France, the early 1970s. Many young people are still experiencing the revolutionary fever of the events of May 1968. One of them is a student named Gilles, who is involved in a variety of activities for the radical left. Although politics is taking up more and more of his time, he doesn’t want to give up his dream of becoming an artist. He knows perfectly well that he is at a watershed moment in his life and that the decisions he makes now will impact his entire future. An award winner for best screenplay at the Venice Festival, Something in the Air is no naive coming-of-age tale. Instead of idealizing the past, Assayas prefers to portray it without embellishment, as evinced by the film’s harsh, sometimes even pseudo-documentary form. The emotional authenticity of Something in the Air also rests on yet another foundation: the director has mentioned in in numerous interviews that he has a lot in common with Gilles and that the story told on-screen has a strong autobiographical dimension.
Venice IFF 2012 – Best Screenplay
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 Doubles vies / Non-Fiction