 1958 he directed his first film, NUSUMARETA YOKUJO. In 1965 he created his own production company. In 1975 he created The Cinema and Television Institute of Yohoyama, which became The Japanese Academy of Visual Arts. He has been awarded the Palme d’Or in Cannes twice for BALLAD OF NARAYAMA and THE EEL.
|
|
|
|
