Neil Jordan

25.02.1950, Sligo, Ireland

 

Director

Jordan is an Irish director, screenwriter, producer and writer. After studying Irish history and English literature, he began his career as a writer. Until now, he has published several novels and many short stories. At the age of thirty three he wrote the screenplay and directed his first film, feature-length drama Angel (1982). The main actor from it, Stephen Rea, remained Jordan’s permanent collaborator in almost all of his future films. In the horror film The Company of Wolves (1984), Jordan toyed with the fairy tale about Little Red Riding Hood. After his crime drama Mona Lisa (1986), he directed comedies High Spirits (1988) and We're No Angels (1989) in the US starring some famous actors but without much financial success.  Upon his return to Ireland he directed his less popular drama The Miracle (1991). In the following year he won the sympathies of both audience and critics with his most successful film The Crying Game (1992), which won an Oscar for best original screenplay in 1993. Thanks to this award, two years later he directed another film in the US. This time he surpassed his former success with the internationally acclaimed film   Interview with the Vampire: The Vampire Chronicles (1994). His biopic about the Irish revolutionary Michael Collins (1996) won the Golden Lion in Venice. The Butcher Boy (1997) won the Silver Bear in Berlin in 1998. In the end of the decade he directed his romantic drama The End of the Affair (1999) and the psychological thriller In Dreams (1999). Based on Samuel Beckett’s play with the same title, he directed the short feature Not I (2000) starring Julianne Moore. After the less popular film The Good Thief (2002) starring Nick Nolte, he directed the successful Breakfast on Pluto (2005). In US production he directed the film The Brave One (2007) starring Jodie Foster, and in Ireland, starring Colin Farrell, the romantic drama Ondine (2009). Three years later he directed the thriller Byzantium (2012) and the focus is once again on vampires. He was the producer and screenwriter for the popular TV series The Borgias (2011-2013), and he directed six of its episodes. He is currently working on his film The Trainer.

Filmography


Films by this director

The Good Thief

(2002)

Directed by: Neil Jordan
Synopsis:

Bob is a “retired” American thief who lives in Paris. He gets an offer to rob a casino. Bob soon develops a plan for this robbery, which promises to bring him a million-dollar haul. A detective, Roger, dogs Bob’s every step, however. Further complicating Bob’s existence is a seventeen-year-old girl, Anne, who is taken under his wing in order to save her from a life of prostitution…

color, 108 min

The Company of Wolves

(1984)

Directed by: Neil Jordan
PHOTOGRAPHY: Bryan Loftus
Synopsis:

This fantastic horror is a dark version of Little Red Riding Hood featuring motives of growing up and sexual maturation. Young Rosaleen falls asleep and dreams of living in a forest with her father, mother and sister. Soon, her sister gets killed by wolves. While her parents are grieving, Rosaleen visits her grandmother who gives her a red scarf and an advice to beware of strangers. Then she meets an attractive huntsman with whom she makes a wager: he will get a kiss if he arrives to her grandmo...

color, digital, 95 min
See full programe