Olivier Assayas

Olivier Assayas, born 25 January 1955, is an acclaimed French film director, screenwriter, and film critic. Assayas is celebrated for his eclectic filmography, which contains an array of slow-burning period pieces, psychological thrillers, neo-noirs, and comedies. Distinguished as a multi-lingual director, he has crafted French, Spanish, and English-language films with international casts. Born in Paris, France to filmmaker Jacques Rémy, Assayas started his film career as a critic for Cahiers du Cinéma where he wrote about world cinema and its film auteurs, who later deeply influenced his own work. Making several short films, he debuted with his feature film Disorder in 1986. Assayas’ breakthrough came with his feature, "Cold Water" in 1994, which was his first film to be screened at the prestigious Cannes Film Festival. His subsequent films have continued to receive acclaim and festival attention, while his genres of films have varied widely. In an interview, Assayas mentioned his main political influences were Guy Debord and George Orwell. His career has also seen him contribute to TV work, including writing episodes for TV shows when his father's health failed.

Assayas's biggest hit to date is Irma Vep, starring Maggie Cheung, with whom he was also married for a period of time. He made a documentary, HHH: A Portrait of Hou Hsiao-hsien, about Taiwanese filmmaker Hou Hsiao-hsien, demonstrating his love for Asian cinema. He co-wrote the 2010 French television miniseries Carlos, about terrorist Ilich Ramírez Sánchez, which led to Venezuelan actor Édgar Ramírez winning the César Award for Most Promising Actor. In 2016, Assayas won the Best Director Award at the Cannes Film Festival for his film, Personal Shopper. His influences in cinema include Robert Bresson and Guy Debord. The world-renowned director has also authored his ten favorite films, which include 2001: A Space Odyssey, and The Gospel According to St. Matthew.