Jacques Doillon (French: [dwajɔ̃]; born 15 March 1944) is a French film director and screenwriter. Some actresses to break through are Fanny Bastien, Sandrine Bonnaire, Judith Godrèche, Marianne Denicourt, Charlotte Gainsbourg[1] and Juliette Binoche.

Jacques Doillon
Doillon in 2013
Born (1944-03-15) 15 March 1944 (age 80)
Paris, France
Occupations
  • Film director
  • screenwriter
Years active1969–present
Partner(s)Jane Birkin
(c. 1980; sep. 1991)
Joe Rohanne
(c. 2009; sep. 2012)
Children5, including Lola and Lou

Early life and education

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Doillon was born in Paris and attended the Lycée Voltaire.[2]

Career

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His 1989 film The 15 Year Old Girl was entered into the 16th Moscow International Film Festival.[3]

His 1990 film La vengeance d'une femme was entered into the 40th Berlin International Film Festival.[4] The following year, his film Le Petit Criminel won an Honourable Mention at the 41st Berlin International Film Festival.[5] In 1993, his film Le Jeune Werther won the Blue Angel Award at the 43rd Berlin International Film Festival.[6] In 1998, his film Trop (peu) d'amour was entered into the 48th Berlin International Film Festival.[7]

Personal life

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He has two daughters: Lola Doillon (born 1975), whose mother is film editor Noëlle Boisson, and Lou Doillon (born 1982), from his relationship with English actress Jane Birkin in the 1980s.[8] He has three other children named Lili, Lina, and Lazare.

Sexual abuse allegations

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In February 2024, Judith Godrèche filed a criminal complaint which accused Doillon of rape during the filming of The 15 Year Old Girl when she was 15.[9][10][11] As a result of the accusation, the Tours film festival cancelled its invitation to Doillon to chair its 2024 jury.[12] Shortly thereafter, actresses Isild Le Besco and Anna Mouglalis joined Godrèche in accusing Doillon of sexual abuse.[13] Le Besco has claimed Doillon made advances during work sessions and tried to sexually blackmail her in 2000 when he was making an effort to star in his film Carrément à l'Ouest, while Mouglalis alleged that he forcefully kissed her in the summer of 2011 when her then-partner Samuel Benchetrit was appearing Doillon's film Un enfant de toi.[13][14] His upcoming film CE2 was postponed as the lead actors refused to promote the film.[15][13]

On July 1, 2024, Doillon, as well as Benoit Jacquot, were both questioned by police over Godrèche's rape allegation.[16] The two directors were also taken into custody by the Juvenile Protection Brigade.[16] On July 2, Doillon was released without charge after spending forty eight hour (two days) in the jail of a Paris police station.[14][17][18] It was stated that Doillon had been released from prison for medical reasons.[18][19]

Shortly after his release, it was revealed that since February 2024, three additional criminal complaints had been filed against Doillon.[18] The three women who filed these complaints were identified as Joe Rohanne, Hélène M. and Aurélie Le Roc'h.[18] Rohanne, who filed her criminal complaint in February 2024, alleged three acts of rape, assault and battery, and psychological violence which she alleged were committed against her by Dollion during their romantic relationship.[18] Rohanne's relationship with Doillon lasted between 2009 and 2012 and resulted in them conceiving a daughter who Rohanne claimed she got pregnant with during an occasion where Doillon raped her when she was taking sleeping pills.[17][18] Hélène M., who alleged she first met Dollion when she was 15 years old, claimed Dollion "sodomized" her for the first time when she was 16 years old.[18] Hélène M., who filed her criminal complaint in March 2024, alleged that the experience was "painful and unpleasant."[18] In her complaint, Le Roc'h, a French actress, alleged that Doillon committed "attempted rape" when she working on his film Petits Frères in 1998.[18] According to La'Roch, Doillon tried to force her into having a sexual relationship with him.[18] These three complaints had served as the basis for his forty-eight hour stay in police custody.[17][18]

Despite no charges being brought at the time of his release, and Rohanne's case being outside the statute of limitation, the criminal investigation against Doillon would continue, with the Paris prosecutor's office reserving the right to "assess the scope and terms of the follow-up" to the criminal complaints made against him.[18][17]

Filmography

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Feature films

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Year English title Original title Notes
1973 The Year 01 L'An 01 Co-directed by Alain Resnais and Jean Rouch
Written by Gébé
1974 Touched in the Head Les Doigts dans la tête
1975 A Bag of Marbles Un sac de billes
1979 The Hussy La Drôlesse
1979 The Crying Woman La Femme qui pleure
1981 The Prodigal Daughter [fr] La Fille prodigue
1984 The Pirate La Pirate
1985 The Temptation of Isabelle La Tentation d'Isabelle
1985 Family Life La Vie de famille
1986 The Prude La Puritaine
1987 Comedy! Comédie !
1988 L'Amoureuse
1989 The 15 Year Old Girl La Fille de 15 ans
1990 The Little Gangster Le Petit Criminel
1990 A Woman's Revenge La Vengeance d'une femme
1992 Lover Amoureuse
1993 Young Werther Le Jeune Werther
1994 Du fond du cœur
1996 Ponette
1998 Too Much (Little) Love Trop (peu) d'amour
1999 Little Brothers Petits Frères
2001 Carrément à l'Ouest
2003 Raja
2008 Just Anybody Le Premier venu
2010 The Three-Way Wedding Le Mariage à trois
2012 A Child of Yours Un enfant de toi
2013 Love Battles Mes séances de lutte
2017 Rodin
2021 Third Grade CE2

Short films

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Year Title Notes
1969 Trial Documentary
1970 La Voiture électronique
Vitesse oblige
1971 Tous risques
On ne se dit pas tout entre époux
Bol d'or Documentary
1973 Laissés pour compte
Les Demi-jours
Autour des filets
1991 Contre l'oubli Segment: Pour Anstraum Aman Villagran Morales, Guatémala

Television

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Year Title Notes
1982 L'Arbre TV movie
1983 Monsieur Abel
1985 Mangui, onze ans peut-être TV documentary
1990 Pour un oui ou pour un non TV movie
1993 Un homme à la mer
1995 Un siècle d'écrivains : Nathalie Sarraute TV documentary

Acting

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Year Title Role Notes
1979 The Crying Woman Jacques
1985 She Spent So Many Hours Under the Sun Lamps
1989 The 15 Year Old Girl Willy
2005 A Perfect Couple Jacques
2012 Headfirst Writer

References

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  1. ^ "Wettbewerb/In Competition". Moving Pictures, Berlinale Extra. Berlin: 37. 11–22 February 1998.
  2. ^ Pinel, Vincent (2006). Cinéma français. Cahiers du cinéma. p. 260.
  3. ^ "16th Moscow International Film Festival (1989)". MIFF. Archived from the original on 2013-03-16. Retrieved 2013-02-24.
  4. ^ "Berlinale: 1990 Programme". berlinale.de. Retrieved 2011-03-20.
  5. ^ "Berlinale: 1991 Prize Winners". berlinale.de. Retrieved 2011-03-26.
  6. ^ "Berlinale: 1993 Prize Winners". berlinale.de. Retrieved 2011-06-01.
  7. ^ "Berlinale: 1998 Programme". berlinale.de. Retrieved 2012-01-22.
  8. ^ Jane Birkin official website Archived 2009-07-08 at the Portuguese Web Archive. Accessed 25 March 2014
  9. ^ Goodfellow, Melanie (8 February 2024). "Judith Godrèche Files Sexual Assault Complaint Against Jacques Doillon As Anna Mouglalis & Islid Le Besco Also Accuse Director Of Harassment". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved 5 July 2024.
  10. ^ "Judith Godrèche accuse le réalisateur Jacques Doillon d'abus sexuels dans les années 1980". Le Monde. 8 February 2024. Retrieved 8 February 2024.
  11. ^ "French actress Judith Godrèche accuses directors of historical abuse". BBC news.
  12. ^ Pierre, Simon (9 February 2024). "Affaire Judith Godrèche : le festival de cinéma de Tours annule la venue de Jacques Doillon". Le Figaro. Retrieved 10 February 2024.
  13. ^ a b c Forgar, Ségolène (9 February 2024). ""Il m'a embrassée de force" : Anna Mouglalis et Isild le Besco, les autres accusatrices de Jacques Doillon". Madame Figaro (in French). Retrieved 18 February 2024.
  14. ^ a b "French police release filmmaker, prepare to charge another over alleged sexual abuse". France 24. July 2, 2024. Retrieved July 5, 2024.
  15. ^ "CE2: Jacques Doillon's film is finally postponed". premiere.
  16. ^ a b Keslassy, Elsa (July 1, 2024). "French Directors Benoit Jacquot, Jacques Doillon Questioned by Police Over Rape, Sexual Assault Accusations by Judith Godreche". Variety. Retrieved July 3, 2024.
  17. ^ a b c d "Le cinéaste Benoît Jacquot mis en examen pour viol et le réalisateur Jacques Doillon accusé de viol par Joe Rohanne". Le Soir. 2 July 2024. Retrieved 5 July 2024.
  18. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l de Foucher, Lorraine; Lefilliâtre, Jérôme (July 3, 2024). "Je ne veux plus jamais que tu me fasses ça » : trois nouvelles plaintes pour viols et tentative de viol visent le réalisateur Jacques Doillon (in French)". Le Monde. Retrieved July 3, 2024.
  19. ^ "Prominent director targeted in French cinema's #MeToo wave charged with rape, assault of actors". Associated Press. 4 July 2024. Retrieved 4 July 2024.
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