About
Pierre Schœndœrffer (1928-2012) was a French writer and filmmaker, born in Chamalières. He volunteered for Indochina in 1952, serving as a cameraman for the Army Cinematographic Service, and took part in the Battle of Dien Bien Phu, where he was taken prisoner. After the war, he became a war correspondent for Paris Match, Time, and Life. His film The 317th Platoon (1965) won the screenplay prize at Cannes, and his documentary The Anderson Platoon (1967) received the Oscar for Best Documentary Feature. His novel Le Crabe-Tambour (1976) won the Grand Prix du Roman from the Académie française. Elected to the Académie des Beaux-Arts in 1988, he served as its president in 2001 and 2007.
* 1928-05-05 — † 2012-03-14
Major works
- La 317e Section (1965)film
- La Section Anderson (1967)documentary
- L'Adieu au Roi (1969)novel
- Le Crabe-Tambour (1976)novel
- Diên Biên Phu (1992)film
Key milestones
- 1954Taken prisoner at Dien Bien Phu and held for four months by the Viet Minh.
- 1968His documentary The Anderson Platoon won the Oscar for Best Documentary Feature.
- 1988Elected to the Académie des Beaux-Arts, cinema and audiovisual section.
Themes
WarIndochinaMemoryAdventureNavy
Sources: academiedesbeauxarts.fr · id.loc.gov