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Chris Marker

Directing 91 (deceased) years old Neuilly-sur-Seine, Hauts-de-Seine, Île-de-France, France ★ 0.7
Born: July 29, 1921
Died: July 29, 2012

Biography

Christian François Bouche-Villeneuve, better known as Chris Marker (France, 29 July 1921 – 29 July 2012), was a French writer, poet, activist, critic, photographer, traveler, journalist, film essayist, multimedia artist, and documentary filmmaker.

He began his career as part of the French Rive Gauche group—parallel to but distinct from the Nouvelle Vague—with which he would later share certain themes and collaborators. Marker is credited with developing the subjective documentary and is considered a pioneer of collective cinema in France. His films are known for their poetic, essayistic, and often experimental qualities, blending a reflective voice with a fascination for memory, art, war, politics, culture, and nature. Over six decades of work, he observed the world with meticulous curiosity, irony, and compassion, continually experimenting with new forms of image manipulation and montage.

He was also famously elusive. For many years, few people knew what Chris Marker looked like—he disliked being photographed, and no confirmed portraits were publicly available. He often amused himself by giving contradictory accounts of his life in the rare interviews he granted. As Philippe Dubois observed, “Chris Marker is, in a way, the most celebrated of the unknown filmmakers.” His official website adds: “Rather than a man without qualities, he is a man without biography.”

Marker also worked under numerous pseudonyms, including Hayao Yamaneko, Jacopo Berenzini, Kosinki, Michel Krasna, Sandor Krasna, and Guillaume-en-Égypte (his feline avatar), though his best-known identity remains Chris Marker.

Among his most significant works are La Jetée (1962), Sans Soleil (1983), Far from Vietnam (1967), A Grin Without a Cat (1977), A.K. (1985), Level Five (1997), and One Day in the Life of Andrei Arsenevich (1999). He also explored interactive and digital media with the CD-ROM Immemory (1997), maintained a website titled Gorgomancy, a YouTube channel called Kosinki, and created a virtual gallery, Ouvroir, within the online world Second Life.

External Links

🌐 Official Website 🎬 IMDb

Known For

One Day in the Life of Andrei Arsenevich
One Day in the Life of Andrei Arsenevich Director 1999
When the Century Took Shape (War and Revolution)
When the Century Took Shape (War and Revolution) Director 1978
You Speak of Chile: What Allende Said
You Speak of Chile: What Allende Said Director 1973
Sans Soleil
Sans Soleil Director 1983
The Owl's Legacy
The Owl's Legacy Director 1989

Filmography

Acting Credits (21)

Directing Credits (84)

20 Little Films
20 Little Films Director 2012
iDead
iDead Director 2011
Kino
Kino Director 2011
Imagine
Imagine Director 2011
Stopover in Dubai
Stopover in Dubai Director 2011
ROYAL POLKA.mov
ROYAL POLKA.mov Director 2011
Tempo Risoluto
Tempo Risoluto Director 2011
Overnight
Overnight Director 2011
Ouvroir the Movie
Ouvroir the Movie Director 2010
The Morning After
The Morning After Director 2008
Henchman Glance
Henchman Glance Director 2008
Pictures at an Exhibition
Pictures at an Exhibition Director 2008
Metrotopia
Metrotopia Director 2008
Guillaume Movie
Guillaume Movie Director 2008
A Year of TV Seen by Guillaume
A Year of TV Seen by Guillaume Director 2007
Leila Attacks
Leila Attacks Director 2007
The Andrei Tarkovsky Companion
The Andrei Tarkovsky Companion Director 2007
The Case of the Grinning Cat
The Case of the Grinning Cat Director 2006
Remembrance of Things to Come
Remembrance of Things to Come Director 2001
A Mayor in Kosovo
A Mayor in Kosovo Director 2000
Eclipse
Eclipse Director 1999
One Day in the Life of Andrei Arsenevich
One Day in the Life of Andrei Arsenevich Director 1999
Level Five
Level Five Director 1997
Silent Movie (Edit 2)
Silent Movie (Edit 2) Director 1995
Blue Helmet
Blue Helmet Director 1995
The Last Bolshevik
The Last Bolshevik Director 1994
Bullfight in Okinawa
Bullfight in Okinawa Director 1994
Three Haiku Videos
Three Haiku Videos Director 1994
Owl Gets in Your Eyes
Owl Gets in Your Eyes Director 1994
Tchaïka
Tchaïka Director 1994
Petite Ceinture
Petite Ceinture Director 1994
Prime Time in the Camps
Prime Time in the Camps Director 1993
Slon Tango
Slon Tango Director 1993
Theory of Sets
Theory of Sets Director 1991
Berlin 1990
Berlin 1990 Director 1990
Berlin 1990
Berlin 1990 Director 1990
An Owl Is an Owl Is an Owl
An Owl Is an Owl Is an Owl Director 1990
Zoo Piece
Zoo Piece Director 1990
Rush - Voyage à Moscou
Rush - Voyage à Moscou Director 1990
Zapping Zone
Zapping Zone Director 1990
Détour Ceausescu
Détour Ceausescu Director 1990
The Owl's Legacy
The Owl's Legacy Director 1989
Tokyo Days
Tokyo Days Director 1988
Cat Listening to Music
Cat Listening to Music Director 1988
Mémoires pour Simone
Mémoires pour Simone Director 1986
Matta '85
Matta '85 Director 1985
A. K.
A. K. Director 1985
From Chris to Christo
From Chris to Christo Director 1985
2084: Video Clip for the Trade Unions' Reflection and Pleasure
2084: Video Clip for the Trade Unions' Reflection and Pleasure Director 1984
Sans Soleil
Sans Soleil Director 1983
Junkopia
Junkopia Director 1981
When the Century Took Shape (War and Revolution)
When the Century Took Shape (War and Revolution) Director 1978
A Grin Without a Cat
A Grin Without a Cat Director 1977
The Loneliness of the Long Distance Singer
The Loneliness of the Long Distance Singer Director 1974
The Embassy
The Embassy Director 1973
You Speak of Chile: What Allende Said
You Speak of Chile: What Allende Said Director 1973
We Maintain It Is Possible
We Maintain It Is Possible Director 1973
Three Cheers for the Whale
Three Cheers for the Whale Director 1972
The Train Rolls On
The Train Rolls On Director 1971
You Speak of Paris: Maspero. Words Have Meaning
You Speak of Paris: Maspero. Words Have Meaning Director 1971
You Speak of Prague: The Second Trial of Artur London
You Speak of Prague: The Second Trial of Artur London Director 1971
Cuba: Battle of the 10,000,000
Cuba: Battle of the 10,000,000 Director 1971
Report on Brazil: Carlos Marighella
Report on Brazil: Carlos Marighella Director 1970
Jour de tournage
Jour de tournage Director 1969
Report on Brazil: Torture
Report on Brazil: Torture Director 1969
Class of Struggle
Class of Struggle Director 1969
The Sixth Side of the Pentagon
The Sixth Side of the Pentagon Director 1968
Cinétracts
Cinétracts Director 1968
Be Seeing You
Be Seeing You Director 1968
Far from Vietnam
Far from Vietnam Director 1967
If I Had Four Dromedaries
If I Had Four Dromedaries Director 1966
The Koumiko Mystery
The Koumiko Mystery Director 1965
The Lovely Month of May
The Lovely Month of May Director 1963
La Jetée
La Jetée Director 1962
¡Cuba Sí!
¡Cuba Sí! Director 1961
Description of a Struggle
Description of a Struggle Director 1960
The Astronauts
The Astronauts Director 1959
Letter from Siberia
Letter from Siberia Director 1957
Sunday in Peking
Sunday in Peking Director 1956
Night and Fog
Night and Fog Assistant Director 1956
Statues Also Die
Statues Also Die Director 1953
Olympia 52
Olympia 52 Director 1952
Concours de rêve : La Clé des songes
Concours de rêve : La Clé des songes Director 1950
The End of the World Seen by the Angel Gabriel
The End of the World Seen by the Angel Gabriel Director 1947

Writing Credits (57)

The Zone
The Zone Short Story 2017
La Jétee
La Jétee Story 2013
Life and Freaky Times of Uncle Luke
Life and Freaky Times of Uncle Luke Writer 2012
Overnight
Overnight Writer 2011
Ouvroir the Movie
Ouvroir the Movie Writer 2010
Metrotopia
Metrotopia Writer 2008
Guillaume Movie
Guillaume Movie Writer 2008
The Case of the Grinning Cat
The Case of the Grinning Cat Writer 2006
Remembrance of Things to Come
Remembrance of Things to Come Writer 2001
One Day in the Life of Andrei Arsenevich
One Day in the Life of Andrei Arsenevich Writer 1999
Level Five
Level Five Writer 1997
Twelve Monkeys
Twelve Monkeys Original Film Writer 1995
Blue Helmet
Blue Helmet Writer 1995
The Last Bolshevik
The Last Bolshevik Writer 1994
Three Haiku Videos
Three Haiku Videos Writer 1994
Berlin 1990
Berlin 1990 Writer 1990
Détour Ceausescu
Détour Ceausescu Writer 1990
The Owl's Legacy
The Owl's Legacy Writer 1989
Tokyo Days
Tokyo Days Writer 1988
A. K.
A. K. Writer 1985
2084: Video Clip for the Trade Unions' Reflection and Pleasure
2084: Video Clip for the Trade Unions' Reflection and Pleasure Writer 1984
Sans Soleil
Sans Soleil Writer 1983
Junkopia
Junkopia Writer 1981
The Battle of Chile: Part III
The Battle of Chile: Part III Other 1979
A Grin Without a Cat
A Grin Without a Cat Writer 1977
The Embassy
The Embassy Writer 1973
Kashima Paradise
Kashima Paradise Writer 1973
Three Cheers for the Whale
Three Cheers for the Whale Writer 1972
The Train Rolls On
The Train Rolls On Writer 1971
Report on Brazil: Carlos Marighella
Report on Brazil: Carlos Marighella Writer 1970
Report on Brazil: Torture
Report on Brazil: Torture Writer 1969
Cinétracts
Cinétracts Writer 1968
Far from Vietnam
Far from Vietnam Writer 1967
If I Had Four Dromedaries
If I Had Four Dromedaries Writer 1966
The Forbidden Volcano
The Forbidden Volcano Writer 1966
The Forbidden Volcano
The Forbidden Volcano Screenplay 1966
The Koumiko Mystery
The Koumiko Mystery Writer 1965
Valparaiso
Valparaiso Screenplay 1964
The Lovely Month of May
The Lovely Month of May Writer 1963
La Jetée
La Jetée Screenplay 1962
¡Cuba Sí!
¡Cuba Sí! Writer 1961
¡Cuba Sí!
¡Cuba Sí! Screenplay 1961
Description of a Struggle
Description of a Struggle Writer 1960
America as Seen by a Frenchman
America as Seen by a Frenchman Writer 1960
Broadway by Light
Broadway by Light Writer 1958
The Sea and the Days
The Sea and the Days Writer 1958
Des Hommes Dans Le Ciel
Des Hommes Dans Le Ciel Writer 1958
Les hommes de la baleine
Les hommes de la baleine Writer 1958
Letter from Siberia
Letter from Siberia Writer 1957
The Mystery of Workshop 15
The Mystery of Workshop 15 Writer 1957
Django Reinhardt
Django Reinhardt Screenplay 1957
Sunday in Peking
Sunday in Peking Writer 1956
Night and Fog
Night and Fog Script Editor 1956
Statues Also Die
Statues Also Die Writer 1953
Olympia 52
Olympia 52 Writer 1952
Concours de rêve : La Clé des songes
Concours de rêve : La Clé des songes Writer 1950
The End of the World Seen by the Angel Gabriel
The End of the World Seen by the Angel Gabriel Writer 1947

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