Claude Berri - Life and Career

Life and Career

Berri was born in Paris, France, the son of Polish/Romanian Jewish parents Beila (née Bercu) and Hirsch Langmann, a furrier. His sister was the screenwriter and editor Arlette Langmann. Berri won the "Best Film" BAFTA for Jean de Florette, and was also nominated for twelve César Awards, though he never won. Berri also won the Oscar for Best Short Film for Le Poulet at the 39th Academy Awards in 1966, and produced Roman Polanski's Tess which was nominated for Best Picture in 1981.

Internationally, however, two films in 1986 overshadow all his other achievements. Jean de Florette and its sequel Manon des Sources were huge hits. In 1991, his film Uranus was entered into the 41st Berlin International Film Festival. Six years later, his film Lucie Aubrac was entered into the 47th Berlin International Film Festival.

In 2003, he was elected President of the Cinémathèque Française where he obtained enough state subsidies to cover the costs of its resurgence at its new site in the rue de Bercy.

Berri died of a stroke on 12 January 2009, aged 74.

He was married to the late Anne-Marie Rassam, with whom he had two children: the late actor Julien Rassam and actor and film producer Thomas Langmann. After his death, a group of nine works by Robert Ryman, Ad Reinhardt, Giorgio Morandi, Richard Serra and Lucio Fontana was promised to the Centre Pompidou in Paris in lieu of tax. But the heirs of the film ­director finally sold them through French art dealer Philippe Ségalot for about €50m to Qatar.