Michel Deville

Michel Deville (13 April 1931 – 16 February 2023) was a French film director and screenwriter.

Deville began directing during the emergence of the French New Wave and was a contemporary of filmmakers such as Claude Chabrol, Jean-Luc Godard and François Truffaut, although he was not part of the movement. His early films nevertheless attracted favourable attention from critics at Cahiers du Cinéma, Positif and Présence du cinéma.

One of Deville's comedies, La Lectrice (The Reader) was probably his biggest success with international audiences. La Lectrice is about a woman (played by Miou-Miou), who finds work reading novels for the blind but gradually finds herself unwittingly attracting a clientele of fetishists who enjoyed being read to. At one time his films were difficult to find in North America but presently (2007) seven of his films are available in DVD in the U.S.

His 1980 film Le Voyage en douce was entered into the 30th Berlin International Film Festival. Five years later, his film Death in a French Garden was entered into the 35th Berlin International Film Festival.

A clip from his 1968 film Benjamin is included in Robert Bresson's Une Femme Douce (1969).

Deville died on 16 February 2023, at the age of 91.

Filmography Year Title Credited as NotesDirectorScreenwriter 1958 A Bullet in the Gun Barrel 1961 Tonight or Never 1962 Adorable Liar 1963 Because, Because of a Woman Also as producer 1963 Girl's Apartment 1964 Les Petites Demoiselles Telefilm 1964 Lucky Jo 1966 The Mona Lisa Has Been Stolen 1966 Martin Soldat 1967 Zärtliche Haie 1968 Benjamin Louis Delluc Prize for Best Film 1969 Bye bye, Barbara 1970 The Bear and the Doll 1971 Raphael, or The Debauched One Nominated—1971 Cannes Film Festival - Palme d'Or 1973 The Woman in Blue 1974 Love at the Top 1977 The Apprentice Heel 1978 Dossier 51 César Award for Best Screenplay, Dialogue or AdaptationFrench Syndicate of Cinema Critics - Best French FilmNominated—1978 Cannes Film Festival - Prix Un certain regardNominated—César Award for Best FilmNominated—César Award for Best Director 1980 Le Voyage en douce Nominated—30th Berlin International Film Festival - Golden Bear 1981 Eaux profondes 1983 The Little Bunch 1984 Les Capricieux Telefilm 1985 Death in a French Garden César Award for Best DirectorNominated—35th Berlin International Film Festival - Golden BearNominated—César Award for Best FilmNominated—César Award for Best Original Screenplay or Adaptation 1986 Paltoquet 1988 The Reader French Syndicate of Cinema Critics - Best French FilmLouis Delluc Prize for Best FilmMontreal World Film Festival - Grand Prix des AmériquesNominated—César Award for Best FilmNominated—César Award for Best DirectorNominated—César Award for Best Original Screenplay or Adaptation 1990 Summer Night in Town 1991 Lest We Forget Segment: "Pour Nguyen Chi Thien, Vietnam" 1992 Toutes peines confondues 1994 Aux petits bonheurs 1997 La Divine Poursuite 1999 Sachs' Disease Chicago International Film Festival - Gold HugoFrench Syndicate of Cinema Critics - Best French FilmSan Sebastián International Film Festival - Silver Shell for Best DirectorSan Sebastián International Film Festival - Best ScreenplaySan Sebastián International Film Festival - Solidarity AwardNominated—César Award for Best DirectorNominated—César Award for Best Original Screenplay or Adaptation 2002 Almost Peaceful Nominated—59th Venice International Film Festival - Golden Lion 2005 The Art of Breaking Up