Marcel Camus
Template:Short description Template:Infobox person Marcel Camus (21 April 1912 – 13 January 1982) was a French film director. He is best known for Orfeu Negro (Black Orpheus), which won the Palme d'Or at the 1959 Cannes Film Festival<ref name="festival-cannes.com">Template:Cite web</ref> and the 1960 Oscar for Best Foreign Language Film.<ref name="Oscars1960">Template:Cite web</ref>
Biography
Camus was born in Chappes,<ref>Template:Cite book</ref> in the Ardennes département of France. He studied art and intended to become an art teacher. However, World War II interrupted his plans. He spent part of the war in a German prisoner-of-war camp.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
On his return from captivity, his uncle, famous novelist Roland Dorgelès, introduced him to several filmmakers. Camus assisted filmmakers in France, including Jacques Feyder, Luis Buñuel, and Jacques Becker.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref name="Marcel Camus">Template:Cite web</ref>
New Wave
In a famous photo of the French New Wave filmmakers, taken on the steps of the Palais des Festivals in Cannes in 1959, Marcel Camus appears alongside François Truffaut, François Reichenbach, Claude Chabrol, Jacques Doniol-Valcroze, Jean-Luc Godard, Roger Vadim, Jean-Daniel Pollet, Jacques Rozier, Jacques Baratier, Jean Valère, Édouard Molinaro and Robert Hossein.
Orfeu Negro
In 1958, at the suggestion of producer Sacha Gordine, Camus travelled to Brazil<ref>https://archive.wikiwix.com/cache/index2.php?url=http%3A%2F%2Foglobo.globo.com%2Fblogs%2Fcinema%2Fposts%2F2008%2F03%2F12%2Fha-50-anos-marcel-camus-no-brasil-para-rodar-orfeu-93376.asp#federation=archive.wikiwix.com&tab=url</ref> to adapt a play for the screen with the help of Jacques Viot. Orfeu da Conceição, by famous poet and diplomat Vinícius de Moraes, became Orfeu Negro, a transposition of the love story of Orpheus and Eurydice to the favelas of Rio de Janeiro during Carnival. The film won over the general public and a large proportion of the critics.<ref>Template:Cite book</ref> It was a worldwide success,<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> winning several awards including the Palme d'Or at the 1959 Cannes Film Festival<ref name="festival-cannes.com"/> and the Academy Award for Best International Feature Film in 1960.<ref name="Oscars1960"/> It introduced Europeans and Americans to Rio, Carnival and bossa nova, with unknown black actors and a tender view of Brazil.<ref>Template:Cite book</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
Os bandeirantes
In 1960, Camus made a second Brazilian-themed film, Os Bandeirantes. This adventure film follows a French diamond miner in Brazil who, after being betrayed and left for dead by a friend, embarks on a quest for vengeance but finds himself falling in love with a Brazilian woman along the way.
Last films
Camus had a great success with a World War II comedy, Atlantic Wall, starring the well-known French comedian Bourvil.<ref name="Marcel Camus"/> It was the second most popular film in France in 1970, attracting 4,770,962 viewers.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
In 1976, Camus came back to the country that fascinated him and his wife. In a return to Brazilian themes, he directed Bahia (also known as Otalia da Bahia and Os pastores da noite), adapted from Brazilian writer Jorge Amado's Os pastores da noite (Shepherds of the Night).<ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref>Template:Cite newsTemplate:Dead linkTemplate:Cbignore</ref> However, Bahia failed to recapture the success of Orfeu Negro.
Camus ended his career working primarily in television.<ref name="Marcel Camus"/>
Personal life
Camus married Marpessa Dawn, who starred in Orfeu Negro, but they divorced shortly thereafter. He then married Lourdes de Oliveira, who was also in the film.<ref name= lourdes/> Camus and de Oliveira had two children, including writer Jean-Christophe Camus.<ref name= lourdes>Template:Cite news</ref><ref name= mulhere>Template:Cite web</ref>
Camus died in Paris on January 13, 1982 and was buried in Père Lachaise Cemetery.
Filmography
- Champions Juniors (1951) – writer
- Fugitive in Saigon (1957) – director
- Orfeu Negro (1959) - director
- The Pioneers (1961) - writer and director
- Bird of Paradise (1962) - co-writer and director
- Le Chant du monde (1965) - director
- Love in the Night (1968) - director
- Atlantic Wall (1970) - director
- Template:Interlanguage link (1973, TV miniseries) - director
- Bahia (1978) - writer and director
- Template:Ill (co-director: Template:Ill, 1979, TV miniseries) - director
- Mein Freund Winnetou (1980, TV miniseries) - director
References
External links
Template:AcademyAwardBestForeignLanguageFilm 1947–1960 Template:Authority control