About Claude Berri
Claude Berri (French: [bɛʁi]; 1 July 1934 – 12 January 2009) was a French film director, producer, screenwriter, distributor and actor. Berri was a leading figure of the French film industry both a director and as a producer. Following a short film that won an Academy Award, Berri achieved success with his first feature film, The Two of Us (1967). He then had a varied career, producing and distributing both mainstream and avant-garde films. During the 1970s, Berri's films as a director were mostly comedies but he later found increased success with several high-profile literary adaptations. In 1986, his two-part film Jean de Florette and Manon of the Spring won public and critical acclaim, becoming his best-known work. He next directed Uranus (1990) and most notably Germinal (1993). In 1997, he directed the historical biopic Lucie Aubrac. Directors whose films were produced by Berri include Bertrand Blier, Edouard Molinaro, Francis Veber, Roman Polanski, Jacques Demy, Jean-Jacques Annaud, Jean Yanne, Claude Sautet, Costa Gavras, Miloš Forman, Philippe de Broca, Claude Zidi, Patrice Chéreau, Alain Chabat, Abdellatif Kechiche, Yvan Attal, Didier Bourdon, Bernard Campan, Christian Vincent and Dany Boon. Berri's company, Renn Productions, which he had founded to produce The Two of Us, gradually became a major player in the French film industry. In 1965, he gained notice for The Chicken, which won the Award for best short film at the 38th Academy Awards.
Biography source: Wikipedia. The profile adds birthday-specific historical context from the Celebs Birthday Today editorial database.