Biography
Michel Hazanavicius — director (the artist) with roots in the Russian Empire
Michel Hazanavicius is a French film director whose silent black-and-white romantic comedy The Artist (2011) won five Academy Awards including Best Picture and Best Director — the first French film to win Best Picture in 83 years. He also directed the Bond parody OSS 117 films.
Russian Connection
Tracing the roots — Lithuania / Russia
Born in Paris in 1967, his family has Lithuanian and Russian Jewish ancestry — his grandparents emigrated from the Russian Empire. His name — distinctly Lithuanian-Jewish — is a direct marker of those roots. The Artist's celebration of silent cinema's golden age resonates with a filmmaker whose family came from the era when cinema was being invented.
Family Tree
Subject
Michel Hazanavicius🇫🇷 France
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Grandparents
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Origin
Lithuania / Russia🇷🇺 Russian Empire
Historical context
Russian Empire · c. 1721–1917
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Lithuania / Russia. At the time, this region lay within the Russian Empire, which spanned from Poland to the Pacific.
Map: Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA)
Key Achievements
A career defined by ambition
01
The Artist (2011) — 5 Academy Awards including Best Picture and Best Director
02
First French film to win Best Picture in 83 years
03
OSS 117: Cairo, Nest of Spies (2006) and OSS 117: Lost in Rio (2009)
04
César Award for Best Director — The Artist (2012)
05
Golden Globe for Best Picture (Musical or Comedy) — The Artist
Sources