On 29 July 1890 Vincent Van Gogh took his last breath. Despite the painter’s silence about the circumstances, his death was put down to suicide throughout the 20th century. In 2011 following their investigation into Van Gogh’s last hours American researchers Gregory White Smith and Steven Naifeh delivered a new version of the facts. Their extensive research along with the deathbed confession of a man (Rene) who said that as a teenager he had accidentally shot Van Gogh indicates the death was a homicide.
I was born in 1948. I experimented during my youth with several trades, including rock musician, to finance my artistic studies. For several years I practiced and taught the visual arts and constructed sets for theater and cinema.
At the end of the 70’s I became interested in filmmaking. I produced my first film, “Le lion de Saint Marc” in 1983.
I dabbled in film until, in 1991, French national television FR2 & FR3 offered me the opportunity to practice my trade as an eclectic and everyday filmmaker from documentary to extreme sports and opera.
I have collaborations with the The Cité de la Musique (“City of Music”), also known as Philharmonie 2, a group of institutions dedicated to music and situated in the Parc de la Villette, 19th arrondissement of Paris, France, and the French skydiving federation.
In 2012 I created West Océan productions. I produced and directed a feature film “Requin Chagrin” (2015) adapted from my first novel “Marée Blanche en Atlantique” (2010). My second novel, Strato, a thriller set in the world of rock music, was published in 2013.
In 2018 I produced and directed the short film, “J’ai tué Vincent”
(“I Killed Vincent).
As of September 2018 I am working on a new film, “La certitude du Sauman “ (“The Certainty of Salmon”) as well as a third novel.
I continue to enjoy painting. In my film about Vincent Van Gogh I provided the brushwork during the closeups of Vincent painting.
In August 2017 I created “A Screen in the Trees” film festival which aims to bring together filmmakers and independent producers. We set up
a large screen literally in the trees at a lovely coastal campground. The audience sits under the stars. We just completed the second festival and I am already looking forward to 2019.