- Rossif, Frédéric
- (February 6, 1922, Cetinje, Montenegro-April 18, 1990, Paris, France)Having graduated with a bachelor's degree in mathematics from University of Rome, he had to leave Italy in 1941 and moved to Egypt, where he enrolled in the French Foreign Legion. He fought in Libya and took part in the battles of Bir-Hakeim and Monte Cassino before disembarking at Provence in August 1944 and finishing the war in Germany. Having returned to civilian life, he worked as a draftsman for Renault and Citroën and then as a librarian at the Cinémathèque Française (1948). A TV director since 1952, he produced and / or directed almost 350 programs, including La Vie des Animaux (1952-1976), Cinépanorama (1956), Edition Spéciale (1954-1959), Le Magazine de notre Temps (1952-1960), Cinéma, Pour le Cinéma (1965-1978), and Donner à voir (1964-1967). He began directing documentaries for cinema in 1959. He was a French citizen since 1947.Filmography1959 ◘ Vél' d'Hiv (documentary; short; co-director with Guy Blanc)◘ Impossibles Nouveautés (documentary; short)1960 ◘ Le Monde instantané (documentary; short)◘ Prélude à l'Asie (documentary; short; co-director with Paule Bernard)◘ Spécial Noël: Jean Gabin (documentary; short)◘ Le Temps du Ghetto / UK and USA: The Witnesses (documentary; also co-screenwriter)◘ De notre Temps (documentary; short; also screenwriter)◘ Mourir à Madrid / UK and USA: To Die in Madrid (documentary; also co-screenwriter)◘ Les Animaux / USA: The Animals (documentary)◘ Pour l'Espagne (documentary; short; also screenwriter)1964 ◘ Sciences Po (documentary; short; also co-screenwriter)◘ Encore Paris (documentary; short)1966 ◘ La Chute de Berlin (documentary)◘ La Liberté de blâmer (documentary; short; also screenwriter)◘ La Révolution d'Octobre / UK and USA: October Revolution (documentary; also co-screenwriter)◘ Un Mur à Jérusalem / USA: A Wall in Jerusalem (documentary; co-director with Albert Kno-bler; also screenwriter)◘ Pourquoi l'Amérique? (documentary)◘ Aussi loin que l'Amour (also screenwriter, adapter, dialogist)◘ Verve (short; also screenwriter)◘ Le Cantique des Créatures: Georges Mathieu ou La Fureur d'être (documentary)◘ Cantique des Créatures: Georges Braque ou le Temps différent (documentary)◘ Les Crèches du Monde (documentary)◘ Plus vite que le Soleil (documentary; short; later released as part of Un Ciel signé Concorde)◘ La Fête sauvage (documentary)1982 ◘ Le Cantique des Créatures: Pablo Picasso pintor / USA: Pablo Picasso Painter (documentary; France / Spain; shot in 1979)◘ Brel (documentary; also co-screenwriter)1984 ◘ Sauvage et beau (documentary; co-director with Jean-Charles Cuttoli)◘ Splendeur sauvage (compilation)◘ Le Cœur musicien (documentary; short)1989 ◘ Beauté sauvage (compilation)◘ Les Animaux de Frédéric Rossif (compilation)1994 ◘ De Nuremberg à Nuremberg (documentary; originally shot for TV)Television Filmography1952 ◘ La Vie des Animaux (documentary; TV series)1965 ◘ Pour Trois Milliards d'Hommes (documentary; short; also screenwriter)1966 ◘ Donner à voir (three-episode documentary)1968 ◘ Roi de Bavière (documentary; short; also screenwriter)◘ Portrait: Orson Welles (documentary; short; co-director with François Reichenbach; also co-screenwriter)◘ Musique pour une grande Ville (documentary)1969 ◘ Laix sur la Terre aux Hommes de bonne Volonté (documentary)1972 ◘ LApocalypse des Animaux (six-part documentary)◘ Au Pays de Visages (documentary)1975 ◘ L'Opéra sauvage (22 X 60' documentary)1976 ◘ Des Compagnons pour vos Songes (three 10 X 5' series)1977 ◘ Heureux comme le Regard en France (documentary)◘ Une Prière qui danse (documentary)◘ L'Arbre de Vie (documentary)1983 ◘ Lour la Musique (4 X 60' documentary)◘ Les Grandes Demoiselles, Etienne Hajdu, Sculpteur on Sculptor (documentary)1985 ◘ La Fête de la Musique (documentary)1987 ◘ Lasteur le Siècle (documentary)1989 ◘ De Nuremberg à Nuremberg (4 X 60' documentary)◘ Morandi (documentary)1990 ◘ Les Sentinelles oubliées (documentary)
Encyclopedia of French film directors . Philippe Rège. 2011.
