Conference by director Jean-Pierre Jeunet at CinéCréatis: a look back at an exceptional meeting!

On 15 December, students at the CinéCréatis Montpellier school had the immense honour of meeting multi-platinum film director Jean-Pierre Jeunet, who gave a talk for them. Here’s a look back at an exceptional moment that the students won’t soon forget!

A major figure in French cinema

Jean-Pierre Jeunet, a great name in French cinema, honoured us with a visit to the Montpellier Campus Créatif. Director and screenwriter, Jean-Pierre Jeunet is one of those cinema phenomena that our generations have been lucky enough to rub shoulders with! He first came to public attention with Delicatessen (1991), on which he collaborated with Gilles Adrien and Marc Caro. The film won him the 1992 César for ‘Best Original Screenplay and/or Adaptation’ and ‘Best First Feature’.

On the strength of these awards, he continued his ascent, directing The City of Lost Children in 1993 and Alien: The Resurrection in 1997. But it was with his masterpiece Le Fabuleux Destin d’Amélie Poulain – which he directed in 2001 – that Jean-Pierre Jeunet moved into a whole new dimension, becoming one of the most popular French filmmakers of his generation. With this film, he won the César for « Best Film » and « Best Director ». The BAFTAs also praised his work, awarding him the British Academy Film Award for Best Original Screenplay. In 2004, he directed Un long dimanche de fiançailles, for which he was nominated for a César in the « Best Film » and « Best Director » categories.

A captivated audience

During his visit to the Montpellier campus, Jean-Pierre Jeunet, who began directing in his own right with advertising films and video clips, recounted in vivid detail how he got into filmmaking. Under the admiring gaze of the entire student body of the CinéCréatis school – all years included – he also recounted anecdotes about filming, casting and directing… much to the delight of the entire audience!

A teaching aid for 2nd year students

What followed was a passionate and fascinating exchange between Jean-Pierre Jeunet and the students, particularly the 2nd year students, who had prepared a whole series of questions for him and analysed his filmography in preparation for the meeting. These same students will shortly be devoting their‘À la manière de…’project to the film Amélie Poulain, and will be attempting to bring one of the scenes from the film back to life. This educational project prompted a large number of questions from the students, who were able to ask the director about the style of the film, the way he managed to ‘poetise’ Paris, his choices in terms of music and casting, and his management of the shoot. It was a conference rich in learning, exchanges and surprises, and one that the CinéCréatis students will not soon forget.

A huge thank you to Jean-Pierre Jeunet for his availability, his kindness towards our students and the invaluable advice he was able to give them.

And to round off this extraordinary event, next March one of the scenes from the film Amélie Poulain will be reproduced in minute detail (set, lighting, direction, etc.) on the Créatis Campus in Montpellier. See you there!