Mathieu Kassowitz is a popular French producer, actor, screenwriter and director, winner of two awards at the Cannes Film Festival. He is known primarily as the director of the thriller Crimson Rivers, which was played by Jean Reno and Vincent Cassel.
Childhood
Mathieu was born on 08/03/1967 in the capital of France, Paris. His father is a famous director Peter Kassovitz. From childhood, the boy was on the set and the future in the world of cinema was prepared for him from childhood. Back in school years, the young Kassovitz began acting in films.
In 1980, the movie "Party" was released, where Mathieu played with Sophie Marceau.
The beginning of the director's career
In 1990, Kassowitz began his career as a director by filming a short film “Fierro Louse” - a parody of the famous film of the great director Godard “Mad Pierrot” from 1965. Kassovitsa is immediately recorded in a cohort of French directors of a new wave, such as Chabrol, Romer, Godard, Varda and others.
This category of French film masters is vehemently interested in postmodernism, is distinguished by a bright existential filling of screen time, and is famous for the excessive visuality of its works.
Mathieu Kassowitz began making full-length films in 1993. The director’s debut work was the dramatic comedy film "Metiska". Mathieu himself played one of the main roles in it. The plot is based on the story of a metiski girl brought up by a Jew, a mulatto and a black man in a large city. The picture sounds French rap, a lot of street filming. The film is often compared to the work of director Woody Allen.
In 1995, the young director makes the film "Hate", which received many positive reviews from film critics. The film won the Cannes International Film Festival Award, as well as the Cesar Award. The plot of this black and white drama is based on violence, bloody clarifications of relations between guys of different ethnic groups in Paris. One of the main roles in the film was played by actor Vincent Cassel. The painting "Hate" brought recognition to Kassovitz and made him a fashionable director in France.
In 1997, the filmography of Mathieu Kassowitz was replenished with the tape “Killer (s)”, in which Michel Kassowitz played professional killers of different ages. The picture was presented at the Cannes Film Festival and received many positive reviews.
Thriller Crimson Rivers
In 2000, the film adaptation of the thriller novel Jean-Christophe Granger, "Purple Rivers," in the Russian box office called the Crimson Rivers, was released. Kassowitz became the director and screenwriter of the project. Starring Vincent Cassel, Jean Renault and Nadia Fares. Such a stellar cast immediately attracted a lot of spectators to cinemas. The film was very warmly received by the public, and in 2004 the second part of the film “Crimson Rivers 2” was released.
Military drama "Order and Morality"
In 2011, the historical action movie "Order and Morality" was released on the screens of French cinemas. The working title of the film is "Uprising." Mathieu Kassowitz, the director of this picture starred himself, in addition, he invited actors Iaba Lapakas, Malik Zidi, Daniel Marten, Alexander Steiger and others.
Kassowitz also participated in the preparation of the script and in the production of the tape.
The plot is based on a real story about how separatists from the island of New Caledonia captured a group of gendarmes. The captives were released by an elite gendarme unit in collaboration with the military.
The film was nominated for Cesar in 2012 in the Best Adapted Screenplay category.
Actor career
In 1994, Michel Odiar’s dramatic film, “See How People Fall,” was released. In this thriller, in addition to Mathieu Kassovitz, famous French actors J. Yann and J. L. Trentinyan starred.
In 1996, Mathieu again starred in the film Odiar. The provocative work “A Very Modest Hero” tells the story of a guy who, through deception, falsifies his participation in the Resistance movement and undeservedly becomes a hero of a national scale.
Mathieu often appears in small cameos of famous French directors. It can be seen in the "Fifth Element" by Luc Besson and in "My Man" by Bertrand Blieux.
Personal life
Mathieu is married to the artist and actress Julia Modouet. At the moment they have one child.
Filmography
Mathieu Kassowitz acted as the director of such films:
- in 1991 - "The White Nightmare";
- in 1993 - Metiska;
- in 1995 - "Hate";
- in 1997 - “Assassin (s)”;
- in 2000 - the Crimson Rivers;
- in 2003 - "Gothic";
- in 2008 - "Babylon N. E".
- in 2009 - Order and Morality.