Biography

I have worked with the heart and not only the bank account. It's easier that way. I picked projects because they were films I wanted to have an audience. I have other ways to make money outside of cinema so that didn't complicate things. I often didn't see myself as a producer, more an entrepreneur. [2020]

The Sisters Brothers (2018) was a movie I'd always wanted to be a part of. It was one of my proudest achievements. That said, that film not getting a 'Best Picture' Oscar nomination was also one of my biggest disappointments. [2020]

My first Cannes [Film Festival] as a lowly trainee in 1999 was magical. As was Julianne Moore's Cannes Best Actress prize for Maps to the Stars (2014), which was my first movie in competition at the festival. Synonyms (2019), Elle (2016), Toni Erdmann (2016) and Capernaum (2018) were all special. Les Misérables (2019) is a gem, too. I was not heavily involved in that one but I am a big supporter of [director] Ladj Ly's film school and the Kourtrajmé project. [2020]

[on stepping away from producing] I told my wife that I would take part in 100 projects and then move on to a new challenge. We decided together that it would be 2020 at the latest. I realized a dream and now it's time to move on and realize another one. (...) My investment now needs to be in my kids. I want to stay in the movie business but in another field. Perhaps it will be at a festival. Who knows. What I do know is that producing is largely over for now. [2020]