Laurent Chevallier

Directing·Jun 6, 1955·Grenoble, France

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Laurent Chevallier was born on June 6, 1955. Originally from the Grenoble region, he is a very experienced skier and mountaineer. His film studies in Paris were oriented from the start towards documentaries, since he wrote a memoir on the "father" of documentary film, Robert Flaherty (1884-1951, author of "Nanouk L'Esquimau" in 1919-1922, and "L'Homme D'Aran" in 1932-34), and on Joris Ivens (1898-1989, who shot his last film, "Une Histoire De Vent", in China at the age of 90 with the presence by Laurent Chevallier on camera), both absolute models of all the great documentary filmmakers. After his studies, he was assistant cameraman or director of photography for many films (with Jean-Jacques Beineix, Jacques Rouffio, René Allio, Gérard Mordillat, Patrice Leconte, Ilmaz G'fcney, Gérard Oury). from 1979, he made numerous documentaries (26 and 52 minutes) for television in France, Cape Horn, the Himalayas, the North Pole, Patagonia, Thailand, Italy, Ireland, Pakistan, in China, Canada, USA, Australia, Uganda, Guinea. To his credit in particular "La Voie Express" one of the first films on free climbing featuring the climber Patrick Berhault, and the trilogy on "Little Karim" the Pakistani mountain carrier that he will follow over 20 years in three parts. "Au Sud Du Sud" is his first feature film. It traces the incredible crossing of Antarctica by six men from the USA, Japan, China, USSR, Great Britain and France (Doctor Jean-Louis Etienne is at the origin of this expedition) . About this film Jean-Louis Etienne spoke about the dangers of the documentary by affirming: “Nothing of such with Laurent, because I know that I will be able to control the images and the recorded words. It's not about '85 control, it's because there is friendship, trust. This extreme adventure was filmed in stages. Laurent Chevallier was attentive of course to the fabulous landscapes crossed, but also to human relations during these seven months of expedition. He very scrupulously rendered the very particular rhythm of this trip and his feat was also to show the monotony without ever being boring. "Djembefola" is his first Guinean feature film, shot a few years before "L'Enfant Noir". "Djembefola" was covered with prizes in France and abroad (Grand Prix of the Amiens Festival, Best Documentary in San Francisco). "The Black Child" was selected for the Quinzaine des Réalisateurs at the Cannes Film Festival in 1995. In 2001 he returned to Africa where he recounted, under the title Circus Baobab, the expedition of a circus troupe from South of France through Guinea. Then followed during his career many committed films constantly questioning the world in which we live such as La Vie sans Brahim (2003), "Aimé Césaire, a fundamental negro" (2008), "Faut-il be afraid d 'Amazon?' (2018) ...

Film	Credit
Fin de vie : pour que tu aies le choix2023 · Director	Director
MMore Courage than Ever2023 · Director	Director
Faut-il avoir peur d'Amazon ?2018 · Director	Director
Pour de vrai, pour de faux2015 · Writer, Director	Writer, Director
La Trace de Kandia2014 · Writer, Director	Writer, Director
Apö Karim, Ambassadeur de l'Himalaya2012 · Director, Writer	Director, Writer
Expérience africaine2009 · Director	Director
La pépinière du désert2009 · Director	Director
Berhault2008 · Self	Self
Aimé Césaire, un Nègre fondamental2007 · Director	Director
Momo le doyen2007 · Director	Director
La Vie sans Brahim2003 · (Narrator), Writer, Director	(Narrator), Writer, Director
Circus Baobab2001 · Director, Writer	Director, Writer
When the Mountaineers Make Their Cinema2000 · Self	Self
Mögöbalu, Les Maîtres des Tambours d'Afrique1998 · Director, Writer	Director, Writer
Le Cri du Caméléon1997 · Director	Director
Mister Karim1997 · Self, Director, Writer	Self, Director, Writer
The Death Zone1996 · Self	Self
The African Child1995 · Director, Writer	Director, Writer
Au Sud du Sud1992 · Writer, Director	Writer, Director
Djembefola1991 · Director, Writer	Director, Writer
Grimpeur Étoile1989 · Director, Writer	Director, Writer
Les Conquérants de l'Impossible: Portrait de Groupe1986 · Self	Self
La Lumière du Rocher1986 · Director, Writer	Director, Writer
Little Karim1985 · Director, Writer	Director, Writer
The Backstage Wall1983 · Self, Director, Writer	Self, Director, Writer
Patagonie Force 101983 · Self - Filmaker, Director	Self - Filmaker, Director
Dévers1981 · Director, Writer	Director, Writer
Nanga Parbat 80, La revanche de futur1980 · Director	Director
Voie Express1979 · Director, Writer	Director, Writer
Les Amants du GrèsDirector, Director of Photography	Director, Director of Photography