Stéphane Brizé

Stéphane Brizé (born 18 October 1966) is a French filmmaker and actor. Most known for his social realist drama films, which usually follows 21st century French working class.

He regularly collaborates with Vincent Lindon, including in: Mademoiselle Chambon (2009), A Few Hours of Spring (2012), The Measure of a Man (2015), At War (2018), Another World (2021), and Good Little Soldier (2026).

Early life Stéphane Brizé was born on 18 October 1966 in Rennes, France, from a mail carrier father and a stay-at-home mother.

After completing a university diploma in electronics at the University of Rennes, he undertook a final-year internship at France 3 Rennes that steered him toward the audiovisual sector. He became a television technician in Paris and took drama classes; he subsequently directed several plays.

Career In cinema, he directed his first short film in 1993, Bleu dommage, followed by a medium-length film in 1996, L'Œil qui traîne, before moving on to feature films in 1999 with Le Bleu des villes.

His sophomore feature film, Not Here to Be Loved (2005), starring Patrick Chesnais, received positive reviews, and solidified his career as an emerging filmmaker in the French industry.

Mademoiselle Chambon (2009), marked his first collaboration with the former couple Vincent Lindon and Sandrine Kiberlain. It follows a middle-aged man affair with his infant son teacher. At the 35th César Awards, it won the César Award for Best Adaptation.

His second collaboration with Lindon, A Few Hours of Spring (2012), premiered at the main competition of the 65th Locarno Film Festival, and follows an ex-convict return to his mother's home, during her final days of life due to a terminal cancer.

The Measure of a Man (2015) marked his first film selected to the main competition of the Cannes Film Festival at the 68th edition, where Vincent Lindon won the Best Actor prize. It follows an unemployed middle-aged man new position as security guard in a small supermarket. At the 41st César Awards, Brizé received his first Best Director nomination.

His drama film A Woman's Life (2016), premiered at the main competition of the 73rd Venice International Film Festival, where it won the FIPRESCI Prize. Starring Judith Chemla, it follows the decline of the French aristocracy during the 19th century, through the point of view of an innocent noblewoman. At War (2018), premiered at the main competition of the 71st Cannes Film Festival, where it competed for the Palme d'Or. It follows the leader of a strike who must protect his 1,100 colleague jobs.

His drama film Another World (2021), starring once again the former couple Vincent Lindon and Sandrine Kiberlain, follows the troubled separation of a middle-aged couple. It premiered at the main competition of the 78th Venice International Film Festival, where it competed for the Golden Lion.

Out of Season (2023), premiered at the main competition of the 80th Venice International Film Festival, where it competed for the Golden Lion. Starring Guillaume Canet and Alba Rohrwacher, it follows a former couple reconnecting their relationship after fifteen years. It received positive reviews.

His upcoming drama film Good Little Soldier (2026), will premiere at the main competition of the 83rd Venice International Film Festival, where it will compete for the Golden Lion. Marking his sixth collaboration with Vincent Lindon.

Filmography

Feature films

Short films

Other credits Year Title Credited as NotesDirectorScreenwriterActor 1995 Au petit Marguery 1995 Ada sait pas dire non Short film 1999 Our Happy Lives 1999 Le Premier Pas Short film 2008 The New Protocol

Awards