Florian Zeller

Florian Zeller (French: [zɛlɛʁ];[1] born 28 June 1979) is a French novelist, playwright, theatre director, screenwriter, and film director. He won the Prix Interallié for his 2004 novel The Fascination of Evil and several awards for his plays.[2][3] He wrote and directed his first film, 2020's The Father, based on his play of the same name, starring Anthony Hopkins and Olivia Colman. The film received six nominations at the 93rd Academy Awards, including Best Picture, with Zeller co-winning Best Adapted Screenplay. It also received four nominations at the 78th Golden Globe Awards and six nominations at the 74th British Academy Film Awards.

Florian Zeller
Zeller in 2021
Zeller in 2021
Born (1979-06-28) 28 June 1979
Paris, France
OccupationNovelist, playwright, theatre director, screenwriter, film director
NationalityFrench
GenreLiterary fiction
Years active2002–present
Spouse
​
(m. 2010)​
Children2

Biography

Zeller wrote his first novel Artificial Snow when he was twenty-two years old. But it was his third novel, The Fascination of Evil, which made him a household name in France. It was selected for the Prix Goncourt.

His play, The Father, played in London's West End to critical acclaim and top listings in the Best Plays of the Year. It was considered as "the most acclaimed new play of the last decade".[4][5] and won several awards and nominations in Paris, London and New York.[6] According to The Times, The Father is "one of the greatest plays of the century".[7]

His comedy, The Truth, opened in London's West End in June 2017 and received an Olivier Award nomination for Best Comedy.

His play, The Height of the Storm, starring Jonathan Pryce and Eileen Atkins, opened in London's West End in September 2018 and on New York's Broadway in September 2019.[8] It has been named "best play of 2018"[9] and "one of the best plays of the 21st century" by The Guardian.[10]

His play, The Mother, starring Isabelle Huppert, opened in New York in February 2019.[11]

The Son opened in London in February 2019 and transferred to the West End in September 2019 with rave reviews.[12]

His plays have been staged in more than 45 countries.

Films

Zeller wrote the screenplays for the 2008 film Castle in Sweden, the 2014 film Do Not Disturb, and the 2018 film The Other Woman. He wrote and directed his first film, 2020's The Father, based on his play. It had its world premiere at the Sundance Film Festival on January 27, 2020. The film received acclaim from critics, who lauded Hopkins and Colman's performances and praised its depiction of dementia.[13][14][15][16][17] On review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes, the film holds an approval rating of 98% based on 165 reviews, with an average rating of 8.50/10. The website's critics consensus reads: "Led by stellar performances and artfully helmed by writer-director Florian Zeller, The Father presents a devastatingly empathetic portrayal of dementia."[18] At Metacritic, it has a weighted average score of 88 out of 100, based on 42 critics, indicating "universal acclaim".[19] At the 78th Golden Globe Awards, the film received four nominations, including Best Motion Picture – Drama. It also received six nominations at the 74th British Academy Film Awards, including Best Film, and six Oscars nominations. Zeller and Christopher Hampton won a BAFTA and an Academy Award for Best Adapted Screenplay for the film.

In March and April 2021, it was announced that Zeller co-wrote with Christopher Hampton and will direct their adaptation of The Son (which serves as Zeller's and Hampton's follow-up to The Father), with Hugh Jackman, Laura Dern and Vanessa Kirby to star in the film.[20][21][22]

Personal life

Zeller lives in Paris. In 2010, he married ex-model, actress and sculptor Marine Delterme,[23][24] who played one of the main roles in the Parisian production of his play Le Manège. Their son, Roman, was born in December 2008.[25] His stepson, Gabriel, was born in 1998 to his wife and her previous partner Jean-Philippe Écoffey.[26]

Plays
  • 2004: L'Autre
  • 2005: Le Manège
  • 2006: Si tu mourais
  • 2008: Elle t'attend
  • 2010: The Mother (2015 in London, 2019 in New York)
  • 2011: The Truth (2017 in London)
  • 2012: Le Père (The Father) (2014 in London, 2016 in New York, adapted into the 2015 film Floride and the 2020 film The Father)
  • 2013: Une heure de tranquillité (adapted into the 2014 film Do Not Disturb)
  • 2014: The Lie (2017 in London)
  • 2016: L'Envers du décor (adapted into the 2018 film The Other Woman)
  • 2016: The Height of the Storm (2018 in London)
  • 2018: Le Fils (The Son) (2019 in London, adapted into the 2022 film The Son)
  • 2021: The Forest (2021 in London)

Filmography
  • 2008: Castle in Sweden (writer)
  • 2014: Do Not Disturb (writer)
  • 2018: The Other Woman (writer)
  • 2020: The Father (writer and director)
  • 2022: The Son (writer and director)

Novels
  • 2002: Artificial Snow
  • 2003: Lovers or Something Like It
  • 2004: The Fascination of Evil
  • 2006: Julien Parme
  • 2012: La Jouissance

Awards and nominations
Award Work Result Category Ref
Prix InteralliéFascination of EvilWonBest Novel in 2004
Prix Théâtre of the Académie françaiseSi tu mourais (2006)WonBest Play
Molière AwardsNominatedBest Play
The Mother (2011)NominatedBest Play
The Son (2018)NominatedBest Play
Le PèreWonBest Play
Theatre Awards UKNominatedBest Play in 2015
Evening Standard Theatre AwardsNominatedBest Play in 2015
Laurence Olivier AwardsThe FatherNominatedBest Play in 2015
Outer Critics Circle AwardsNominatedBest Play in 2016
Drama League AwardsNominatedBest Play in 2016
Tony AwardsNominatedBest Play in 2016
Academy Theatre Awards (Israel)WonBest Play in 2016
WhatsOnStage AwardsThe MotherNominatedBest Play in 2016
Friedrich-Luft-Preis (Berlin)The FatherNominatedBest Play in 2017
Irish Times Theatre Awards (Dublin)NominatedBest Play in 2017
Laurence Olivier AwardsThe TruthNominatedBest Comedy in 2017
Aplauso Brasil AwardsThe FatherWonBest Play in 2017
Manchester Theatre Awards (UK)WonBest Play in 2018
Hong Kong Drama Awards (HK)The Father and The TruthWonBest Play in 2018
WhatsOnStage AwardsThe SonNominatedBest Play in 2019
Yomiuri Prize (Japan)The FatherNominatedBest Play in 2020
Outer Critics Circle Awards (Broadway)The Height of the StormWonBest Play in 2020[27]
BIFAThe FatherWonBest Screenplay[28]
NominatedBest Film in 2020[29]
NominatedBest Director in 2020[29]
Boston Society of Film Critics AwardsWonBest First Film[30]
Indiana Film Journalists Association AwardsNominatedBest Film[31]
NominatedBest Screenplay[31]
Florida Film Critics Circle AwardsNominatedBest Director[31]
NominatedBest First Film[31]
NominatedBest Adapted Screenplay[31]
Chicago Film Critics Association AwardsNominatedBest Screenplay[32]
Greater Western New York Film Critics Association AwardsNominatedBest Adapted Screenplay[33]
NominatedBreakthrough Director[33]
Hawaii Film Critics Society AwardsNominatedBest Film[34]
NominatedBest First Film[34]
NominatedBest Director[34]
NominatedBest New Filmmaker[34]
NominatedBest Screenplay[34]
Chicago Indie Critics AwardsNominatedBest Independent Film[35]
NominatedBest Director[35]
NominatedBest Adapted Screenplay[35]
San Diego Film Critics Society AwardsWonBest Adapted Screenplay[36]
NominatedBest Director[36]
Houston Film Critics Society AwardsNominatedBest Film[37]
London Critics Circle Film AwardsNominatedBest British Film[38]
Premios CEC (Spain)NominatedBest Foreign Film[39]
Goya Awards (Spain)WonBest European Film[40]
Satellite AwardsNominatedBest Film[41]
NominatedBest Director[41]
WonBest Adapted Screenplay[42]
Hollywood Critics Association AwardsNominatedBest Film[43]
NominatedBest Screenplay[43]
Golden GlobesNominatedBest Motion Picture – Drama[44]
NominatedBest Screenplay[44]
Critics Choice AwardsNominatedBest Screenplay[45]
AACTA AwardsNominatedBest Screenplay[46]
NominatedBest Film[46]
Nevada Film Critics Society AwardsWonBest Adapted Screenplay
BAFTA Film AwardsNominatedBest Film[47]
NominatedOutstanding British Film[47]
WonBest Adapted Screenplay[47]
Directors Guild of America AwardsNominatedOutstanding Directorial Achievement of first-time Feature Film Director[48]
Austin Film Critics Association AwardsNominatedBest Screenplay[49]
Academy AwardsWonBest Adapted Screenplay
European Film AwardsNominatedBest Film[50]
NominatedBest Director
WonBest European Screenplay[50]
Golden Rooster AwardsWonBest International Film[51]
Cesar AwardsWonBest International Film[52]
Golden LionThe SonNominatedBest Film[53]
Golden Rooster AwardsPendingBest International Film[54]

References
  1. "The Height of the Storm: Interview with Playwright Florian Zeller". Manhattan Theatre Club. 10 July 2019. Archived from the original on 21 December 2021. Retrieved 14 April 2021.
  2. Treneman, Ann (27 February 2019). "Review: The Son at Kiln Theatre, NW6". The Times.
  3. "Olivier awards 2016: Judi Dench and Rufus Norris deserve their statuettes". the Guardian. 4 April 2016. Retrieved 28 March 2021.
  4. "The Father, au théâtre de londres le Wyndham's Theatre !" [The Father, at the London Theater Wyndham's Theater!]. www.florian-zeller.hautetfort.com (in French). 1 July 2015. Archived from the original on 17 October 2018. Retrieved 15 February 2019.
  5. "The best of the decade". www.thetimes.co.uk. Retrieved 28 March 2021.
  6. "The Father - Stage Door". www.stage-door.com. 14 February 2019. Archived from the original on 16 February 2019. Retrieved 15 February 2019.
  7. "The 25 best plays of the century".
  8. Aridi, Sara (6 February 2019). "'The Height of the Storm' Is Heading to Broadway". The New York Times.
  9. Billington, Michael (17 December 2018). "Top 10 theatre shows of 2018". The Guardian.
  10. "The 50 best theatre shows of the 21st century". the Guardian. 17 September 2019. Retrieved 28 March 2021.
  11. Fujishima, Kenji (14 February 2019). "Florian Zeller's The Mother, Starring Isabelle Huppert, Extends". TheaterMania.com.
  12. Cavendish, Dominic (3 September 2019). "The Son review, Duke of York's Theatre: a uniquely emphatic and empathetic play about the terror of depression". The Telegraph. ISSN 0307-1235. Retrieved 19 November 2022.
  13. Béglé, Jérôme (3 February 2020). "Les Français à l'honneur à Hollywood..." Le Point (in French). Retrieved 28 March 2021.
  14. "'The Father': Film Review | Sundance 2020". The Hollywood Reporter. 27 January 2020. Retrieved 28 March 2021.
  15. Gleiberman, Owen (28 January 2020). "'The Father' Review: Anthony Hopkins Gives a Tour-de-Force Performance". Variety. Retrieved 28 March 2021.
  16. "Sundance review: Anthony Hopkins stuns in perhaps his best performance in The Father". Hidden Remote. 11 February 2020. Retrieved 28 March 2021.
  17. "Oscars 2021: who might be next year's big winners?". the Guardian. 11 February 2020. Retrieved 28 March 2021.
  18. "The Father (2020)". Rotten Tomatoes. Retrieved 13 December 2020.
  19. "The Father Reviews". Metacritic. Retrieved 13 December 2020.
  20. Blyth, Antonia (15 March 2021). "Oscar-Nominated 'The Father' Director Florian Zeller Has Next Adaptation 'The Son' In The Works". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved 15 April 2021.
  21. Leo Barraclough (14 April 2021). "Hugh Jackman and Laura Dern to Star in 'The Son,' From 'The Father' Director Florian Zeller and Co-Writer Christopher Hampton". Variety. Retrieved 15 April 2021.
  22. Wiseman, Andreas (14 April 2021). "Hugh Jackman & Laura Dern To Star In Florian Zeller's 'The Son', See-Saw To Produce Follow-Up To Oscar-Nominee 'The Father'". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved 15 April 2021.
  23. "Une journée avec Marine Delterme" [A day with Marine Delterme]. Elle (in French). 25 May 2007.
  24. Appleyard, Bryan. "Florian Zeller: That je ne sais quoi" – via www.thetimes.co.uk.
  25. "Marine Delterme et Florian Zeller sont parents" [Marine Delterme and Florian Zeller are parents]. www.starwizz.com (in French). 15 December 2008. Archived from the original on 16 December 2008. Retrieved 24 December 2008.
  26. VAILLANCOURT, DANIEL (14 December 2022). "These damaged film dads unleash trauma on their children". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved 30 May 2023.
  27. "Google News". Google News. Retrieved 28 March 2021.
  28. Ramachandran, Naman (18 February 2021). "'Rocks,' 'His House,' 'The Father' Lead British Independent Film Awards". Variety. Retrieved 28 March 2021.
  29. "Winners and Nominations · BIFA · British Independent Film Awards". BIFA · British Independent Film Awards. 4 December 2020. Retrieved 28 March 2021.
  30. Davis, Clayton (13 December 2020). "'Nomadland' Named Best Picture at Boston Society of Film Critics Awards, Paul Raci and Yuh-jung Youn Among Winners". Variety. Retrieved 28 March 2021.
  31. "IFJA Announces 2020 Film Awards". indianafilmjournalists.com. Retrieved 28 March 2021.
  32. "Chloe Zhao's Nomadland Leads Chicago Film Critics Association 2020 Nominations – Awardsdaily – The Oscars, the Films and everything in between". 18 December 2020. Retrieved 28 March 2021.
  33. "AWARDS: Our 2020 Winners". Greater WNY Film Critics Association. 31 December 2020. Retrieved 28 March 2021.
  34. "MAUIWatch.com". mauiwatch.com. Retrieved 28 March 2023.
  35. "New from Every Movie Has a Lesson by Don Shanahan: SPECIAL: Winners of the fifth annual Chicago Indie Critics Awards". Chicago Indie Critics. 3 January 2021. Retrieved 28 March 2021.
  36. "San Diego Film Critics Society 2020 Awards Nominations". San Diego Film Critics Society. 8 January 2021. Retrieved 28 March 2021.
  37. Darling, Cary (11 January 2021). "'Minari' heads the list of Houston film critics' nominees". Houston Chronicle. Retrieved 28 March 2021.
  38. Wiseman, Andreas (12 January 2021). "Female Filmmakers Lead Nominees For London Critics' Circle Film Awards". Deadline. Retrieved 28 March 2021.
  39. Sánchez, Juan Luis. ""La boda de Rosa", favorita en los nominados a los Premios del CEC - decine21.com". Decine21 (in European Spanish). Retrieved 28 March 2021.
  40. "Películas » Premios Goya 2021". www.premiosgoya.com. Retrieved 28 March 2021.
  41. Blaricom, Mirjana Van. "25th Satellite Awards Nominees for Motion Pictures and Television Announced | International Press Academy". Retrieved 28 March 2021.
  42. "2020 Winners | International Press Academy". Retrieved 28 March 2021.
  43. "The 4th Annual HCA Film Awards Nominations Have Been Announced – Hollywood Critics Association". Retrieved 28 March 2021.
  44. Lisa Respers France (3 February 2021). "Golden Globes 2021: See the full list of nominees". CNN. Retrieved 28 March 2021.
  45. Thompson, Anne (8 February 2021). "'Mank' Leads the Critics Choice Awards Nominations; Is It This Year's 'Irishman'?". IndieWire. Retrieved 28 March 2021.
  46. Jackson, Angelique (13 February 2021). "Australian Academy Announces Film & TV Nominees for AACTA International Awards". Variety. Retrieved 28 March 2021.
  47. "Bafta Film Awards 2021: The nominations in full". BBC News. 9 March 2021. Retrieved 28 March 2021.
  48. Hazelton, John (9 March 2021). "Chloe Zhao and Radha Blank among US Directors Guild feature nominees". Screen. Retrieved 28 March 2021.
  49. "'Minari' leads Austin Film Critics nominations with 11". AwardsWatch. 13 March 2021.
  50. "European Film Awards: 'Quo Vadis, Aida?' Wins Best Film, Director & Actress; 'Flee' Takes Animated & Doc Honors – Full List". 11 December 2021.
  51. "China Names Anthony Hopkins' 'The Father' Best International Film at Golden Rooster Awards". 30 December 2021.
  52. "César Awards Nominations: 'Lost Illusions', 'Annette', 'Aline' Dominate; 'Titane' Shut Out of Best Film Race – Full List". 26 January 2022.
  53. https://www.labiennale.org/en/cinema/2022/venezia-79-competition/son
  54. https://www.ukchinafilm.com/36-golden-rooster-awards/
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