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.