Henri Verney. Director with Armenian roots

All his life he lived outside his homeland, the French film director of Armenian origin Henri Verney devoted forty-seven years of his life to work in the cinema, which he perceived as an interesting adventure.

Thanks to the cinematography, the director got acquainted with many "stars" of France, America, Italy and other countries. His films were nominated for the "Golden Palm Branch" of the Cannes Film Festival and for the American "Oscar". Finally, in 1996 he received the prize "Cesar" - the best in Europe.

Biography

An Armenian who lived all his life in France, Henri Verneuil was born on October 15, 1920 in the city of Rhodost, located in Turkey. The real name of the director is Ashot Malakyan. Like many Armenians, in 1924 his family fled from a settled place to Greece, and from there was going to settle in Mexico. However, the fate brought them to Marseilles, where they lived until they moved to Paris. The name of this street and this house will later be included in the title of his last film.

The boy was ten years old when his parents settled in the French capital. Wishing that his son received a better education, the father and mother of the future film director, in addition to his studies at the lyceum of Ekuan-Provence, hired a private teacher of the Armenian language so that his son did not forget the language of his ancestors.

Work as a journalist

Henri Vernay, undoubtedly, graduated, but there is no exact information about this, it is known only that he worked as a journalist for the newspaper La Marseillaise.

In 1945, after the victory over fascism, when the whole world rejoiced and was preoccupied with peace throughout the world, Ashot Malakian was offered to write articles on the Armenian issue. A young journalist, interested in this problem, wrote the whole truth about the Armenian Genocide of 1915, and the articles received a warm response.

Only at age 28 did Henri Verneuil understand what he wanted to do all his life-to make movies. As a humanist, Verney found an assistant to the director Robert Verney, who shot the film "The Count of Monte Cristo" with Jean Marais in the title role. As a grateful student, Ashot, or, as he was called in France, Henri (he did not stop writing articles) borrowed the director's name and since then he signed his works with this name.

Henri Verney. Films

The first documentary tape dedicated to his beloved Marcel, the young director will remove in 1948. Then he will direct thirty short films and documentary films about the city of childhood. And three years later, the director and journalist will write the first script for the film "The Table for the Dead" - a screen version of the novel by Marcel Aime.

Gaining courage, Henry will show the script to the popular French actor-comedian Fernandel. He will like the script so much that he will want to star in the film. In short, the finished film was immediately shown at the Cannes Film Festival - and the name of Henri Verney, whose nationality was immediately evident, became known, and many Hollywood producers signed treaties with him. It was a success.

For the film "Ram with Five Feet", filmed in 1954, the American Film Academy awarded Henri Verney as the best original screenwriter. The name of the Armenian scriptwriter and director was put alongside such names as François Truffaut, Jean Renoir, René Claire and many other prominent figures of world cinema.

With whom did the director work?

With the director Verney worked such famous actors as Alain Delon, Jean Gaben, Jean-Paul Belmondo, Fernandel, Yves Montand, Anthony Quinn, Omar Sharif, Claudia Cardinale and other actors.

Rather, he shot French comedies, adventures, detectives. It was he who saw in the young then Alain Delaunay and Jean-Paul Belmondo brutal characters, although before that they played in intellectual paintings.

The revolver in the hands of Delon and Belmondo was first invested by Henri Verneuil. Many remember the famous in the seventies and eighties paintings with these charismatic actors, such as "Melody from the Cellar", "Sicilian Clan", "President" and other films, and together with Delon, the director often shot and Jean Gaben.

Calling Gaben then "rough animal", then "predatory cat", the director will remove the famous tape "Adventurers" with Jean Gaben and Jean-Paul Belmondo in the lead roles.

Awards at home

The director was married twice, the children of Henri Verneuil from the first marriage named Patrick and Sophie, and from the second - Sevan and Gayane.

For an indefinite time, Verney will disappear from the public eye, visit his homeland, Armenia, and the Catholicos of All Armenians Vazgen the First will award him with the Order of Gregory the Illuminator of the first degree. He had many orders and ranks in his entire life, but he considered his main business to be help to his homeland.

Since childhood, the director has sung in the Armenian church the chants of Komitas, knew his native language well, and on occasion always tried to speak on it.

Movies "Mairick" and "Paradis Street 588"

In 1991, Henri Troyat, also an Armenian by nationality, proposes to Verneuil to make a film about an Armenian family that survived the persecution and genocide, and Verney thus carries out his secret dream.

Finally, the film "Mairik" (Henri Verney), which in translation means "Mom (Mom)" devotes to his family and the Armenian people. In the film, Claudia Cardinale, Omar Sherif and other actors starred. With the example of his family and his memories, Verney shows the life of emigrants, the difficulties they had to endure and their cohesion.

Another picture, which became the last in the life of the director, is "Paradis Street 588". This is also an autobiographical tape, which is a continuation of "Mairick", which tells about the fate of the boy (himself Henri Verney), who became director. The film looks in one breath.

Conclusion

Died director in 2002, in the eighty-second year of life, and without receiving a reward for the film "Mairick" in his homeland. The premiere took place in 2010 at the 7th Golden Apricot Film Festival in Moscow. The father received a prize for his father, Patrick Malakian, who took the historical surname of Armenian ancestors.