Biography

Jean Rouch was born on May 31, 1917 in Paris, France. He was a director and cinematographer, known for Me, a Black (1958), Madame L'Eau (1993) and Six in Paris (1965). He was married to Joselyne Lamothe. He died on February 18, 2004 in Birni N'Konni, Niger.

French documentarist, an exponent of cinema verite. He held degrees in literature and civil engineering. He became first noted during the 1950's for his work in West Africa, recording tribal life and customs.

Founding member of "Les Ateliers Varan"

Personally, I am violently opposed to film crews. My reasons are several. The sound engineer must fully understand the language of the people he is recording. It is thus indispensable that he belong to the ethnic group being filmed and that he also be trained in the minutiae of his job. Besides, with the present techniques used in direct cinema, the film maker must be the cameraman. And the ethnologist alone, in my mind, is the one who knows when, where, and how to film, i.e. to do the production. Finally, and this is doubtless the decisive argument, the ethnologist should spend quite a long time in the field before undertaking the least bit of film making. This period of reflection, of learning, of mutual understanding might be extremely long, but such a stay is incompatible with the schedules and salaries of a team of technicians.