Victor Haïm

Victor Lévy (born 22 July 1935), better known by his pen name Victor Haïm, is a French playwright, actor, screenwriter, director and drama teacher. His works have been translated and performed in several countries.

He is the father of actress and director Mathilda May and dancer and comedian Judith Haim, known as Judith Réval.

Biography Victor Lévy, who would later take the pen name Victor Haïm, was born in Asnières-sur-Seine on 22 July 1935, into a Sephardic Jewish family originally from Thessaloniki. His parents then quickly moved to Nantes. The Second World War had dramatic consequences for his family, who had to take refuge in hiding in the Massif Central in 1941. His mother's entire family was exterminated. Returning to Nantes in 1945, he resumed his studies at the Lycée Jules Verne and then at the Lycée Clemenceau, and he entered, in parallel with his school studies, the Conservatoire d'art dramatique de Nantes, where he studied under the direction of Jacques Couturier. He graduated in 1954, without a prize but with a medal for diction. He then moved to Paris, where he studied literature, obtaining a master's degree in modern literature, and entered the École supérieure de Journalisme. He found an internship at Agence France Presse but his passions remained theater and writing. At that time, he wrote two plays that were never performed.

A few months after his marriage to Danielle Lévy, in 1957, he was sent to military service for 28 months, 14 of which were in Algeria.

He diversified in 1970 by writing a play for puppets, an opera libretto and a ballet-comedy. From 1982 onwards, he wrote screenplays, his first work being Entre Chats et Loups, followed by Les Incorrigibles (1977), Ja Peur (1994), Noces Cruelles (1996). In addition, he became a drama teacher in 1983, at the Théâtre de L'Ombre, then at the Cours Florent. He held this position until 1991. In 1992, he worked at the Regional School of Actors in Cannes, and two years later, at the Department of Culture and Communication at the University of Évry. The French Theatre Centre of UNESCO called on him to fill the post of secretary.

Theatre

Author

1963: The Skin of the Carnivore 1966: Elzevir - Comedy 1966: Die Singing - Drama 1967: The Knife 1968: My Cello for a Horse - Modern Drama 1971: La Peau d'un fruit - Monologue 1972: Next year in Baden Baden 1973: Abraham and Samuel - Comedy 1973: Who Killed the General? 1974: How to Harpoon the Shark - Comedy 1979: The Bathtub - Drama, 1980: The Eagles The Wizard of Saratoga (1980) 1980: L'Escalade - Comédie gratante 1986: The Eternal Husband / Dostoevsky - Literary adaptation 1988: The Grand Host - Comedy 1989: David's Laughter - Modern Drama 1990: The Ménate No Longer Responds 1992: The Coveted Widow - Comedy 1992: The Woman Who Strikes - Tragic Farce 1993: Standing Woman 1994: Renata, Josepha and the Men - Drama 1994: Flesh amour - Comedy 1996: Le Trou - Comedy 1999: The Vampire Always Sucks Twice - Comedy 1999: The Scene 2000: Velouté - Comédie gratante 2001: Double Tour - Comedy 2001: The Treatment - Comedy 2001: L'Abîme - Comédie 2001: Agitato - Drama 2001: 15 for me! - Squeaky Comedy 2001: L'Appel - Comédie gratante 2001: De Toulouse à Bordeaux - Comédie gratante 2001: Sphères - Comédie gratante 2001: Au Fil de l'onde - Comédie gratante 2002: Jeux de scène - Comédie gratante 2006: The Seven Deadly Sins: Avarice - Co-author 2009: Alma and Jeremiah

Actor

1976: Isaac and the Midwife by Victor Haïm, directed by Étienne Bierry, Théâtre de Poche Montparnasse 1981: Attez vos violons by Victor Haïm, directed by Étienne Bierry, Théâtre de Poche Montparnasse

Filmography

Screenwriter

1978: An Enemy of the People TV, (French adaptation) 1979: The Handmaid's Aid TV 1980: The Incorrigibles (TV series) 1980 : Le Petit Théâtre d'Antenne 2 (TV series) 1985: Between Cats and Wolves (TV, dialogue) 1992: Fear TV 1995: Nestor Burma 1996: Cruel Wedding (adaptation and dialogue)

Film actor

Blame It on Rio (1984) as Bernardo 1986: Paulette, the Poor Little Billionaire: A Distinguished Guest Isabelle Eberhardt (1991) as Dr. Taste 1992: My Engagement to Hilda as Father 1993: The Navel of the World 1997: The Truth If I Lie! 2001: The Truth If I Lie! 2: Rabbi 2004: Tout pour l'sorreille: l'usher 2007 : Délice Paloma : Monsieur Herad 2007 : La Déchirure, short film by Mikael Buch : the rabbi 2015: The Antiquarian by François Margolin: Claude Weinstein's friend

Television actor

1978: Il était un musicien, episode: Monsieur Satie by Jean Valère (series) : Satie's lawyer 1980 : Le Petit Théâtre d'Antenne 2 (series) 1982: The New Tiger Brigades by Victor Vicas, episode The Vampires of the Carpathians by Victor Vicas as the Doctor Farewell Don Juan (1989) as Omar 1993 : Commissaire Moulin (series) : Professor Rosenberg 1996 : Commandant Nerval (série) : Dimitrie 1998: When an Angel Passes by as Mr. Leone 2000: The Teacher: The Professor 2000: The Lawyer (series) as President 2003: The Gift made to Catchaires: Yehuda 2003: The Year of My Seven Years as Sam 2004: The Client 2004 : Central Nuit (series) : Margol 2008 : La Traque : Geissman

Publication

Les Fantaisies microcosmiques, collectif, L'Avant-Scène Théâtre, collection Des Quatre Vents, 2004.

Distinctions (Pour son œuvre théâtrale)

1971 : prix Ibsen avec La Peau d'un fruit 1974 : prix des « U » de la pièce la plus originale de l'année pour Abraham et Samuel 1977 : prix Lugné-Poe de la SACD pour La Servante, Isaac et la Sage-Femme 1986 : prix Plaisir du théâtre pour Les Fantasmes du boucher 1986 : prix du théâtre de la SACD pour l'ensemble de son œuvre 1986 : prix Jacques Audiberti pour La Valse du hasard Molières 1994 : nomination au Molière du meilleur auteur francophone vivant pour Chair amour 2001 : prix Charles Oulmont-Fondation de France pour l'ensemble de son œuvre Molières 2003 : Molière du meilleur auteur francophone vivant pour Jeux de scène 2003 : Grand prix du théâtre de l’Académie française pour l'ensemble de son œuvre