Jean-Marie Larrieu

Jean-Marie Larrieu and his brother Arnaud developed a passion for cinema at an early age, thanks to their grandfather, who shot mountain films on 16mm. As teenagers, they took their turn filming on Super-8 before studying literature and philosophy. From the mid-1980s onwards, the Larrieu brothers made a number of short films that made the festival circuit, including Les Baigneurs (1991) and Bernard ou les apparitions (1993). It took them two years to polish the script for their first feature Summer’s End (1999), the story of a reunion between an engineer and his father, a former sixty-eighter.

In 2000, they direct Mathieu Amalric in Roland’s Pass. The story of a family outing that turns into a settling of scores, this medium-length film is highly acclaimed at the Director’s Fortnight. Four years later, Mathieu Amalric stars in A Real Man alongside Hélène Fillières, whom the filmmakers had previously directed in the short film Madonna à Lourdes. Paced by the songs of Philippe Katerine, the film is enthusiastically received by the critics.

The directors then head to the Alps to shoot To Paint or Make Love, with Daniel Auteuil and Sabine Azéma. The film is presented in Competition at the Cannes Film Festival in 2005. Three years later, they return to their favorite territory for Le Voyage aux Pyrénées with Sabine Azéma and Jean-Pierre Darroussin. The film is presented at the 2008 Director’s Fortnight.

They have since directed Happy End (2009), Love Is the Perfect Crime (2013), 21 Nights with Pattie (2015) and Tralala (2021), presented in the Midnight Selection at the 2021 Cannes Film Festival. The Larrieu brothers were awarded the 2020 Vigo of honor.

Their latest feature, Le roman de Jim, an adaptation of the novel by Pierric Bailly, was presented in Cannes Première at the 77th Cannes Film Festival.