Damien Chazell is a rising Hollywood star. At thirty-two years old, the director has already won an Oscar. What can be said about the life and career of this talented young man? What films of Damien Chazelle deserve the attention of a wide audience? All this later in the publication.
early years
Damien Chazell was born in the American city of Providence, Rhode Island, on January 19, 1985. The boy's father was a professor at Princeton University. The mother of our hero is a rather famous writer, historian and expert on the Middle Ages. Grandfather Damien at one time was an employee of the British branch of the Paramount Pictures film studio, located in London. Grandmother became famous as a theater actress.
Probably, the presence in the family of relatives with connections in the film industry provoked the desire of little Damien Chazell to connect life with the creation of films. As the guy’s parents noted, from the age of three he watched the movie all day, and also came up with his own stories. Father and mother did not interfere with the occupation of the son, but from time to time they still forced to go out and walk with their peers.
Papa Damien Chazella was seriously interested in jazz music. With the filing of the head of the family, the guy in his school years began to learn to play the drums. The boy invented his own parts, improvising while he was behind the drum kit. Sometimes young Damien practiced literally before the appearance of corns on his fingers. However, soon the guy left the idea of becoming a jazz musician, because he did not feel that he could reach significant heights in this area.
After receiving secondary education, Damien Chazell filed an application for admission to Harvard University, where he was accepted on the first attempt. Here, a young man devoted time to activities in the field of visual and environmental research. Among other things, the guy did not cease to be interested in film production. Damien received a diploma of graduation from a prestigious educational institution in 2007, after which he set to shooting the first author's short films.
Debut movie work
The first tape of the novice director Damien Chazell was a short film entitled "Guy and Madeline on a park bench." The film, which was released in 2009, narrated about a pair of young lovers who had to survive the breakup. When creating the tape, the young author acted simultaneously as a scriptwriter, cameraman, editor and producer. The creation of musical accompaniment was undertaken by his university friend Justin Hurwitz.
The short film was presented to a wide audience at the Tribeca festival. Then the film migrated to the screening in the Italian city of Turin, where it was awarded a special jury award. During the international film festival in Chicago, the film won the nomination for "The Best Artwork."
Scenic Activities
The year 2013 was marked for Chazelle by writing and successfully selling the script for the film “The Last Exile of the Devil: The Second Coming”. Then came work on writing a plot for the action-packed picture “Solemn Finale”. The thriller tells the story of a pianist who suffers from a panic fear of the scene. Both tapes, shot according to Damien's scripts, enjoyed quite noticeable success.
"Obsession"
During the first tests as a screenwriter, the young author wrote a story called “Obsession”. Damien Chazell then decided to put the work on the shelf, because he considered the plot too personal. The fact is that the story partially touched upon real events from the author’s life when he tried to become a jazz drummer in his early school years.
Later Chazell mentioned the idea to the producers. Soon sponsorship funds were found for the project. The dramatic picture spoke of the complex relationship between a gifted drummer named Andrew and autocratic orchestra conductor Fletcher. The image of the latter was inspired by the real teacher Damien, who had to face in the past.
The film started with a premiere screening at the famous Sundance festival. Here, the tape immediately won the main prize. Then the film was awarded several BAFTA awards, and the final chord was as many as three nominations for the Oscar. Thus, Chazell instantly became a Hollywood celebrity.
La La Land
Another triumph of the young director was a musical in the classic style of the 50s. Damien Chazell hatched the idea of filming such a movie since his student days. The result obtained exceeded all expectations. The film, released on wide screens, became a real hit of 2016, winning the love of viewers around the world.
The musical La La Land, starring Emma Stone and Ryan Gosling, has won many prestigious awards. The film won the British Academy Award, won several Golden Globes and Oscars, and was also nominated for Best Film of the Year. After an unexpected triumph, critics said that the world has become more than one, no doubt, a brilliant young director. At the same time, the filmography of Damien Chazella replenished with a real masterpiece.
"Man on the moon"
The biographical drama "Man on the Moon" by Damien Chazella became the third full-length film in the director's career. The story sheds light on real events in the life of the American hero, astronaut Neil Armstrong. It was he who became famous as a man whose foot first touched the surface of the moon.
Initially, the director’s chair when making the film was to be occupied by Clint Eastwood, who had the rights to the adaptation of the book about the life of Neil Armstrong by author James Hansen. However, in the end, Universal Pictures Studio committed to release the picture. The rights to the material were purchased by the company, and Damien Chazell was appointed director. It is noteworthy that “Man on the Moon” served as the first work of the young creator, in which he did not have a hand in writing the script.
The premiere of the tape has already taken place at the Venice Festival. In Russian cinemas, the viewer will be able to see the director’s new film at the end of November this year.
Director’s personal life
In 2010, Chazell married his lover named Jasmine McGlade, whom he met at the university. The couple stayed together for 4 years. Then the young people suddenly decided to leave. However, the breakdown of marital relations did not prevent them from remaining good friends and even partners in cinema.
The second wife of Damien in 2015 was the actress Olivia Hamilton. The latter previously participated in several projects of the director. Together, the couple has remained for several years.