Michel Gondry

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Michel Gondry, 2005

Michel Gondry (born May 8, 1963) is a Academy Award winning screenwriter, film, commercial, and music video director noted for his inventive visual style and manipulation of mise en scène.

Gondry was born in Versailles, France. His career as a filmmaker began with creating music videos for the French rock band Oui Oui, where he also served as a drummer. The style of his videos caught the attention of music artist Björk, who asked him to direct the video for her song "Human Behavior". The collaboration proved long-lasting, with Gondry directing a total of six music videos for Björk. Other artists who have collaborated with Gondry on more than one occasion include The White Stripes, The Chemical Brothers, and Kylie Minogue. Gondry has also created numerous television commercials. He pioneered the "bullet time" techniques used in The Matrix, notably in his "Like A Rolling Stone" video for the Rolling Stones and a 1998 commercial for Smirnoff vodka, as well as directing a trio of inventive holiday-themed commercials for The Gap.

Gondry is often cited, along with directors Spike Jonze and David Fincher, as representative of the influx of music video directors into feature film. Gondry made his feature film debut in 2001 with Human Nature, garnering mixed reviews. His second film, Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind (also his second collaboration with screenwriter Charlie Kaufman), was released in 2004 and received numerous rave reviews. Eternal Sunshine utilizes many of the image manipulation techniques that Gondry had experimented with in his music videos. Gondry won an Academy Award alongside Kaufman and Pierre Bismuth for the story of Eternal Sunshine.

His brother Olivier 'Twist' Gondry is also a television commercial and music video director creating videos for bands such as The Stills, Hot Hot Heat, The White Stripes and The Vines. [link]

Gondry was an Artist in Residence at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology in 2005 and 2006.

Contents

1 Filmography
2 Videography
3 External links and Resources
4 References

Filmography

Be Kind Rewind
The Science Of Sleep (2006)
Dave Chappelle's Block Party (2006) (musical documentary featuring Dave Chappelle)
Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind (2004)
I've Been Twelve Forever (2003) (documentary on Director's Label DVD)
Pecan Pie (2003) (short featuring Jim Carrey)
(2003), compilation of Gondry's music videos and commercials
One Day... (2001) (short featuring Gondry and David Cross)
Human Nature (2001)
Lettre, La (1998)
Vingt p'tites tours (1989)

Videography

Chronological list of directed music videos:

"King of the Game" - Cody ChesnuTT (2006)
"The Denial Twist" - The White Stripes (2005)
"Heard 'Em Say" (U.S. Version) - Kanye West (2005)
"A Ribbon" - Devendra Banhart (2004) - with Lauri Faggioni
"Mad World" (Donnie Darko soundtrack version) - Gary Jules (2004)
"I Wonder" - The Willowz (2004)
"Light & Day" (movie version) - The Polyphonic Spree (2004)
"Walkie Talkie Man" - Steriogram (2004)
"Ride" - The Vines (2004)
"The Hardest Button to Button" - The White Stripes (2003)
"Behind" - Lacquer (2003)
"Come Into My World" - Kylie Minogue (2002)
"Star Guitar" - The Chemical Brothers (2002)
"Dead Leaves and the Dirty Ground" - The White Stripes (2002)
"Fell In Love With A Girl" - The White Stripes (2002)
"Knives Out" - Radiohead (2001)
"Let Forever Be" - The Chemical Brothers (1999)
"Gimme Shelter" - The Rolling Stones (1998)
"Music Sounds Better With You" - Stardust (1998)
"Another One Bites The Dust" - Wyclef Jean (1998)
"Bachelorette" - Björk (1997)
"Jóga" - Björk (1997)
"Deadweight" - Beck (1997)
"Everlong" - Foo Fighters (1997)
"Around The World" - Daft Punk (1997)
"A Change Would Do You Good" - Sheryl Crow (1997)
"Feel It" - Neneh Cherry (1997?)
"Sugar Water" - Cibo Matto (1996)
"Hyper-Ballad" - Björk (1996)
"Like A Rolling Stone" - The Rolling Stones (1995)
"She Kissed Me" - Terence Trent D'Arby (1995)
"Isobel" - Björk (1995)
"Protection" - Massive Attack (1995)
"Army of Me" - Björk (1995)
"High Head Blues" - Black Crowes (1995)
"Lucas With the Lid Off" - Lucas (1994)
"Fire On Babylon" - Sinéad O'Connor (1994)
"Little Star" - Stina Nordenstam (1994)
"Human Behaviour" - Björk (1993)
"Snowbound" - Donald Fagen (1993)
"Believe" - Lenny Kravitz (1993)
"La Tour De Pise" - Jean Francois Coen (1993)
"Je Danse Le Mia" - I AM (1993)
"Big Scary Animal" - Belinda Carlisle (1993)
"Hou! Mamma Mia" - Les Négresses Vertes (1993)
"She Kissed Me" - Terence Trent D'Arby (1993)
"This is it, Your Soul" - Hot House Flowers (1993)
"Voila, Voila, Qu'ça R'Commence" - Rachid Taha (1993)
"How the West was won" - Energy Orchard (1992)
"Paradoxal Système" - Laurent Voulzy (1992)
"Comme un ange (qui pleure)" - Les Wampas (1992)
"Two Worlds Collide" - Inspiral Carpets (1992)
"Les Voyages Immobiles" - Etienne Daho (1992)
"Close but no cigar" - Thomas Dolby (1992)
"Blow me down" - Mark Curry (1992)
"La Ville" - Oui Oui (1992)
"Ma Maison" - Oui Oui (1990)
"Les Jupes" - Robert (1991)
"Les Cailloux" - Oui Oui (1989)
"Dô, l'enfant d'eau" - Jean-Luc Lahaye (1988?)
"Les Objects" - Sarah (1988?)
"Bolide" - Oui Oui (1987?)
"Junior Et Sa Voix D'Or" - Oui Oui (1987?)

External links and Resources

[Director File ·· Michel Gondry] documents all of Michel's work
[Le Monde de Michel Gondry] French website dedicated to Michel's work
[Washington Post: Michel Gondry (03/2006)]
[Interview]
[DirectorsLabel.com] co-founded with Spike Jonze and Chris Cunningham
[Partizan] represents Gondry alongside many other directors for commercials and music videos worldwide
["The 'Quirky' New Wave".] Alternate Takes

References

Michel Gondry: Music Video Genius, Compiled by Jonathan Wells, RES Magazine | March/April 2004

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