Jean-Pierre Jeunet: A Life in Pictures

12 March 10

Watch director Jean-Pierre Jeunet talk about his career as part of the Alfred Dunhill BAFTA Life in Pictures series.

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Jean-Pierre Jeunet is widely regarded as one of the most important and influential director's in contemporary French cinema having garnered both commercial success and critical esteem in genres such as science fiction, fantasy, romantic comedy, and the war epic.

Jeunet's films often engage with key aspects of French history and contemporary French culture. His distinctive imaginative eye has propelled his career from strength to strength earning him three BAFTAs along the way.

On 17 February 2010, the acclaimed director joined us at BAFTA headquarters to provide an insight into his fascinating career as part of the Alfred Dunhill BAFTA A Life in Pictures series of events.

Speaking onstage to presenter Francine Stock, the man behind such films as the BAFTA Award-winning Amélie, Delicatessen, Alien: Resurrection, A Very Long Engagement and the upcoming Micmacs reveals his rejection of the Nouvelle Vague genre and the aspiration to create films somewhat removed from reality.

Alongside clips from his major works, Jeunet recounts memories of his outstanding career from the first time he held a camera to his reluctant journey to Hollywood.

For Jeunet, freedom of expression is key to the creative process, and he reveals his longstanding career philosophy to be: "Just take a camera and do it". Recounting his aversion to the restrictive nature of the Hollywood film-making process, he goes on to express his natural tendency to create film through a process of creative play and spontaniety.

I try to play with everything in the box... to create the most beautiful film

Alfred Dunhill BAFTA A Life in Pictures

Following actor Viggo Mortensen , director James Cameron and director Quentin Tarantino , this event was the fourth in a new series of Life in Pictures events in partnership with luxury menswear brand, Alfred Dunhill.