Chris Marker
Chris Marker
Biography
Christian François Bouche-Villeneuve, also known as Chris Marker (France: 29 July 1921 - 29 July 2012) was a French writer, poet, activist, internaut, critic, photographer, traveler, journalist, film enssayist, multimedia artist and documentary maker. He began his work as part of the French Rive gauche group, parallel but different from the nouvelle vague, with which he would later share themes and works. He is credited with creating the subjective documentary and is considered a pioneer of collective cinema in France. His cinematographic work is known for its poetic, sometimes ethereal, and video-art-like expression. He dedicated himself, during sixty years of work, to observing, with meticulous curiosity, with caustic and often amusing irony, even with anger, the vicissitudes of world history and also of the individual (memory, art, wars, politics, culture, nature, etc), all this while experimenting with various methods of image manipulation and montage. He is also known for the ignorance of his person. For years, hardly anyone knew what Chris Marker looked like, he didn't like being photographed, so there were no photos of him. It amused him to offer contradictory accounts of his life in the few written interviews he gave. The closest you can get to Marker's intimate life is in his film career. Philippe Dubois once said: "Chris Marker is, in a way, the most celebrated of the unknown filmmakers". "Rather than a Man Without Qualities, he is a Man Without Biography," says his official website: chrismarker.org. He used many pseudonyms too, some are Hayao Yamaneko, Jacopo Berenzini, Kosinki, Michel Krasna, Sandor Krasna, Guillaume-en-Égypte (his avatar) & the best known Chris Marker. Some of his most important works are La Jetée (1962), Sans Soleil (1983), Far From Vietnam (1967), A Grin Without a Cat (1977), Level Five (1997), A.K. (1985) & One Day In the Life of Andrei Arsenevitch (1999). He also dabbled in CD-ROMs with Immemory (1997), has a website called Gorgomancy, a Youtube channel called Kosinki & created a whole world dedicated to his interests, life and works, called 'Ouvroir', in the virtual world game: Second Life.
Known For
Personal Info
Known For
Directing
Known Credits
217
Gender
Male
Birthday
1921-07-29 (103 years old)
Place of Birth
Neuilly-sur-Seine, Hauts-de-Seine, Île-de-France, France
Acting

2023

Ten Lives of a Cat: A Film about Chris Marker as Kaibyō (archive footage)

2015

Chris Marker: Never Explain, Never Complain as Self (archive footage)

2008

The Beaches of Agnès as Self (archive footage)

1999

One Day in the Life of Andrei Arsenevich as Self (voice) (uncredited)

1997

Level Five as Self (voice) (uncredited)

1988

Tokyo Days as Self (voice) (uncredited)

1985

Tokyo-Ga as Self (uncredited)

1985

A. K. as Self - Narrator (voice)

1983

Sans Soleil as Self (uncredited)

1978

May Days as Self

1973

Kashima Paradise as Narrator (voice)

1965

The Koumiko Mystery as Narrator

1963

The Lovely Month of May as Self / Interviewer (voice)

1957

Letter from Siberia as Stargazer (uncredited)
Crew

2019

Lluvia de jaulas Thanks

2012

20 Little Films Director

2012

Kino Director

2011

Overnight Director

2011

Overnight Writer

2011

Tempo Risoluto Editor

2011

Tempo Risoluto Director

2008

Guillaume Movie Writer

2008

Guillaume Movie Director

2008

The Morning After Director

2008

The Morning After Editor

1997

Level Five Original Music Composer

1995

Twelve Monkeys Original Film Writer

1994

Tchaïka Editor

1990

Berliner Ballade Director

1990

Berliner Ballade Editor

1988

Tokyo Days Editor

1986

Havre Thanks

1985

A. K. Editor

1983

Sans Soleil Editor

1983

Sans Soleil Director of Photography

1983

Sans Soleil Visual Effects

1983

Sans Soleil Music

1981

Junkopia Editor

1974

Les Deux mémoires Editor

1969

Jour de tournage Director

1967

Far from Vietnam Director

1967

Far from Vietnam Writer

1967

Far from Vietnam Editor

1967

Far from Vietnam Producer

1966

The Forbidden Volcano Screenplay

1964

Valparaiso Screenplay

1962

Playtime in Paris Editor

1957

Django Reinhardt Screenplay

NaN

ECU Thanks

2017

The Zone Short Story

2013

La Jétee Story

2011

Imagine Director

2011

ROYAL POLKA.mov Director

2011

Stopover in Dubai Director

2011

iDead Director

2010

Ouvroir the Movie Director

2008

Metrotopia Writer

2008

Metrotopia Director

2008

Henchman Glance Director

2007

Leila Attacks Director

2007

Leila Attacks Director of Photography

2004

Green Vinyl Thanks

2000

A Mayor in Kosovo Director

1999

Eclipse Director

1999

One Day in the Life of Andrei Arsenevich Director of Photography

1997

Level Five Writer

1997

Level Five Director

1997

Level Five Director of Photography

1995

Silent Movie (Edit 2) Director

1995

Blue Helmet Director

1995

Blue Helmet Writer

1995

Blue Helmet Editor

1994

Bullfight in Okinawa Director

1994

Three Haiku Videos Writer

1994

Three Haiku Videos Producer

1994

Three Haiku Videos Director

1994

Owl Gets in Your Eyes Director

1994

Tchaïka Director

1994

Petite Ceinture Director

1993

The Last Bolshevik Director

1993

The Last Bolshevik Editor

1993

The Last Bolshevik Writer

1993

Slon Tango Director

1993

The Last Bolshevik Director of Photography

1991

Theory of Sets Director

1991

Theory of Sets Producer

1990

Berlin 1990 Director

1990

Zoo Piece Director

1990

Zapping Zone Director

1990

Détour Ceausescu Director

1990

Détour Ceausescu Writer

1990

Berliner Ballade Writer

1989

The Owl's Legacy Director

1989

The Owl's Legacy Producer

1989

The Owl's Legacy Writer

1988

Tokyo Days Director

1988

Tokyo Days Writer

1988

Tokyo Days Director of Photography

1986

Mémoires pour Simone Director

1985

Matta '85 Director

1985

From Chris to Christo Director

1985

A. K. Director

1985

A. K. Writer

1983

Sans Soleil Writer

1983

Sans Soleil Director

1981

Junkopia Original Music Composer

1981

Junkopia Writer

1981

Junkopia Director

1977

A Grin Without a Cat Director

1976

The Spiral Editor

1973

The Embassy Writer

1973

The Embassy Director

1973

The Train Rolls On Director

1973

Kashima Paradise Writer

1970

The Confession Still Photographer

1969

Class of Struggle Director

1968

Be Seeing You Director

1968

Cinétracts Director

1968

Cinétracts Writer

1968

The Sixth Side of the Pentagon Director of Photography

1966

If I Had Four Dromedaries Director of Photography

1965

The Koumiko Mystery Director

1965

The Koumiko Mystery Director of Photography

1964

From a Distant Gaze Director of Photography

1962

La Jetée Director

1962

La Jetée Director of Photography

1962

La Jetée Screenplay

1961

¡Cuba Sí! Writer

1961

¡Cuba Sí! Screenplay

1961

¡Cuba Sí! Director of Photography

1961

¡Cuba Sí! Director

1959

The Astronauts Director

1959

Night and Fog Assistant Director

1959

Night and Fog Script Editor

1958

Broadway by Light Writer

1957

Letter from Siberia Director

1956

Sunday in Peking Director

1956

Sunday in Peking Writer

1956

Sunday in Peking Director of Photography

1953

Statues Also Die Director

1953

Statues Also Die Writer

1952

Olympia 52 Director

1952

Olympia 52 Writer