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Claude Zidi

Picture Claude Zidi

1934

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The director Claude Zidi began his film career as a cinematographer, later he became a director assistant.
At the beginning of the 70's he directed his first movie and especially at the beginning of his career he shot normally comedies.
To his first movies belong "Les bidasses en folie - Die tollen Charlots - Frechheit siegt" (71), "La moutarde me monte au nez" (74), "La course à l'échalote - Der Tolpatsch mit dem sechsten Sinn" (75) with Pierre Richard, "L'aile ou la cuisse - Brust oder Keule" (76) with Louis de Funès, "L'animal - Ein irrer Typ" (77) with Jean-Paul Belmondo and "La Zizanie - Der Querkopf" (78) - again with Louis de Funès.

His comedies changed to a reflection of the society in the 80's but always with a smile on the lips.
He directed successful movies like "Inspecteur la Bavure - Inspektor Loulou - Die Knalltüte vom Dienst" (80) and "Banzaï - Ticket ins Chaos" (83) - both with the comedian Coluche, the classic "Les ripoux - Die Bestechlichen" (84) - for which he was nominated for three Césars, two of them he got for best direction and best picture as well as "Association de malfaiteurs" (87).

Claude Zidi only directed few more movies in the last years but nearly all became very popular. To these successes belong the sequel "Ripoux contre ripoux - Gauner gegen Gauner" (90), "La totale!" (91) - which was later filmed again by James Cameron with Arnold Schwarzenegger called "True Lies", "Arlette" (97) and finally the big production "Astérix et Obélix contre César" (99) - the most expensive French movie till then.

To his latest movies belong "La boîte" (01) and the third part "Ripoux 3" (03).

Besides his activity as a director he also wrote many of his scripts himself.
 

Other movies from Claude Zidi (Director): 
Les fous du stade (72) Le grand bazar (73) Les bidasses s'en vont en guerre (74) Bête mais discipliné (79) Les sous-doués (80) Les sous-doués en vacances (82) Les rois du gag (85) Deux (89) Profil bas (93)

Writer:
Les bidasses en folie (71) Les fous du stade (72) Le grand bazar (73) La moutarde me monte au nez (74) Les bidasses s'en vont en guerre (74) La course à l'échalote - Der Tolpatsch mit dem sechsten Sinn (75) L'aile ou la cuisse (76) L'animal (77) La zizanie (78) Bête mais discipliné (79) Les sous-doués (80) Inspecteur la Bavure (80) Les sous-doués en vacances (82) Banzaï (83) Les ripoux (84) Les rois du gag (85) Association de  malfaiteurs (87) Deux (89) Ripoux contre ripoux (90) Promotion canapé (90) La totale! (91) Profil bas (93) Ma femme me quitte (96) Arlette (97) Astérix et Obélix contre César (99) La boîte (01) Ripoux 3 (03)

Cinematographer:
Quarante-huit heures d'amour (69) La grande java (70) Elise ou la vraie vie (70) Hans Hartung (71)

Producer:
Antilles sur Seine (00) Ripoux 3 (03)

 
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