Robert Jules Guédiguian (; born 3 December 1953) is a French filmmaker, producer and actor. Most known for Marius and Jeannette (1997) and Gloria Mundi (2019), his films usually star his wife Ariane Ascaride or Jean-Pierre Darroussin.
Life Guédiguian is the son of a German mother and an Armenian father, whose family immigrated to France in the early 20th century after the Armenian genocide. He evokes his paternal roots in his 2006 film Le Voyage en Armenie. He has a working-class background, as his father is a worker on the Marseille docks. Guédiguian became concerned with political questions and for a while was involved with the French Communist Party. In 2008 he joined the Left Party in France.
He has been married to actress Ariane Ascaride since 1975 and they have two daughters, Valentine and Madeleine.
Career Like Marcel Pagnol and René Allio before him, he anchors his films in social reality. His films are strongly marked by the local and regional environment of the city of Marseille, and in particular L'Estaque (north-west Marseille), for example in Marius et Jeannette. His 2011 film The Snows of Kilimanjaro premiered in the Un Certain Regard section at the 2011 Cannes Film Festival.
In December 2023, alongside 50 other filmmakers, Guédiguian signed an open letter published in Libération demanding a ceasefire and an end to the killing of civilians amid the 2023 Israeli invasion of the Gaza Strip, and for a humanitarian corridor into Gaza to be established for humanitarian aid, and the release of hostages.
Filmography
As filmmaker YearEnglish titleOriginal titleNotes1981Last Summer1985Rouge midi1985Ki lo sa?1991Dieu vomit les tièdesAlso associate producer1993L'Argent fait le bonheur1995Til Death Do Us PartÀ la vie, à la mort!Also producerBayard d'Or for Best Film1997Marius and JeannetteMarius et JeannetteLouis Delluc Prize for Best FilmLumière Award for Best FilmNominated—César Award for Best FilmNominated—César Award for Best DirectorNominated—Best Original Screenplay or AdaptationNominated—Goya Award for Best European Film1998Where the Heart IsÀ la place du coeurSan Sebastián International Film Festival - Special Jury PrizeSan Sebastián International Film Festival - Alma Award for Best Screenplay (Honorable Mention)2000Charge!À l'Attaque!The Town Is QuietLa ville est tranquilleAlso producerEuropean Film Awards - FIPRESCI PrizeValladolid International Film Festival - Golden SpikeNominated—European Film Award for Best Screenwriter2002Marie-Jo and Her Two LoversMarie-Jo et ses deux amoursAlso producerNominated—2002 Cannes Film Festival - Palme d'Or2004My Father Is an EngineerMon père est ingénieurAlso producer2nd Yerevan Golden Apricot International Film Festival - Prize of the Armenian Association of Film Critics and Cinema Journalists for Best Feature Film2005The Last MitterrandLe Promeneur du Champ de MarsAlso producerNominated—55th Berlin International Film Festival - Golden Bear2006ArmeniaLe voyage en ArménieAlso producer3rd Yerevan Golden Apricot International Film Festival - Silver Apricot Special Prize for Feature Film2008Lady JaneAlso producerNominated—58th Berlin International Film Festival - Golden Bear2009The Army of CrimeL'Armée du crime2011The Snows of KilimanjaroLes Neiges du KilimandjaroEuropean Parliament LUX PrizeLumière Award for Best ScreenplaySwann d'Or for Best DirectorValladolid International Film Festival - Silver SpikeValladolid International Film Festival - Audience AwardNominated—2011 Cannes Film Festival - Prix Un certain regard2014Ariane's ThreadAu fil d'ArianeAlso producer2015Don't Tell Me the Boy Was MadUne histoire de fou2017The House by the SeaLa villa2019Gloria MundiNominated— 76th Venice International Film Festival - Golden Lion2021Dancing the Twist in BamakoTwist à Bamako2023And the Party Goes OnEt la fête continue!2024 2026A Woman TodayUne femme aujourd'hui
Other credits Year TitleCredited as NotesScreenwriterProducer 1980 Fernand 1985 Le Souffleur 1989 Roundabout 1989 Montalvo and the Child 1990 Le Coupeur d'eau Short film 1991 Le Cri du cochon 1992 C'est trop con! Short film 2002 Romances de terre et d'eau Documentary film 2004 Bad Spelling 2005 Crustacés et Coquillages As associate producer 2005 Free Zone Co-producer 2006 Le Dernier des fous 2007 Beneath the Rooftops of Paris 2009 Sisters 2010 Les Amants naufragés Telefilm 2011 La Vie en miettes 2013 Notre monde Documentary film 2013 My Sweet Pepper Land 2013 Les Déferlantes Telefilm 2017 The Young Karl Marx
As actor 1990: L'Ami Giono: Jofroi de la Maussan (Telefilm) 2002: Lulu as Marius 2012: Rendezvous in Kiruna 2021: Twist à Bamako
References
External links
Les gens du cinéma