Marguerite Duras

Marguerite DURAS (1914, Vietnam – 1996, France) was a French writer and filmmaker. She moved between France and Vietnam several times during her youth, before settling in Paris in 1933 to study mathematics, law and political science. During the second World War, she was a member of the French resistance. Duras published her first novel Les Impudents in 1943. In 1958, she wrote Moderato Cantabile, which was adapted into Seven Days… Seven Nights (1960) by Peter Brooks. Her film career started in 1959 when she wrote the screenplay for Alan Resnais’ Hiroshima mon amour and received an Oscar nomination for Best Original Screenplay. She made her directorial debut in 1967 with La musica. Duras released India Song in 1975, and its sequel Son nom de Venise dans Calcutta désert in 1976. Le camion (1977) in which she acted opposite Gérard Depardieu, was nominated for the Palme d’Or. She released her final film Les enfants in 1985. The film was nominated for a Golden Bear and received an honourable mention at the Berlinale.

Filmography

(selection) La musica/The Music (1967), Détruire, dit-elle/Destroy, She Said (1969), Jaune le soleil (1972), Nathalie Granger (1972), La Femme du Gange/Woman of the Ganges (1974), India Song (1975), Son nom de Venise dans Calcutta désert (1976), Des journées entières dans les arbres/Entire Days Among the Trees (1976), La camion/The Lorry (1977), Baxter, Vera Baxter (1977), Les mains négatives/The Negative Hands (1978, short), Césarée (1978, short), Le navire night (1979), Aurelia Steiner (Melbourne) (1979, short), Aurelia Steiner (Vancouver) (1979, short), Cinématon (1981, TV series doc, episode: Yann Andéa), Le faux Cinématon de Yann Andréa filmé par une authentique Marguerite Duras (1981, short doc), Agatha et les lectures illimitées/Agatha and the Limited Lectures (1981), L’homme atlantique (1981, short), Per un viaggio in Italia (1983, TV series, episode: Il dialogo di Roma), Les enfants/The Children (1985)

More info: Wikipedia, Marguerite Duras