Luc Besson

**Luc Paul Maurice Besson**, a renowned figure in French filmmaking, rose to prominence with his directorial works that include *Subway* (1985), *The Big Blue* (1988), and *La Femme Nikita* (1990). Associated with the *Cinéma du look* film movement, he was honored with nominations for a *César Award for Best Director* and *Best Picture* for his films *Léon: The Professional* (1994) and *The Messenger: The Story of Joan of Arc* (1999). He achieved accolades of *Best Director* and *Best French Director* for his sci-fi action film *The Fifth Element* (1997). Besides directing, he also wrote the sci-fi action film *Lucy* (2014) and the space opera film *Valerian and the City of a Thousand Planets* (2017). In 1980, at the nascent stage of his career, he established his own production company, *Les Films du Loup*, which was later rechristened *Les Films du Dauphin*. The company was replaced by EuropaCorp, co-founded with Pierre-Ange Le Pogam in 2000. Besson has been involved in the creation of over 50 films as a writer, director, or producer. His upbringing embarked him on his film career, as he grew up traveling with his parents, who were Club Med scuba-diving instructors, to various tourist resorts. His turning point came at the age of 17, when he was struck by a diving accident that left him unable to dive.