Chris Marker

born 1921 in Neuilly-sur-Seine (F); 1937-39 studies in Philosophy with Jean-Paul Sartre; during the war he collaborated with the Résistance and was then interpreter for the US Army; since 1945 writer, photographer, editor; lives and works in Paris (F).
Marker became known world-wide with his travelogue and essay film «Sans Soleil» (1982), in which fictitious elements were combined with essayistic-philosophical comments mostly on topics like memory and Japan. The narration succeeds in establishing a fascinating mix between serious analysis and indulgent curiousity and playfulness with details. Since the 1980s, Marker has developed an interest in the electronic media (from digital image processing to video games) which then led to his big essay feature film «Level Five» (1996), a kind of sequel to «Sans Soleil,» and the multimedia-CD-Rom «Immemory» (1996, produced by Centre Pompidou).