Jessua, Alain

(January 16, 1932, Paris, France - )

   An assistant director for almost ten years (1952 Casque d'Or / UK: Golden Helmet / USA: Golden Ma­rie, Jacques Becker, France / Italy; Métier de Danseur, short, Jacques Baratier; 1953 Madame de . . . / I gioielli di Madame de . . . / UK: Diamond Earrings / USA: The Earrings of Madame de . . . , Max Ophuls, France / Italy; Chevalier de Ménilmontant, short, Jacques Baratier; 1954 Mam'zelle Nitouche / Santarellina / UK: Oh No, Mam'zelle, Yves Allégret, France / Italy; 1955 Oasis / Oase, Yves Allégret, France / Italy; Lola Montès / Lola Montez / UK: The Fall of Lola Montes / USA: The Sins of Lola Montes, Max Ophuls, France / West Germany; 1957 Escapade, Ralph Habib; 1960 Le Huitième Jour, Marcel Hanoun; Terrain vague / Gioventù nuda, Marcel Carné, France / Italy), he directed his first feature-length film in 1964. He is also a novelist: 1998 Crèvecoeur (Editions Jean-Claude Lattès); 2003 Ce Sourire-là (Editions Jean-Claude Lattès); 2006 Bref Sé­jour parmi les Hommes (Editions du Rocher); 2007 La Vie à l'Envers (Editions du Rocher); 2008 Un Jardin au Paradis (Editions Léo Scheer). He was formerly mar­ried to actress Anna Gaylor (b. 1932).

 Filmography

1956 ◘ Léon la Lune (short)

1964 ◘ La Vie à l'envers / USA: Life Upside Down (also screenwriter, adapter, dialogist, producer)

1967 ◘ Jeu de Massacre / UK: All Weekend Lovers / Comic Strip Hero / USA: The Killing Game (also screenwriter, adapter, dialogist, producer, actor)

1973 ◘ Traitement de Choc / L'uomo che uccideva a sangue freddo / UK: Doctor in the Nude / USA: Shock Treatment (also co-screenwriter, dialogist, composer; France / Italy)

1977 ◘ Armaguedon / Quel giorno il mondo tremera (also screenwriter, adapter, dialogist; France / Italy)

1979 ◘ Les Chiens / USA: The Dogs (also original story, co-screenwriter, co-dialogist)

1982 ◘ Paradis pour tous / USA: Paradise for All (also co-screenwriter, co-adapter, co-dialogist)

1984 ◘ Frankenstein 90 (also co-screenwriter, co-dialogist, producer)

1988 ◘ En toute Innocence / US festival: No Harm Intended (also co-screenwriter, co-dialogist, producer)

1997 ◘ Les Couleurs du Diable / I colori del diavolo / USA: The Colors of the Devil (also screenwriter, dialogist, producer; shot in 1995)