Chances are you’ve seen at least one of his movies. As a director Jean-Pierre Jeunet is the man behind Delicatessen (1991), The City of Lost Children (1995), Alien Resurrection (1997), Amélie (2001), A Very Long Engagement (2004), and the soon to be released in the U.S. Micmacs à tire-larigot (2009). Of those films, Alien Resurrection was the only one he didn’t have a screenwriter’s credit on as well.
Most of Jeunet’s films have a distinct look to them, due in part to his frequent collaboration with cartoonist and filmmaker Marc Caro. Sometimes having a signature look can work against a director, but in Jeunet’s case it’s a definite plus. As a viewer you know that you will soon be transported into a fairy tale of sorts, albeit a sometimes dark one.
STV recently interviewed the filmmaker during the United Kingdom premiere of Micmacs. Perhaps it’s a measure of the lack of privacy that comes with stardom, but I tend to find interviews with directors more candid than those with actors. Jeunet gives us a small glimpse into his process; for an even deeper look check out this behind the scenes short about the making of a Chanel #5 commercial Jeunet filmed with Audrey Tautou.
