Following his surprisingly serious Personal Shopper, Olivier Assayas decided to make one of the funniest films of his career. Non-Fiction, which premiered at the last Venice Festival, is a comedy—reminiscent of the films of Eric Rohmer and Woody Allen—about the complex relationships among a group of Parisian intellectuals. Among them is Leonard (Vincent Macaigne), a writer struggling with a midlife crisis who has just finished another novel filled with juicy autobiographical details. To his amazement, the book is rejected by his friend, Alain (Guillaume Canet), a publisher. This leaves a mark on the lives of both men and provokes a number of unexpected consequences in their personal and professional relations. Though it sounds rather innocuous, the humor in Non-Fiction is refreshingly provocative. It is difficult to imagine that anyone else apart from Assayas would be able to get away with such merciless jokes at the expense of both The White Ribbon and Michael Haneke.
Born in Paris in 1955, Olivier Assayas is the son of screenwriter Jacques Rémy (whose real name was Raymond Assayas). It was at his father’s side that Olivier took his first steps in the industry while still a teenager. He began making his first short amateur films a little while later. At the same time, he launched his career as a film critic, writing for the famous Cahiers du cinéma. He made his full-length debut with Disorder in 1986. Since then, he has made a number of films that have ensured him a position as one of the most important directors in European cinema. His most acclaimed works include Irma Vep, Something in the Air (an award winner for best screenplay at the Venice Festival) and Clouds of Sils Maria.
1986 Bezład / Désordre / Disorder
1989 Zimowe dziecko / L’enfant de l’hiver / Winter’s Child
1991 Paryż się budzi / Paris s’éveille / Paris Awakens
1993 Nowe życie / Une nouvelle vie / A New Life
1994 Zimna woda / L’eau froide / Cold Water
1996 Irma Vep
1998 Koniec sierpnia, początek września / Fin août, début septembre / Late August, Early September
2000 Ścieżki uczuć / Les destinées sentimentales / Sentimental Destinies
2002 Demonlover
2004 Czysta / Clean
2007 Przejście / Boarding Gate
2008 Pewnego lata / L’heure d’été / Summer Hours
2010 Carlos (TV series)
2012 Po maju / Après mai / Something in the Air
2014 Sils Maria / Clouds of Sils Maria
2016 Personal Shopper
2018 Podwójne życie / Doubles vies / Non-Fiction