Yann Gozlan

Yann Gozlan
Born (1977-03-28) 28 March 1977 (age 47)[1]
Aubervilliers, France[1]
Occupations
  • Film director
  • screenwriter
Years active2004–present

Yann Gozlan (born 28 March 1977)[1] is a French film director and screenwriter. He has directed five feature films: the horror film Caged (2010), the thriller A Perfect Man (2015), the action thriller Burn Out (2017), the mystery thriller Black Box (2021), and the psychological thriller Visions (2023).

Early life

Gozlan, the son of an engineer father and a nurse mother, grew up in Aubervilliers.[2]

Career

After having shot experimental films on video and Super 8, Yann Gozlan went in search of a producer for his first short film Pellis. Completed in 2003, the film depicts the world of dermatology and psychosomatic disorders. Another short film, Écho, followed in 2006 with Lubna Azabal in the main role portraying a pregnant woman suffering from tinnitus and feeling tormented by the unexplained noises of her apartment where she is a recluse.[2] The film received the Prix du court métrage at the 2007 Fantastic'Arts festival in Gérardmer.[3]

Gozlan was tapped by Sombrero Films to direct his feature film debut, Caged (Captifs), a horror film set against the backdrop of human organ trafficking. The film starred Zoé Félix in the main role. It was theatrically released in October 2010.[4] The film won two awards the same year (Best Actress and Best Picture) at the Screamfest Horror Film Festival in Los Angeles.[5]

In 2015, Gozlan continued his collaboration with screenwriter Guillaume Lemans, which began with the film Caged, on the film A Perfect Man (Un homme idéal), a thriller dealing with the spiral of lies and deception. The film was released in theaters in March 2015 with Pierre Niney in the lead role.[6]

In 2017, collaborating again with Guillaume Lemans, he wrote and directed the action thriller Burn Out, based on the noir novel Balancé dans les cordes by Jérémie Guez. Combining Superbike motorcycle racing with drug trafficking in the city, the film was theatrically released in January 2018 with François Civil in the main role.[7][8] In 2022, Borsalino Productions produced a remake of Burn Out entitled Centauro, directed by Spanish filmmaker Daniel Calparsoro.[9]

Alongside his productions, Yann Gozlan collaborated with his friend Thomas Kruithof on the screenplay for La Mécanique de l'ombre, released in theaters in January 2017 and starring François Cluzet.[10] The same year, alongside producer Wassim Béji, he became attached to Roman Polanski's Based on a True Story. An adaptation of the novel of the same name by Delphine de Vigan, the film was released in theaters in November 2017.[11] It is a psychological thriller starring Emmanuelle Seigner and Eva Green.[12] Gozlan served as associate producer of the film.

In 2021, Gozlan directed the mystery thriller Black Box (Boîte noire). The film stars Pierre Niney as Matthieu, a talented young black box analyst who is tasked with investigating a mysterious deadly plane crash.[13][14] It was theatrically released in September 2021.[15] Gozlan co-wrote the screenplay with Simon Moutaïrou and Nicolas Bouvet-Levrard.[13] The trio received a nomination for Best Original Screenplay at the 47th César Awards.[16] The film was a major success in France, where it sold 1.2 million admissions.[17]

Gozlan's fifth film, Visions, is a psychological thriller starring Diane Kruger and Mathieu Kassovitz. Set in the south of France, Kruger stars as Estelle, an airline captain happily married to a doctor portrayed by Kassovitz. After a chance encounter with her ex Ana, Estelle has an affair. Estelle develops recurring visions, nightmares and hallucinations, which are intensifed when Ana disappears mysteriously.[17] The film was theatrically released in September 2023.[18]

Gozlan's forthcoming sixth film, Dalloway, was announced to wrap filming in August 2024. Gozlan co-wrote the screenplay with Nicolas Bouvet-Levrard and Thomas Kruithof, based on Tatiana de Rosnay's 2020 novel Flowers of Darkness (Les Fleurs de l'ombre). It stars Cécile de France as a writer who is assisted by an artificial intelligence system during a residency programme.[19] Earlier in March 2024, it was announced that Gozlan would renuite with Pierre Niney for a film entitled Gourou.[20]

Filmography

Year Title Director Screenwriter Notes
2004 Pellis Yes Yes Short film
2006 Écho Yes Yes Short film
2010 Caged Yes Yes
2015 A Perfect Man Yes Yes
2016 La Mécanique de l'ombre No Yes
2017 Based on a True Story No No Associate producer
Burn Out Yes Yes
2021 Black Box Yes Yes
2023 Visions Yes Yes
TBA Dalloway Yes Yes

Accolades

Award Date of ceremony Category Film Result Ref.
César Awards 25 February 2022 Best Original Screenplay (Shared with Simon Moutaïrou and Nicolas Bouvet-Levrard) Black Box Nominated [16]

References

  1. ^ a b c "Yann Gozlan : Sa biographie" (in French). AlloCiné. Retrieved 7 February 2023.
  2. ^ a b Morice, Jacques (8 September 2021). "Yann Gozlan, réalisateur de "Boîte noire" : "J'aime filmer ce qui m'angoisse"". Télérama (in French). Retrieved 7 February 2023.
  3. ^ "Zombies, moutons et société" (PDF). Le Petit Fantastic (in French). No. 127. Festival de Gérardmer. 5 February 2007. Retrieved 7 February 2023.
  4. ^ Mintzer, Jordan (28 October 2010). "Caged". Variety. Retrieved 6 February 2023.
  5. ^ Barton, Steve (19 October 2010). "Screamfest LA Award Winners Announced". Dread Central. Retrieved 6 February 2023.
  6. ^ Van Hoeij, Boyd (24 March 2015). "'A Perfect Man' ('Un Homme Ideal'): Film Review". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved 6 February 2023.
  7. ^ Lemercier, Fabien (8 July 2016). "Burn Out by Yann Gozlan on the starting-blocks". Cineuropa. Retrieved 7 February 2023.
  8. ^ "Sorties cinéma du 3 janvier - Films soutenus par le CNC". CNC.fr (in French). 3 January 2018. Retrieved 7 February 2023.
  9. ^ Lemercier, Fabien (26 July 2022). "RKSS are fine-tuning We Are Zombies". Cineuropa. Retrieved 7 February 2023.
  10. ^ Mintzer, Jordan (9 January 2017). "'The Eavesdropper' ('La Mecanique de l'ombre'): Film Review". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved 7 February 2023.
  11. ^ Sotinel, Thomas (28 May 2017). "Le vertige de l'écran blanc". Le Monde (in French). Retrieved 8 February 2023.
  12. ^ Keslassy, Elsa (15 September 2016). "Toronto: Eva Green, Emmanuelle Seigner Star in Roman Polanski-Olivier Assayas' 'True Story' (EXCLUSIVE)". Variety. Retrieved 8 February 2023.
  13. ^ a b Debruge, Peter (5 May 2022). "'Black Box' Review: Geeky French Thriller Sifts Through the Pieces of a Suspicious Plane Crash". Variety. Retrieved 7 February 2023.
  14. ^ Kramer, Gary M. (29 April 2022). ""Black Box" filmmaker on making a plane crash thriller that requires you to listen closely". Salon.com. Retrieved 7 February 2023.
  15. ^ Balle, Catherine; Baronian, Renaud; Jaeglé, Yves; Quinchon, Marine; Valentin, Michel (7 September 2021). "Sorties cinéma du 8 septembre : Boîte noire, Les Méchants, Délicieux... les films à voir, ou pas". Le Parisien (in French). Archived from the original on 27 September 2023. Retrieved 2 February 2023.
  16. ^ a b Keslassy, Elsa (26 January 2022). "Adam Driver, 'Annette,' Celine Dion Biopic and 'Lost Illusions' Lead France's Cesar Nominations". Variety. Retrieved 2 February 2023.
  17. ^ a b Keslassy, Elsa (31 August 2022). "SND Boards Diane Kruger-Mathieu Kassovitz Psychological Thriller 'Visions' (EXCLUSIVE)". Variety. Retrieved 7 February 2023.
  18. ^ Vely, Yannick (30 June 2023). "Bande-annonce : Visions, le nouveau film de Yann Gozlan". Paris Match (in French). Retrieved 3 August 2023.
  19. ^ Lemercier, Fabien (1 August 2024). "Cécile de France leading the cast of Dalloway". Cineuropa. Retrieved 4 August 2024.
  20. ^ "French Actor Pierre Niney to Co-Produce, Star as Toxic Coach in 'Gourou,' Directed by 'Black Box' Helmer Yann Gozlan (EXCLUSIVE)". Variety.