Albert Lamorisse

Albert Lamorisse (; 13 January 1922 – 2 June 1970) was a French filmmaker, film producer, and writer of short films which he began making in the late 1940s.

Lamorisse's best known work is the short film The Red Balloon (1956), which earned him the Palme d'Or Grand Prize at the Cannes Film Festival, and an Oscar for writing the Best Original Screenplay in 1956.

He also invented the strategic board game Risk in 1957, that became one of the most popular board games in history.

Life Lamorisse was born in Paris, France. He first came into prominence – just after Bim (1950) – for directing and producing White Mane (1953). This is a short film that tells a fable of how a young boy befriends an untamable wild white stallion in the marshes of Camargue (the Petite Camargue) in Southern France.

The Red Balloon Lamorisse's best known work is the short film The Red Balloon (1956), which earned him the Palme d'Or Grand Prize at the Cannes Film Festival, and an Oscar for writing the Best Original Screenplay in 1956. In the mid-1960s Lamorisse shot parts of The Prospect of Iceland, a documentary about Iceland, which was made by Henry Sandoz and commissioned by NATO.

Helicopter crash in Iran and Oscar nomination

Lamorisse died in a helicopter crash while filming the documentary Le Vent des amoureux (The Lovers' Wind), during a helicopter tour of Iran in 1970. His son and widow completed the film, based on his production notes, and released it eight years later. It was nominated for a posthumous Oscar for best documentary. The title The Lovers' Wind is translated into Bad-e Saba in Persian. A saba wind is a gentle wind that blows from the northeast, symbolizing the whispers of lovers.

Albert and Claude Lamorisse had three children named Pascal, Sabine, and Fanny. Pascal and Sabine were featured in The Red Balloon.

Filmography Short films Bim (1950) ... a.k.a. Bim, le petit âne (France) Crin-Blanc (1953) ... a.k.a. White Mane (U.S.) and Wild Stallion Le Ballon rouge (1956) ... a.k.a. The Red Balloon

Feature films Le Voyage en ballon (1960)... a.k.a. Stowaway in the Sky Fifi la plume (1965) ... a.k.a. Circus Angel (US: TV title)

Documentaries Djerba (1947) Versailles (1967) Paris jamais vu (1967) Le Vent des amoureux (1978) ... a.k.a. The Lovers' Wind

Awards Wins Cannes Film Festival: Palme d'Or, White Mane, Best Short Film, Albert Lamorisse; 1953. Prix Jean Vigo: Prix Jean Vigo, White Mane, Short Film, Albert Lamorisse; 1953. Prix Louis Delluc: Prix Louis Delluc; The Red Balloon, Albert Lamorisse; 1956. Academy Awards: Oscar; The Red Balloon, Best Writing, Best Original Screenplay, Albert Lamorisse; 1957. Venice Film Festival: OCIC Award; Le Voyage en ballon; 1960. Cannes Film Festival: Technical Grand Prize; Fifi la plume, 1965. Cannes Film Festival: Technical Grand Prize – Special Mention; Versailles; 1967. National Board of Review: Top Foreign Films; The Red Balloon,1957.

Nominations British Academy of Film and Television Arts: BAFTA Film Award, White Mane, Best Documentary Film, France; 1954. Venice Film Festival: Golden Lion; Le Voyage en ballon; 1960. Cannes Film Festival: Golden Palm; Fifi la plume; 1965. Cannes Film Festival: Golden Palm; Best Short Film, Versailles; 1967. Academy Awards: Oscar; Best Documentary, Features, Le Vent des amoureux; 1979.