Chris Marker

Christian Francois Bouche-Villeneuve was born in France on July 29, 1921. He was an enigmatic writer, photographer, filmmaker and multimedia artist who pioneered the flexible hybrid form known as the essay film. He worked and traveled under the pseudonym Chris Marker, because it was pronounceable in all languages. His films are shocking, innovative and often autobiographical. During a 1985 exhibition, the artist Gordon Matta-Clark took Marker on a tour of his work, which resulted in the creation of the film Matta. He is best known for his films concerning time and memory, "La Jetée" and "Sans Soleil". "La Jetée"(1962) was the basis of the 1995 Hollywood movie "12 Monkeys" starring Bruce Willis and Brad Pitt. Mr. Marker continued traveling and producing well into his 80's. Little is known about the artist due to his refusal to take interviews or be photographed, inspiring an elusive character that is furthered by his work. He died July 29, 2012 at 91 years old.