Chris Marker (1921-2012) was one of the most important, highly-esteemed documentary filmmakers in history. During WWII, Marker – a Frenchman – fought with a resistance group against the Nazi occupiers. After the war, he became an author, poet, and critic, writing for Esprit magazine. In the early 1950s, Marker befriended prominent left wing figures, Alain Resnais, Marguerite Duras, Agnès Varda and others, and began dabbling in cinematography. Further into the fifties, he directed a string of documentaries. The film, Statues also Die (1953) which Marker had directed with Alain Resnais won its two creators the Jean Vigo award.
In 1962, the release of his film, Le Jetée, catapulted Marker to international fame. The film, which Marker dubbed “a photo-romance”, is only 28min long and is made up almost entirely of black and white still photographs and voice over narration. The story features elements of time travel and a post-apocalyptic dystopian reality – a vision of WWIII. Terry Gilliam’s 1995 film, 12 Monkeys, was in fact influenced by Le Jetée and includes a homage to Marker.
In 1960, Marker directed Third Side of the Coin; a film commissioned by husband and wife, Wim and Lia van Leer who were keen on making a documentary about Israel unlike any of its predecessors that were mostly reminiscent of propaganda/PR films. The result was a cinematic essay of sorts; Marker’s impressionist journey across Israel and an exploration of the country in its early years, whilst posing questions about identity and iconography. The film won the Golden Berlin Bear award at the Berlin International Film Festival.
Highlights of his other film credits include Le Mystère Koumiko (1965), Loin du Vietnam (1967), Le Train en marche (1971), Sans Soleil (1983), and A.K. (1985)
