Manuel Pradal

Like most directors, French-born Manuel Pradal had a passion for cinema at an early age. After studying at the prestigious La Fémis film school in Paris as a young man, Pradal completed his thesis film, a documentary about Bosnian gypsies living in Italy called "Canti," at the age of 24. The black-and-white documentary screened at several international film festivals including Cannes. Six years later, Pradal finally wrote and directed his first feature film, "Marie from the Bay of Angels," a striking romantic drama about two young lovers. His efforts paid off and the film was nominated for a Tiger Award at the International Film Festival Rotterdam. He followed up the success of that movie with the 2002 English-language crime-drama "Ginostra," starring Harvey Keitel and Andie MacDowell. Unfortunately, the film was panned by most critics. That didn't deter Pradal, however, and the director reunited with Keitel in 2006 for "A Crime," which didn't fare much better with U.S. audiences. Not finding the same acceptance in Hollywood as he had in the European film circuit, Pradal eventually returned to French cinema with "The Blonde with Bare Breasts," starring Vahina Giocante.