Benoît Jacquot

Director & actor · born 5 February 1947 · Paris, France

Benoît Jacquot is a French film director and screenwriter who has had a varied career in European cinema. Born in Paris, Jacquot began his career as assistant director of Marguerite Duras films, including Nathalie Granger, India Song, and also actor in the 1973 short film La Sœur du cadre. He turned to writing and directing with the 1975 film The Musician Killer, which starred Anna Karina. He has directed over forty films, the most notable of which to American audiences are La Désenchantée (1990), starring Judith Godrèche, and A Single Girl (1995), starring Virginie Ledoyen. In 2003, he directed Massenet's opera Werther conducted by Antonio Pappano at Royal Opera House, Covent Garden. His film Farewell, My Queen opened the 62nd Berlin International Film Festival in February 2012. His 2014 film Three Hearts competed for the Golden Lion at the 71st Venice International Film Festival. In July 2024, Jacquot was charged with rape, including of a minor, and was barred from directing and having contact with minors.

Where to start: Valerian and the City of a Thousand Planets (2017).