Alain Tanner

Alain Tanner (6 December 1929 – 11 September 2022) was a Swiss film director.

Early years and education Tanner was born in Geneva, and studied economics at the University of Geneva. In 1951, he joined the film club which Claude Goretta had recently established at the university. After his graduation and a short time working for international shipping companies in London, he continued feeling drawn to film. His first film, Nice Time (1957), a short documentary film about Piccadilly Circus during weekend evenings, was made with Claude Goretta. Produced by the British Film Institute Experimental Film Fund, it was first shown as part of the third Free Cinema programme at the National Film Theatre in May 1957. The debut film won a prize at the film festival in Venice and much critical praise.

Influenced by his involvement with the British Free Cinema movement in London and with the French New Wave during his years in Paris, Tanner is best known for his movies Jonas qui aura 25 ans en l'an 2000 (Jonah Who Will Be 25 in the Year 2000), Messidor and Dans la ville blanche (In the White City). Dans la ville blanche, starring Bruno Ganz and shot in Lisbon, was entered into the 33rd Berlin International Film Festival.

Light Years Away, his only English language film shot in Ireland, won the Grand Prix Prize at the 1981 Cannes Film Festival.

Personal life and death Tanner and his wife, Janine, had two children. He died at a hospital in Geneva on 11 September 2022, aged 92.

Filmography Nice Time - 1957 Ramuz, passage d'un poète - 1961 L'École - 1962 The Apprentices (Les Apprentis) - 1964 A City at Chandigarh (Une ville à Chandigarh) - 1966 Docteur B., médecin de campagne - 1968 Charles, Dead or Alive (Charles mort ou vif) - 1969 The Salamander (La Salamandre) - 1971 Return from Africa (Le Retour d'Afrique) - 1972 The Middle of the World (Le Milieu du monde) - 1974 Jonah Who Will Be 25 in the Year 2000 (Jonas qui aura 25 ans en l'an 2000) - 1976 Messidor - 1979 Light Years Away (Les Années lumière) - 1981 In the White City (Dans la ville blanche) - 1983 No Man's Land - 1985 A Flame in My Heart (Une flamme dans mon cœur) - 1987 The Ghost Valley (La vallée fantôme) - 1987 The Woman from Rose Hill (La Femme de Rose Hill) - 1989 The Man Who Lost His Shadow (L'Homme qui a perdu son ombre) - 1991 The Diary of Lady M (Le journal de Lady M) - 1993 Men of the Port (Les Hommes du port) - 1995 Fourbi - 1996 Requiem - 1998 Jonah and Lila, Till Tomorrow (Jonas et Lila, à demain) - 1999 Fleurs de sang - 2002 Paul s'en va - 2004