Audrey Diwan

Audrey Diwan
Born1980 (age 45–46)
Paris, France
Occupations
  • journalist
  • editor
  • film director
  • screenwriter
Years active2008–present .[1]
PartnerCédric Jimenez (–2018)
Children2

Audrey Diwan (French pronunciation: [odʁe diwan];[2] born 1980) is a French filmmaker, journalist and screenwriter.[3]

She is most known for her 2021 film Happening, which won the Golden Lion at the 78th Venice International Film Festival.

Career

Early life

Before filmmaking, Diwan was a junior editor at Denoël as well as publishing various novels.[4]

She has written many books, which led her to become a screenwriter including How to Be Parisian Wherever You Are: Love, Style, and Bad Habits, Confessions d'un salaud, De l'autre côté de l'été, La fabrication d'un mensonge, Cléo de 5 à 7.

She has also held senior positions in editorial offices for various fashion and culture magazines such as Glamour and Stylist.[1]

Filmmaking career

Diwan transitioned to filmmaking co-writing with Arnaud Duprey the thriller film Paris Under Watch (2012). She also collaboratted with her former husband Cédric Jimenez in three films: The Connection (2014), The Man with the Iron Heart (2017) and BAC Nord (2020).

Her directorial debut feature film Losing It (Mais vous êtes fous) premiered in 2019.

In 2021, Diwan directed Happening (L'Événement) based on Annie Ernaux's 2000 memoir of same name. The film had its world premiere at the main competition of the 78th Venice International Film Festival, where it won the Golden Lion in a "unanimous decision",[5] thus making her the sixth female director to ever win this award.[6] It was theatrically released in France shortly after, where it was met with critical acclaim, winning the Lumière Award for Best Film, alongside nominations for the César Award for Best Film, Best Director and Best Adaptation.

Diwan also collaborated with Valérie Donzelli in Just the Two of Us, and with Teddy Lussi-Modeste in The Good Teacher.

In 2024, Diwan released her English language debut feature Emmanuelle, a feminist reboot of the popular softcore erotic series of the same name. The film was met with negative reviews.

Also in 2024, Diwan co-wrote the French box-office hit Beating Hearts alongside Gilles Lellouche and Ahmed Hamidi.

Personal life

Diwan is of Lebanese and Romanian descent.[7]

Diwan was in a relationship with French director Cédric Jimenez, with whom she had two children, born in 2007 and 2008, respectively.[8] Diwan and Jimenez separated in 2018.[8]

On 29 September 2023, Diwan announced her engagement to film producer Thibault Gast,[9] with whom she has been in a relationship since 2021.[8]

She is a member of Collectif 50/50, a French NGO promoting equality between men and women in the film industry.[10]

Filmography

Feature films

Year English Title Original Title Notes
2019 Losing It Mais vous êtes fous
2021 Happening L'Événement
2024 Emmanuelle Also producer[11][12]

Only writer

Year English Title Original Title Notes
2008 De feu et de glace TV movie
2012 Paris Under Watch Aux yeux de tous Co-written with Arnaud Duprey
2014 The Connection La French Co-written with Cédric Jimenez
2017 The Man with the Iron Heart HHhH Co-written with Cédric Jimenez and David Farr
2018 (Girl)Friend
2020 BAC Nord Co-written with Cédric Jimenez
2023 Just the Two of Us L'Amour et les Forêts Co-written with Valérie Donzelli
Visions Collaboration with Michel Fessler, Aurélie Valat, Jean-Baptiste Delafon and Yann Gozlan
2024 The Good Teacher Pas de Vagues Co-written with Teddy Lussi-Modeste[13]
Beating Hearts L'Amour ouf Co-written with Gilles Lellouche and Ahmed Hamidi[14]

Awards and nominations

Throughout the course of her career, Audrey Diwan has been nominated for 25 films, 13 of which she has won. This includes winning all three awards she had been nominated for at the International Online Cinema Awards, winning Best Director as well as Best Adapted Screenplay two years in a row.

Year Award Category Work Result Ref.
2022 British Academy Film Awards Best Director Happening Nominated [15]
2022 César Awards Best Film Nominated [16]
Best Director Nominated
Best Adaptation Nominated
2021 European Film Awards European University Film Award Nominated [17]
2022 Gotham Awards Best International Feature Won [18]
2015 Lumière Awards Best Screenplay The Connection Nominated [19]
2022 Best Film Happening Won [20]
Best Director Nominated
2021 Venice Film Festival Golden Lion Won [21]
FIPRESCI Prize Won [22]
Brian Award Won
Arca CinemaGiovani Award: Venezia 78 Best Film Won

References

  1. ^ a b AlloCine. Audrey Diwan (in French). Retrieved 16 October 2025 – via www.allocine.fr.
  2. ^ "Audrey Diwan & Cédric Jimenez". Yozone. 1 April 2012. Retrieved 24 February 2024.
  3. ^ "Audrey Diwan". Evene. Archived from the original on 12 November 2013. Retrieved 12 September 2021.
  4. ^ "San Sebastian Film Festival". sansebastianfestival. Archived from the original on 27 September 2022. Retrieved 8 May 2023.
  5. ^ Lattanzio, Ryan (11 September 2021). "Venice Film Festival Awards: Golden Lion Goes to Audrey Diwan's 'Happening' (Full List)". IndieWire. Retrieved 8 May 2023.
  6. ^ Lattanzio, Ryan. "Venice Film Festival Awards: Golden Lion Goes to Audrey Diwan's 'Happening' (Full List)". Indie Wire. Archived from the original on 12 September 2021. Retrieved 11 September 2021.
  7. ^ "Audrey Diwan: «Gli spari che hanno tagliato le mie radici libanesi»". L'Espresso (in Italian). 2 November 2021. Retrieved 25 April 2022.
  8. ^ a b c Cauhapé, Véronique (23 November 2021). "Le cinéma intime et politique d'Audrey Diwan, réalisatrice de "L'Evénement"". Le Monde (in French). Retrieved 18 December 2023.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: deprecated archival service (link)
  9. ^ Diwan, Audrey (29 September 2023). "Engaged ❤️ @thibault_gast". Instagram. Retrieved 20 December 2023.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: deprecated archival service (link)
  10. ^ Carrière, Christophe (18 May 2019). "Femmes dans le cinéma : "La parité n'est pas qu'un problème de nana !"" [Women in cinema: "Parity is not just a girl's problem!"]. LExpress.fr (in French). Archived from the original on 16 July 2021. Retrieved 12 September 2021.
  11. ^ Lang, Brent (16 May 2022). "Léa Seydoux, Audrey Diwan Team Up on 'Emmanuelle,' Adaptation of Erotic Novel". Variety. Archived from the original on 17 May 2022. Retrieved 10 November 2022.
  12. ^ Keslassy, Elsa (1 November 2023). "Neon Circling Audrey Diwan's Erotic Drama 'Emmanuelle' Starring Noemie Merlant (EXCLUSIVE)". Variety.
  13. ^ Keslassy, Elsa (9 May 2023). "Indie Sales Boards Teddy Lussi-Modeste's 'The Good Teacher,' Co-Written by Audrey Diwan, Starring François Civil (EXCLUSIVE)". Variety.
  14. ^ Keslassy, Elsa (18 May 2023). "French Hitmakers Hugo Selignac, Alain Attal Set for Banner 2024 With Studiocanal and Netflix on Gilles Lellouche's 'L'Amour Ouf,' and With WB, HBO Max on Boukherma Brothers' Next Film (EXCLUSIVE)". Variety.
  15. ^ "Baftas 2022: the full list of nominations". The Guardian. 3 February 2022. Archived from the original on 22 February 2022. Retrieved 5 February 2022.
  16. ^ Keslassy, Elsa (25 February 2022). "'Lost Illusions' and 'Annette' Lead France's Cesar Awards — Full Winners List". Variety. Archived from the original on 26 February 2022. Retrieved 26 February 2022.
  17. ^ "European Film Awards Nominations 2021". European Film Academy. 9 November 2021. Archived from the original on 10 November 2022. Retrieved 10 November 2022.
  18. ^ Lewis, Hilary (25 October 2022). "Gotham Awards: Tár, Aftersun Lead Nominees". The Hollywood Reporter. Archived from the original on 31 October 2022. Retrieved 10 November 2022.
  19. ^ Richford, Rhonda (12 January 2015). "France's Lumiere Awards Nominations Unveiled". The Hollywood Reporter. Archived from the original on 15 January 2015. Retrieved 13 January 2015.
  20. ^ Goodfellow, Melanie (18 January 2022). "'Happening', 'Annette', 'The Worst Person In The World' triumph at Lumières". Screen Daily. Archived from the original on 25 May 2022. Retrieved 19 January 2022.
  21. ^ Tartaglione, Nancy (11 September 2021). "Venice Film Festival: 'L'Événement' Wins Golden Lion, 'Hand Of God' Takes Grand Jury Prize, Jane Campion Best Director, Penelope Cruz Best Actress, Maggie Gyllenhaal Best Screenplay – Full List". Deadline Hollywood. Archived from the original on 11 September 2021. Retrieved 11 September 2021.
  22. ^ "COLLATERAL AWARDS OF THE 78TH VENICE FILM FESTIVAL". labiennale.org. 10 September 2021. Archived from the original on 10 November 2022. Retrieved 10 November 2022.