Albert Lamorisse


Albert Lamorisse was a French filmmaker, film producer, and writer of short films which he began making in the late 1940s.
Lamorisse's best known work is the short film The Red Balloon, which earned him the Palme d'Or Grand Prize at the Cannes Film Festival, and an Oscar for writing the Best Original Screenplay in 1956.
He also invented the strategic board game Risk in 1957, that became one of the most popular board games in history.

Life

Lamorisse was born in Paris, France. He first came into prominence – just after Bim – for directing and producing White Mane. This is a short film that tells a fable of how a young boy befriends an untamable wild white stallion in the marshes of Camargue in Southern France.

The Red Balloon

Lamorisse's best known work is the short film The Red Balloon, which earned him the Palme d'Or Grand Prize at the Cannes Film Festival, and an Oscar for writing the Best Original Screenplay in 1956.

Films, documentaries and Risk

Lamorisse also wrote, directed and produced the films Stowaway in the Sky and Circus Angel, as well as the documentaries Versailles and Paris Jamais Vu. In addition to films, he created the popular strategy board game Risk in 1957, originally with the title La Conquête du Monde. In the mid-1960s Lamorisse shot parts of The Prospect of Iceland, a documentary about Iceland, which was made by Henry Sandoz and commissioned by NATO.

Helicopter crash in Iran and Oscar nomination

Lamorisse died in a helicopter crash while filming the documentary Le Vent des amoureux, during a helicopter tour of Iran in 1970. His son and widow completed the film, based on his production notes, and released it eight years later. It was nominated for a posthumous Oscar for best documentary. The title The Lovers' Wind is translated into Bad-e Saba in Persian. A saba wind is a gentle wind that blows from the northeast, symbolizing the whispers of lovers.
Albert and Claude Lamorisse had three children named Pascal, Sabine, and Fanny. Pascal and Sabine were featured in The Red Balloon.

Filmography

Short filmsBim ... a.k.a. Bim, le petit âne Crin-Blanc ... a.k.a. White Mane and Wild StallionLe Ballon rouge ... a.k.a. The Red Balloon
Feature filmsLe Voyage en ballon ;... a.k.a. Stowaway in the SkyFifi la plume ... a.k.a. Circus Angel Le Vent des amoureux
DocumentariesDjerba Versailles Paris jamais vu Le Vent des amoureux ... a.k.a. ''The Lovers' Wind''

Awards

Wins
Nominations