Julien Paolini
Born (1986-06-20) 20 June 1986 (age 38)
Occupations
  • Film director
  • screenwriter
Years active2008–present

Julien Paolini (born 20 June 1986)[1] is a Franco-Italian director and screenwriter.

Life and career

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Julien Paolini was born in Florence in Tuscany (Italy), the city of his father. At the age of eight his family moved to Paris, his mother's city. He grew up in the suburbs of Paris. He discovered theater and writing at a very young age and then obtained his first publications for literary short stories. He then entered the Cours Florent, where he returned to sit in the free class in 2016 alongside François Florent.

Between 2008 and 2015 he wrote and directed a series of short films shot between France, Africa and the United States. He directed actors such as Shiloh Fernandez, Hugo Becker, Bernie Bonvoisin and Christophe Salengro. The films are noticed at international festivals such as the Clermont Ferrand International Short Film Festival, Fespaco, the Rotterdam International Film Festival, Les Pépites du Cinéma or the Montreal World Film Festival and are purchased and distributed by France Télévisions, Canal + and Orange Cinéma Séries.

He subsequently wrote a series for Arte on the sectarian universe and worked on the adaptation of the bestseller I will go spitting on your graves with the cohery Boris Vian.

His first feature film, Amare Amaro (Amare la terra amara) reconnects with his Italian origins. It explores the theme of multi-culture and multi-identity and recounts the struggle of a French baker who puts his life in danger by choosing humanity over the brutality of his Sicilian village. He directs Syrus Shahidi, Tony Sperandeo and Celeste Casciaro there. The drama with western accents makes the rounds of festivals. The screenwriter-director represents Italy alongside Paolo Sorrentino and Matteo Garrone. Hailed by critics, which brings the film closer to the gangster films of Martin Scorsese, ​​Amare Amaro earned him the Grand Prix at the Polar festival in Cognac.

His second feature, Karmapolice, written in collaboration with Mano and Syrus Shahidi, is in post-production in 2022. He directs Syrus Shahidi, Alexis Manenti, Karidja Touré, Steve Tientcheu, Sabrina Ouzani.

  1. ^ "Julien Paolini's Biography". allocine.fr.