Coline Serreau
Birth date29 October 1947 (age 78)
Birth placeParis, France
OccupationActress, film director and writer

Coline Serreau (born 29 October 1947) is a French actress, film director and writer.[1]

Early life and education

She was born in Paris,[2] the daughter of theatre director Jean-Marie Serreau and actress Geneviève Serreau. In Paris, Serreau studied literature, music and theatre[2] and is a trained organist and trapeze artist.[2]

Her stage work began at the Comédie Française and she has written many plays.[2] Her film debut in 1977 was Pourquoi pas!, a love triangle story which was a success around Europe.[2]

Her 1985 comedy Trois hommes et un couffin (remade in the US as Three Men and a Baby was the most commercially successful film of the 1980s in French.[2]

Career

In 1970, she made her debut as an actress at the Théâtre du Vieux-Colombier.[citation needed]

Serreau wrote her first screenplay in 1973.[citation needed]

Her first film, the documentary film Mais qu'est-ce qu'elles veulent? (1978), literally: But What Is It That They Want?, was a compilation of interviews with women from various backgrounds. The frankness of the statements shocked parts of the public.

Her biggest commercial success was the comedy film Three Men and a Cradle (Trois hommes et un couffin; 1985),[1] for which she received three César Awards in 1986. It was also nominated for the Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film.[3]

In 1986, her first drama for the stage Lapin Lapin (Rabbit Rabbit), directed by Benno Besson, had its world premiere. She collaborated with Besson for several years and he also staged Le théâtre de verdure (1987) and Quisaitout et Grobêta (1993).

Filmography

YearTitleRoleNotes
1974On s'est trompé d'histoire d'amourScreenplay and role of Anne
19757 morts sur ordonnanceRole of Mrs. Mauvagne[4]
1977Why Not! (Pourquoi pas)Writer, Director[5][6]
1978Mais qu'est ce qu'elles veulent?Writer, Director
1979Grand-mère de l'IslamWriter, Director
1982Qu'est-ce qu'on attend pour être heureuxWriter, DirectorShort documentary
1985Three Men and a Cradle (Trois hommes et un couffin)Writer, Director[1][7][8][9][10]
1989Mama, There's a Man in Your Bed (Romuald et Juliette)Writer, Director[1][11][12][13]
1992La CriseWriter, Director[14][15]
1996La Belle VerteWriter, Director, role of Mila[16][17]
2001ChaosWriter, Director[18][19][20]
200318 Years Later (18 ans après)Writer, Director[21][22]
2005Saint-Jacques… La MecqueWriter, Director
2010Solutions locales pour un désordre globalWriter, Director[23]
2014Tout est permisWriter, Director
2014Couleur localeCo-writer and co-director with Samuel TasinajeTV film
2015Pierre Brossolette ou les passagers de la luneDirectorTV film

Awards and nominations

YearAwardCategoryWorkResultNotes
1978Chicago International Film FestivalGold Hugo (Best Feature)Pourquoi pas!
1982Venice Film FestivalGolden LionQu'est-ce qu'on attend pour être heureux!
1985National Academy of Cinema, FranceAcademy Award3 hommes et un couffin
1986Academy AwardsAcademy Award for Best International Feature Film3 hommes et un couffin[24]
1986César Awards, FranceBest Film (Meilleur film)3 hommes et un couffin[25][26]
Best Original Screenplay or Adaptation (Meilleur scénario original ou adaptation)[26]
Best Director (Meilleur réalisateur)[26]
1991BAFTA AwardsBest Film Not in the English LanguageRomuald et Juliette[27]
1993César Awards, FranceBest Film (Meilleur film)La crise[26]
Best Original Screenplay or Adaptation (Meilleur scénario original ou adaptation)[26]
2002Norwegian International Film FestivalAudience AwardChaos
Norwegian Film Critics Award
2002César Awards, FranceBest Film (Meilleur film)Chaos[26]
Best Original Screenplay or Adaptation (Meilleur scénario original ou adaptation)[26]
2010São Paulo International Film FestivalAudience AwardSolutions locales pour un désordre global

See also

References

  1. ^ Thomas, Kevin (1990-03-02). "The Frenchwoman Who Delivered a Big 'Baby' to Hollywood : Movies: Her 'Three Men and a Cradle' was turned into you know what. Now she hopes lightning will strike twice with 'Mama, There's a Man in Your Bed.'". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved 2022-12-24.
  2. ^ Additional information about Chaos, Berlinale 2002 archive accessed 1 April 2024.
  3. ^ "The 58th Academy Awards (1986) Nominees and Winners". oscars.org. Retrieved 2013-11-10.
  4. ^ Curti, Roberto & Lafond, Frank (2026). French Thrillers of the 1970s: Volume I, Crime Films. Jefferson, North Carolina: McFarland & Company. p. 260. ISBN 978-1-4766-8681-3. LCCN 2025048366.
  5. ^ Maslin, Janet (1979-07-23). "Film: Trio Cavort in 'Pourquoi Pas!':Bohemia's Last Gasp". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2022-12-24.
  6. ^ "4th French Film Festival Starts at Modern March 2". The New York Times. 1978-02-21. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2022-12-24.
  7. ^ Darnton, Nina (1986-04-20). "OUI, MONSIEUR, IT'S THEIR BABY, BUT NOT FOR LONG". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2022-12-24.
  8. ^ Canby, Vincent (1986-04-25). "FILM: '3 MEN AND CRADLE'". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2022-12-24.
  9. ^ "1986 | Oscars.org | Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences". www.oscars.org. 4 October 2014. Retrieved 2022-12-24.
  10. ^ Variety Staff (1985-01-01). "3 Hommes et un Couffin". Variety. Retrieved 2022-12-24.
  11. ^ Farber, Stephen (1990-04-08). "FILM; She's Filming Her Movie, Twice". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2022-12-24.
  12. ^ Benson, Sheila (1990-04-13). "MOVIE REVIEWS : From France, Laughter and Romance : Fairy tale: In Coline Serreau's charming 'Mama, There's a Man in Your Bed,' a cleaning woman becomes a goddess.". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved 2022-12-24.
  13. ^ Maslin, Janet (1990-04-13). "Review/Film; Romance Blooms in a Yogurt War". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2022-12-24.
  14. ^ Dupont, Joan & Tribune, International Herald (1992-12-04). "THE MOVIE GUIDE". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2022-12-24.
  15. ^ Rooney, David (1998-06-08). "Paparazzi". Variety. Retrieved 2022-12-24.
  16. ^ Nesselson, Lisa (1996-09-23). "Visit to a Green Planet". Variety. Retrieved 2022-12-24.
  17. ^ Vourlias, Christopher (2022-06-20). "Greece's Evia Film Project Brings Environmentally Focused Filmmaking to the Fore". Variety. Retrieved 2022-12-24.
  18. ^ Hohenadel, Kristin (Jan 26, 2002). "FILM; A Feminist Willing To Be, Well, Incorrect". The New York Times. Retrieved Dec 24, 2022.
  19. ^ Thomas, Kevin (2003-02-21). "It's a cruel world in 'Chaos'". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved 2022-12-24.
  20. ^ Holden, Stephen (2003-01-29). "FILM REVIEW; Sexist Pigs Skewered Over a Flamethrower". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2022-12-24.
  21. ^ Nesselson, Lisa (2003-02-18). "18 Years Later". Variety. Retrieved 2022-12-24.
  22. ^ James, Alison (2003-01-20). "Gallic Rendez-Vous woos distribs". Variety. Retrieved 2022-12-24.
  23. ^ Scheib, Ronnie (2011-03-15). "Think Global, Act Rural". Variety. Retrieved 2022-12-24.
  24. ^ "1986 | Oscars.org | Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences". www.oscars.org. 4 October 2014. Retrieved 2022-12-24.
  25. ^ Meisler, Stanley (1986-02-25). "FRENCH HAIL BEST OF FILM WITH CESAR". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved 2022-12-24.
  26. ^ "Coline Serreau". Académie des César. Retrieved 2022-12-24.
  27. ^ "1991 Film Film not in the English Language | BAFTA Awards". awards.bafta.org. Retrieved 2022-12-24.

Further reading

  • Colville, G. (1993). "On Coline Serreau's Mais qu'est ce qu'elles veulent? and the Problematics of Feminist Documentary". French Cinema. Nottingham French Studies. Vol. 32. No.1. pp. 84–89.