Luc Besson

　　Born in Paris, France, on March 18th, 1959, Luc Besson is among the most influential directors in France. Many of his classics have made miracles in box office. From Leon: The Professional, The Fifth Element, Arthur and the Invisibles, to the recently screened Lucy, he has been creating new summits one after another.

　　In 1983, he directed his first feature film, The Last Battle, which earned him recognition at the Avoriaz Film Festival. Luc Besson started to catch the attention of the French film circle via this film. Two years later he directed Subway, starring Isabelle Adjani and Christopher Lambert. The industry rewarded him with three Cesar Awards. Luc Besson’s visual style was clearly established. Building on his success, he undertook the direction of The Big Blue. Though poorly received at the Cannes Film Festival, the film gained 10 million admissions and went one to become a veritable social phenomenon. Despite an unfavorable critical climate, both La Femme Nikita (1990) and Leon: the Professional (1994) were publicly acclaimed, solidly establishing his popularity in France and earning him an international reputation. Between these films, he directed Atlantis (1991), a documentary aimed at raising awareness about the beauty of nature and the need to protect the environment.

　　In 1995 he launched into directing a bold science fiction picture: The Fifth Element. The blockbuster became one of the biggest box office hits of any French film in the United States. In 1998, Luc Besson took home a Cesar Award for Best Director. In 1999, he directed his version of Joan of Arc, winning him another nomination as Best Director at the Cesar Awards. In 2000, he was named President of the Jury for the 53rd Cannes Film Festival, becoming the youngest jury president in the history of the festival.He devoted most of the next five years to production. Since creating Europa Corp ten years ago, the studio has become one of the major studios of the European film industry. 17 years later, Luc Besson put forward his second science fiction action film Lucy in 2014 which gained more than US$400 million in box office globally. It has also hit a new record in Luc Besson’s box offices.

　　Luc Besson was once regarded as the vanguard of France’s young directors, as his films are fashionable and variable in styles. Each and every of his film can cause great expectations. In the 1980s, Luc Besson’s film genre was commented as “Neo-Baroque” by the critics. Since the 1990s, Luc Besson started to compete with Hollywood by way of huge budgets and high-tech manners. He created some genre films featuring entertainment and aesthetics during this period.

　　Luc Besson’s works demonstrate in-depth reflection on the society and humanity which enables his film to radiate with endless artistic charm. All his films have the same ideological theme: Religion, love and humanity. While telling stories one by one, he is also bringing about “poetic tales” to us.