Mona Achache
Achache in 2010
Born
Mona Achache

(1981-03-18) 18 March 1981 (age 42)[1]
Paris, France[2]
Occupations
  • Film director
  • screenwriter
  • actress
Years active2003–present
SpousePatrick Blossier (–present)
Children3
Parents

Mona Achache (born 18 March 1981) is a French-Moroccan[3] film director, screenwriter, and actress.[4][1][5][6] She wrote and directed the feature films The Hedgehog (2009), Les Gazelles (2014), Valiant Hearts (2021), and Little Girl Blue (2023). She also directed the Netflix documentary The Women and the Murderer (2021).

Early life

Achache was born in Paris,[7] France on 18 March 1981.[1] Her mother was French writer and photographer Carole Achache,[8] and her father is French director and screenwriter Jean Achache.[9] Her maternal grandparents were French writer Monique Lange,[8] and French science historian Jean-Jacques Salomon.[10] Her maternal grandmother was born Jewish and later converted to Catholicism.[11][12] Her maternal great-grandfather, Robert Lange, was a French journalist and politician.[13][14] Spanish writer Juan Goytisolo was her maternal step-grandfather.[15][16] Her paternal grandmother, Suzanne Achache–Wiznitzer, was an Austrian-Jewish psychoanalyst[17] who survived the Holocaust[18] as a child while hidden in the Château de Chambord in France during World War II.[19][20][21]

Achache received a literary and theatrical education.[1]

Career

Achache and Marion Cotillard during the premiere of Little Girl Blue at the 2023 Cannes Film Festival.

Achache worked as an assistant director for Michel Boujenah in his 2003 film Father and Sons,[1] and later began screenwriting for fictional and documentary films.[1] She became a mother at the age of 20 and directed a documentary film about childbirth,[22] Alma et les autres, released in 2004,[23] which became a reference in more than 500 maternity wards in France during birth preparation sessions.[24][25]

In 2005, she wrote and directed the short film Suzanne, based on the story of her grandmother, who witnessed her father being arrested by the nazis when she was 13 years old.[26]

In 2009, Achache wrote and directed her first feature film, The Hedgehog, based on the novel The Elegance of the Hedgehog by Muriel Barbery.[1] That same year, she had a small part in the French-Greek drama film Eden Is West, directed by Costa-Gavras.[1] In 2013, she co-wrote the screenplay of the comedy film Les gamins, directed by Anthony Marciano.[1]

In 2014, Achache wrote and directed her second feature film, the comedy Les Gazelles.[1]

In 2021, she wrote and directed her third feature film, the World War II drama Valiant Hearts, starring Camille Cottin,[27] based on the real-life story of her grandmother, Suzanne Achache–Wiznitzer, who was a Jewish child placed in foster care to escape the Holocaust.[20][28] That same year, she also directed the Netflix documentary The Women and the Murderer, about French serial killer Guy Georges.[29]

In 2023, Achache wrote, directed, and played herself in the French docudrama Little Girl Blue. The film tells the story of her mother,[3] Carole Achache, who was portrayed by Marion Cotillard.[8] The film made its world premiere at the 2023 Cannes Film Festival in the Special Screenings section and was nominated for the L'Œil d'or award.[30]

Personal life

In the early 2000s, Achache was in a relationship with director Christophe Ruggia. She later revealed that their relationship ended after he confessed to her that he had fallen in love with and inappropriately touched actress Adèle Haenel, who was at that time underage. This confession corroborated Haenel's account of sexual abuse at the hands of Ruggia.[31][32]

Achache is married to French cinematographer Patrick Blossier.[1][33] She has three children.[24]

Achache is a member of the French gender equality group Collectif 50/50.[34]

Filmography

Feature films

Year Title Role Notes
2003 Father and Sons Assistant director Directed by Michel Boujenah
2009 The Hedgehog Director and screenwriter
2013 Les gamins Screenwriter Directed by Anthony Marciano
2014 Les Gazelles Director and screenwriter
2021 Valiant Hearts Director and screenwriter
2023 Little Girl Blue Director, screenwriter and actress

Short films

Year Title Role Notes
2005 Suzanne Director and screenwriter Based on the story of Suzanne Achache-Wiznitzer[26]
2008 Wawa
2016 Speed Dating Director Campaign against domestic violence for France's Fondation des Femmes[35]

Documentaries

Year Title Role Notes
2004 Alma et les autres Director
2016 Grandmas Project Director and cinematographer Documentary web-series; episode "Marillenknödel"[17]
2021 The Women and the Murderer Director Netflix documentary

Television

Year Title Role Notes
2012 Bankable Director Television film
2015–2016 Defendant Television series (3 episodes)
2015–2017 Marjorie Television series (3 episodes)
2019 Osmosis Television series (2 episodes)
2019–2020 Balthazar Television series (4 episodes)
2022 Champion Television film
2022–2023 HPI Haut Potentiel Intellectuel Television series (4 episodes)

Actress

Year Title Role Notes
2009 Eden Is West Marie-Lou Directed by Costa-Gavras
2011 Dans la tourmente Charlier's wife Directed by Christophe Ruggia
2023 Little Girl Blue Herself Also director and screenwriter

Awards and nominations

Year Award / Festival Category Work Result Ref(s)
2005 Avanca Film Festival Best Film - International Competition Suzanne Nominated [36]
Giffoni Film Festival Best Short Film Nominated [26]
2006 Ebensee Festival of Nations Silver Bear Won [37]
2009 Cairo International Film Festival Best Director The Hedgehog Won [38]
FIPRESCI Prize Won
Silver Pyramid Won
Special Award Won
Golden Pyramid Nominated
Valladolid International Film Festival Best Film - Audience Award Won [39]
Golden Spike - Best Film Nominated [7]
Women Film Critics Circle Best Foreign Film by or About Women Won [citation needed]
2010 Seattle International Film Festival Best Film Won [40]
Best Director Runner-up
2011 Palm Springs International Film Festival Best Narrative Feature Runner-up [citation needed]
Washington DC Filmfest Audience Award Won [41]
2012 Chlotrudis Award Best Adapted Screenplay Nominated [citation needed]
2023 Cannes Film Festival L'Œil d'or Little Girl Blue Nominated [42]
CineLibri Best Documentary Nominated [43]
Rencontres du cinéma francophone en Beaujolais Jury Award Nominated [44]
Prix Louis-Delluc Best Film Nominated [45]
2024 Lumières Award Best Documentary Nominated [46]
Paris Film Critics Association Awards Nominated [47]
César Awards Best Documentary Film Nominated [48][49]

References

  1. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k "Mona Achache". Première (in French). Archived from the original on 4 February 2023. Retrieved 10 February 2023.
  2. ^ "CinéFile presents THE HEDGEHOG (LE HÉRISSON)(12A) A film by Mona Achache". StudyLib. p. 7. Archived from the original on 11 October 2023. Retrieved 8 October 2023.
  3. ^ a b "Mona Achache et Marion Cotillard réunies à Mulhouse pour le tournage d'un film". L'Alsace (in French). 10 December 2022. Archived from the original on 11 December 2022. Retrieved 10 February 2023.
  4. ^ "Mona Achache". AlloCiné (in French). Archived from the original on 29 January 2023. Retrieved 10 February 2023.
  5. ^ "Mona Achache". Le Figaro (in French). Archived from the original on 14 April 2021. Retrieved 10 February 2023.
  6. ^ "Mona Achache". Unifrance (in French). Archived from the original on 13 August 2022. Retrieved 10 February 2023.
  7. ^ a b Hopewell, John (26 October 2009). "Valladolid reflects European trends". Variety. Archived from the original on 14 October 2023. Retrieved 30 November 2023.
  8. ^ a b c Hunter, Allan (21 May 2023). "'Little Girl Blue': Cannes Review". Screen Daily. Archived from the original on 22 May 2023. Retrieved 22 May 2023.
  9. ^ Lacuve, Jean-Luc (25 November 2023). "Little Girl Blue de Mona Achache". Ciné-club de Caen (in French).
  10. ^ Creutz, Norbert (14 November 2023). ""Little Girl Blue", héritage encombrant et vases communicants". Le Temps (in French). Archived from the original on 22 November 2023. Retrieved 22 November 2023.
  11. ^ Roy, Claude (25 February 1972). "Une Petite Filée Qui Cherche Dieu". Le Monde (in French). Archived from the original on 23 November 2023. Retrieved 30 November 2023.
  12. ^ Fillon, Alexandre (18 December 2011). "Elle s'appelait Monique" [Her name was Monique]. Sud Ouest (in French). Archived from the original on 23 November 2023. Retrieved 30 November 2023.
  13. ^ Tison, Jean-Pierre (1 January 1994). "Les cahiers déchirés". L'Express (in French). Archived from the original on 8 October 2023.
  14. ^ "Robert Lange (1903-1994)". Bibliothèque nationale de France (in French). Archived from the original on 11 October 2023. Retrieved 8 October 2023.
  15. ^ Jaggi, Maya (12 August 2000). "Scourge of the new Spain". The Guardian. Archived from the original on 14 December 2013. Retrieved 30 November 2023.
  16. ^ Vicente, Álex (25 May 2023). "Marion Cotillard: 'When I see my movies for the first time, I always hate them'". El País. Archived from the original on 28 May 2023. Retrieved 28 May 2023.
  17. ^ a b "Marillenknödel, a recipe by Mamé, a film by Mona Achache". Grandmas Project. Archived from the original on 2 February 2023. Retrieved 8 October 2023.
  18. ^ "Holocaust Survivors and Victims Database | Suzanne Achache–Wiznitzer". United States Holocaust Memorial Museum. Retrieved 11 October 2023.
  19. ^ "Grandmas Project : La vieillesse est un naufrage". Tribune Juive (in French). 29 January 2018. Archived from the original on 14 October 2023. Retrieved 30 November 2023.
  20. ^ a b "L'invité - Mona Achache". TV5Monde (in French). 13 May 2022. Archived from the original on 11 October 2023. Retrieved 30 November 2023.
  21. ^ Tremblay, Odile (20 May 2022). ""Coeurs vaillants", les enfants cachés sous l'Occupation". Le Devoir (in French).
  22. ^ Attali, Danielle (20 November 2008). "L'Elégance du hérisson, le film". Le Journal du Dimanche (in French). Archived from the original on 14 October 2023. Retrieved 30 November 2023.
  23. ^ "Alma et les autres". Scam : Société civile des auteurs multimédia (in French). Archived from the original on 11 October 2023. Retrieved 8 October 2023.
  24. ^ a b "Mona Achache, une gazelle pas comme les autres". Dame Skarlette (in French). 24 March 2014. Archived from the original on 14 October 2023. Retrieved 30 November 2023.
  25. ^ "Cœurs Vaillants - Dossier de Presse" (PDF). Château de Chambord (in French). p. 13. Archived (PDF) from the original on 8 October 2023. Retrieved 11 October 2023.
  26. ^ a b c "Suzanne". Giffoni Film Festival. Archived from the original on 14 October 2023. Retrieved 8 October 2023.
  27. ^ "Valiant Hearts". Menemsha Films. Archived from the original on 11 October 2023. Retrieved 8 October 2023.
  28. ^ "Cinéma : "Cœurs vaillants", un film de Mona Achache, au cinéma le 11 mai". France Télévisions (in French). 5 May 2022. Archived from the original on 11 October 2023. Retrieved 30 November 2023.
  29. ^ Stanley, Anya (20 January 2022). "The Daily Stream: The Women And The Murderer Brings Perspective To True Crime/". Slash Film. Archived from the original on 11 October 2023. Retrieved 30 November 2023.
  30. ^ Goodfellow, Melanie (24 April 2023). "Cannes Unveils Final 2023 Selections Including Robert Rodriguez's 'Hypnotic'; Sean Penn Pic 'Black Flies; By Catherine Corsini, Amat Escalante & Valérie Donzelli". Deadline Hollywood. Archived from the original on 24 April 2023. Retrieved 24 April 2023.
  31. ^ "#MeToo : Adèle Haenel explique pourquoi elle sort du silence". YouTube (in French). 4 November 2019. Archived from the original on 6 November 2019. Retrieved 7 November 2019.
  32. ^ Sprimont, Diane (4 November 2019). "Adèle Haenel : "Les monstres ça n'existe pas. C'est notre société. C'est nous, nos amis, nos pères."". Radio France (in French). Archived from the original on 8 November 2022. Retrieved 10 February 2023.
  33. ^ Carrière, Christophe (15 January 2009). "Sur le plateau de L'Elégance du Hérisson". L'Express (in French). Archived from the original on 8 October 2023.
  34. ^ "Les signataires - Collectif 50/50". collectif5050.com (in French). Archived from the original on 29 May 2023. Retrieved 1 June 2023.
  35. ^ "Speed Dating" (in French). Fondation des Femmes. 25 November 2016. Archived from the original on 11 October 2023. Retrieved 11 October 2023 – via YouTube.
  36. ^ "Official Selenction - Avanca 2005". Avanca Film Festival. Retrieved 11 October 2023.
  37. ^ "Festival of Nations (Ebensee) Edition 2006". Unifrance. Archived from the original on 12 August 2023. Retrieved 11 October 2023.
  38. ^ Colson, Jeremy (21 November 2009). "The Hedgehog scoops three, but Haro bags best film at Cairo". Film Festivals. Archived from the original on 14 October 2023. Retrieved 30 November 2023.
  39. ^ Hopewell, John (2 November 2009). "Valladolid goes for 'Honeymoons'". Variety. Archived from the original on 14 October 2023. Retrieved 30 November 2023.
  40. ^ Steve, Pond (13 June 2010). "Seattle Film Festival Honors 'The Reverse,' 'Marwencol'". TheWrap. Archived from the original on 14 October 2023. Retrieved 30 November 2023.
  41. ^ "Past Filmfest DC Awards Audience Award Winners". Washington DC Filmfest. Archived from the original on 3 August 2023. Retrieved 8 October 2023.
  42. ^ "The documentaries in competition for L'Œil d'or 2023". loeildor.scam.fr. Archived from the original on 17 May 2023. Retrieved 20 May 2023.
  43. ^ Gigov, Lyubomir (2 October 2023). "9th CineLibri International Book and Movie Festival: 60-Plus Films in 7 Cities". Bulgarian News Agency. Archived from the original on 7 October 2023. Retrieved 30 November 2023.
  44. ^ "28es Rencontres du cinéma francophone" (PDF). L'Autre Cinéma (in French). pp. 4, 9. Archived (PDF) from the original on 25 October 2023. Retrieved 25 October 2023.
  45. ^ Lavallée, Eric (24 November 2023). "Prix Louis-Delluc: Justine Triet, Catherine Breillat & Thomas Cailley Among 9 Noms". Ioncinema. Archived from the original on 29 November 2023. Retrieved 30 November 2023.
  46. ^ Roxborough, Scott (14 December 2023). "'Anatomy of a Fall' Leads France's Lumiere Award Nominations". The Hollywood Reporter.
  47. ^ "Paris Film Critics Awards 2024: list of nominations". Sortiraparis. 9 January 2024.
  48. ^ "Little Girl Blue". Académie des Arts et Techniques du Cinéma (in French). Retrieved 11 February 2024.
  49. ^ Roxborough, Scott; Szalai, Georg (24 January 2024). "Cesar Nominations: 'Anatomy of a Fall,' 'The Animal Kingdom' Lead the Pack for French Film Awards". The Hollywood Reporter.

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