Christian Carion

French director Christian Carion, a filmmaker with a brief but impressive filmography, has never directed a movie that he did not also write. Rather than working as a director for hire, Carion is inspired by stories, and may spend years attempting to shape them on paper before he commits them to film. As a youth, Carion enrolled in agricultural school at the behest of his parents, but began directing several short films including "Le Chateau d'eau" and "Monsieur le député," while he worked at a day job for the French Ministry of Agriculture. His first feature film, "The Girl from Paris," was completed in 2001 and nominated for a César award for first-time filmmakers. Carion was heartened by the positive reception, and was further delighted when his follow-up effort, "Joyeux Noël," was warmly received by critics and audiences alike. The movie was widely released and was nominated in 2005 for an Academy Award in the Best Foreign Language Film category. After "Joyeux Noël," it was four years before Carion made a new movie, but when "Farewell" was released in 2009, it was the recipient of much critical praise. It tells the story of Sergei Grigoriev, a K.G.B. colonel so disenchanted with the Communist Party that he begins to transmit classified information to French intelligence. A highly acclaimed political thriller, "Farewell" helped to solidify Carion's reputation as a provocative, risk-taking auteur.