Jean Grmillon

Vocation

Lifestyle

French filmmaker, a screenwriter, director and composer; one of the great French maestros of film. He made his feature film debut in 1926, and his productivity was erratic, due to periods of inactivity. Although Gremillon originally trained to become a professional violinist, studying at the Paris Schola Cantorum, he became interested in filmmaking after a chance meeting with the cinematographer Georges Perinal. In 1923, he began directing documentaries and avant-garde films, and within a few years, had moved on to feature films. Although French intellectuals highly praised his work on "Garden de Phare," 1930, mainstream viewing audiences remained unconvinced, and ultimately Gremillon quit, saying he felt artistically repressed by the commercialism involved. In the 1930s, he worked primarily in Spain and Germany, but he eventually returned to France where he produced some of his finest work, including "Lumiere d'ete," 1943, "Stormy Waters," 1946, and "Le Ciel Est a Vous," 1957. Gremillon died 11/25/1959, Paris. Link to Wikipedia biography