Michel Hazanavicius

French director, born in Paris in 1967.

A graduate of the Ecole d’Arts de Cergy-Pontoise, Michel Hazanavicius started out in 1988 as a scriptwriter for Canal+, notably for Les Nuls. He turned to directing in 1992 on parodic television films (such as Derrick contre Superman and Le Grand Détournement) and advertising spots. He co-wrote feature films, then directed Mes Amis, his first film, in 1999. His next two films OSS 117: Cairo, Nest of Spies and its sequel OSS 117: Lost in Rio were huge box-office and critical successes. He then directed The Artist, in 2011, which won many international awards, including the Oscars for Best Film, Best Director, and Best Actor for Jean Dujardin. His latest film, The Search, was selected for Cannes in 2014.
La Classe américaine (1993) – Mes amis (1999) – OSS 117 : Cairo, nest of spies (2006) – OSS 117 : Lost in Rio (2008) – The Artist (2011) – The Players (extract from La Bonne conscience, 2012) – The Search (2014) – Le Redoutable (2017) – The Lost Prince (2020) – Final Cut (2022)

Their list of films

Bonus exclusive content

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Michel Hazanavicius
about Happy Gilmore
of Dennis Dugan
On peut dire que c'est un film "de" Adam Sandler, comme on disait : "c'est un film de Jerry Lewis".
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Michel Hazanavicius
about Slap Shot
of George Roy Hill
Il y a vraiment l'idée d'une Amérique en train de muter, de changer. C’est un film un peu plus profond qu’il n’y paraît.
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Michel Hazanavicius
about Back to the Future
of Robert Zemeckis
C'est un scénario modèle, un peu comme « Un jour sans fin »…
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Michel Hazanavicius
about Steamboat Bill, Jr
of Buster Keaton
Buster Keaton's stunts are as impressive as Jackie Chan's. He is like a real punk.
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Michel Hazanavicius
about The Crowd
of King Vidor
You can tell any story with a silent movie. This is a very heart-warming film that I frequently show others.
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Michel Hazanavicius
about Modern Times
of Charlie Chaplin
Charlie Chaplin looks like a child while spreading a strong political message. He creates sparks and makes society more transparent.
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Michel Hazanavicius
about We All Loved Each Other So Much
of Ettore Scola
C'est un film que je n'ai jamais lâché.
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Michel Hazanavicius
about Masculin feminin
of Jean-Luc Godard
This movie is a study about youth. It gives a voice to its actors about controversial subjects such as abortion, homosexuality - which triggered a prohibition for minors.
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Michel Hazanavicius
about Citizen Kane
of Orson Welles
Pour un mec de 25 ans, c'est assez surnaturel !
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Michel Hazanavicius
about Breathless
of Jean-Luc Godard
I don't claim any Godard legacy, but he is the only one of the "Nouvelle Vague" directors who continued to reinvent cinema. Deeply, I think "La Nouvelle Vague" is Godard.