Biographical Overview & Key Facts

Subject:

Catherine Breillat

Role / Field:

Acclaimed French filmmaker, novelist, and professor known for raw, feminist cinema.

Born:

1948-07-13

Century / Era:

1948s Historical Era

Database Source:

2Day Chrono-Wiki & Wikipedia CC BY-SA 4.0

Origins & Early Life

Catherine Breillat (French: [katʁin bʁɛja]; born 13 July 1948) is a French filmmaker, novelist, and professor of cinema at the European Graduate School. Breillat was born 13 July 1948 in Bressuire, Deux-Sèvres, France, to her father, Auzay-born Marcel Breillat, a doctor, and her mother Marie-Jeanne Meillan. Her older sister Marie-Hélène Breillat, born 2 June 1947, is an author, painter, and actress. Catherine has stated that, in her adolescence, her family would "diminish" her, and that her mother hated female children.

Pivotal Works & Achievements

Raised in the intensely religious environment of Niort and her family, she found refuge in the town library. She decided to become a writer and film director at the age of twelve after watching Ingmar Bergman's Sawdust and Tinsel, believing she had found her "fictional body" in Harriet Andersson's character, Anna. Breillat studied acting at Yves Furet's Studio d'Entraînement de l'Acteur (Actor's Training Studio) in Paris, together with her sister Marie-Hélène. At 16 years of age, she wrote her first novel, L'homme facile (A Man for the Asking), about a young woman subjugated by a man's fantasies. It was published in 1968 by Christian Bourgois...

Enduring Legacy & Impact

The historical impact and works continue to influence the modern world.

Contemporary Figures & Related Historical Timelines

• Abby Aldrich Rockefeller — Contemporary (Died in 1948) (1948): American socialite and influential philanthropist, key patron of modern art.
• Abdullah Öcalan — Contemporary (Born in 1948) (1948): Founder of the militant Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) and advocate for Kurdish rights.
• Abdulrazak Gurnah — Contemporary (Born in 1948) (1948): Acclaimed Tanzanian novelist and Nobel laureate exploring themes of colonialism and refuge.
• Aisha — Shared historical date (07-13 · Died) (678): Prominent scholar and political figure in early Islam, wife of Prophet Muhammad.
• Alberto Ascari — Shared historical date (07-13 · Born) (1918): Iconic Italian racing driver, two-time Formula One World Champion for Ferrari.
• Akira Mutō — Historical peer (Died in 1948) (1948): Imperial Japanese Army General implicated in war crimes during WWII.
• Akira Yoshino — Historical peer (Born in 1948) (1948): Pioneering chemist credited with the first safe, production-viable lithium-ion battery.
• Al Capone — Historical peer (Died in 1947) (1947): Notorious American gangster and businessman during the Prohibition era.
• Alan Guth — Historical peer (Born in 1947) (1947): Pioneering cosmologist known for developing the theory of cosmic inflation.
• Ajay Devgn — Historical peer (Born in 1968) (1968): Veteran Indian actor and filmmaker known for diverse roles in Hindi cinema.
• 1948 Historical Timeline & Archive — Explore world events and figures from 1948
• July 13 (07-13) On This Day — Historical birthdays and events on July 13

Frequently Asked Questions about Catherine Breillat