Michael Radford | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Born | (1946-02-24)24 February 1946 (age 79) New Delhi, British India |
| Alma mater | Worcester College National Film and Television School |
| Occupation(s) | Film director, screenwriter, television writer |
| Spouse(s) | Iseult Teran (1990–1997) Emma Tweed (2006 –present) |
| Children | 3 |
| Awards | 1996BAFTA Award for Best Direction,Il Postino: The Postman 1996BAFTA Award for Best Film Not in the English Language,Il Postino: The Postman |
Michael James Radford (born 24 February 1946) is an English film director and screenwriter.[1] He began his career as a documentary director and television comedy writer before transitioning into features in the early 1980s.
His best-known credits include the 1984film adaptation ofGeorge Orwell'sNineteen Eighty-Four starringJohn Hurt andRichard Burton (in his final role), theShakespeare adaptationThe Merchant of Venice, thetrue crime dramaWhite Mischief, and the 1994 Italian-language comedy dramaIl Postino: The Postman, for which he won theBAFTA Awards forBest Direction andBest Film Not in the English Language, and earnedAcademy Award nominations forBest Director andBest Adapted Screenplay.
Radford was born on 24 February 1946, inNew Delhi,India, to a British father and an AustrianJewish mother. He was educated atBedford School before attendingWorcester College, Oxford. After teaching for a few years, he went to theNational Film and Television School, becoming a student there in its inaugural year.
Between 1976 and 1982, Radford worked as a documentary film maker, mostly on projects for theBBC, covering subjects such as Scottish islanders on theIsle of Lewis in theOuter Hebrides who believe in the literal truth of the Bible:The Last Stronghold of the Pure Gospel; the sopranoIsobel Buchanan:La Belle Isobel; the singer songwriterVan Morrison:Van Morrison in Ireland; and the self-explanatoryThe Making ofThe Pirates of Penzance. On the last two of these, Radford worked with thecinematographerRoger Deakins, who would later shoot two of Radford's feature films;Nineteen Eighty-Four andWhite Mischief. Another notable early work wasAnother Time, Another Place (1983), a feature film set inScotland duringWorld War II and centred on a love story between a local woman and anItalianPOW.
Radford came to international attention withNineteen Eighty-Four, his adaptation ofGeorge Orwell's novel1984, starringJohn Hurt as Winston Smith, and in whichRichard Burton gave his final film performance.[2] The film was made in the time and place (London, April–June 1984) at which the book was set.
Radford's next film, released in 1987, wasWhite Mischief, a period drama set inKenya during the 1940s.[2] Radford again wrote the screenplay, an adaptation of the novel byJames Fox also calledWhite Mischief.
Michael Radford is most widely known as the writer and director of the 1994 filmIl Postino: The Postman, which Radford adapted from the novelArdiente Paciencia byAntonio Skármeta.[1] The massive international success of the film (for many years it was the largest grossing non-English language film ever made) led to international acclaim for Radford and the star of the filmMassimo Troisi. Tragically, Troisi died, aged 41, the day after the filming ofIl Postino was completed. The film won many international film awards including the 'Best Film Not in the English Language'BAFTA for Radford, who was also nominated for theBest Director andAdapted ScreenplayAcademy Awards.
In 2000, Radford's filmDancing at the Blue Iguana was released.[2] In a departure from his more usual development technique, namely adapting novels, this film was largely improvised, although Radford shared the screenwriting credit withDavid Linter.
In 2004, Radford directedThe Merchant of Venice (2004).[2] He adapted theWilliam Shakespeare play (see:Shakespearean comedies), and the film starsAl Pacino asShylock andJeremy Irons asAntonio.[2] In 2007, he reunitedDemi Moore andMichael Caine (who had already been together in 1984 forBlame it on Rio) inFlawless, a diamond heist story set in 1960.[2] His most recent film isElsa & Fred (2014), a romantic comedy starringShirley MacLaine andChristopher Plummer.
Radford directed his first play in 2000, aWest End production ofThe Seven Year Itch. This was an adaptation ofBilly Wilder's 1955 film starringMarilyn Monroe.
Radford has a son, Felix (born 1991), from his first marriage to Iseult Teran. He also has a daughter, Amaryllis (born 2005), and a son, Linus (born 2010), with his current wife, Emma Tweed.
In addition to English (his first language), he speaks fluent Spanish, French, Italian, and some Mandarin.
In September 2013, he took part in the Clipper Round the World Sailing Race, in which he raced one of 12 identical 70-foot racing yachts from London to Rio.[3]
Documentary film
| Year | Title | Director | Writer | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1976 | Sugar | Yes | No | |
| 1978 | Mountain Days | Yes | No | |
| 1981 | Van Morrison in Ireland | Yes | No | |
| 1982 | The Making of 'The Pirates of Penzance' | Yes | No | |
| 2011 | Michel Petrucciani | Yes | Yes | Nominated –César Award for Best Documentary Film |
| Year | Title | Director | Writer | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1979 | Everyman | Yes | Yes | Episodes: "The Last Stronghold of the Pure Gospel" & "La Belle Isobel" |
| Scotch and Wry | No | Yes | 3 episodes | |
| 1976–77 | Omnibus | Yes | No | Episodes: "Unita" & "The Madonna and the Volcano" |
| 1980 | The Two Ronnies | No | Yes | 3 episodes |
| 1981 | A Kick Up the Eighties | No | Yes | 5 episodes[5] |
| Three of a Kind | No | Yes | 3 episodes[5] | |
| 1981–82 | Crackerjack! | No | Yes | 10 episodes[5] |
| 1982 | The Late, Late Breakfast Show | No | Yes | 11 episodes[5] |
| 1996 | Homicide: Life on the Street | Yes | No | Episode: "Justice: Part 1" |
TV movies
| Year | Title | Director | Writer |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1980 | The White Bird Passes | Yes | Yes |
| 1982 | La Belle Isobel | Yes | No |
| Year | Association | Category | Work | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1983 | Taormina Film Fest | Golden Charybdis | Another Time, Another Place | Won |
| 1985 | Fantasporto | International Fantasy Film Award | Nineteen Eighty-Four | Nominated |
| International Istanbul Film Festival | Golden Tulip | Won | ||
| London Evening Standard | Best Film | Won | ||
| 1986 | Accademia del Cinema Italiano | Best Foreign Film | Another Time, Another Place | Nominated |
| 1995 | Ciak | Best Film | Il Postino: The Postman | Won |
| Rome Foreign Press Association | Best Film | Nominated | ||
| Los Angeles Film Critics Association | Best Foreign Language Film | Nominated | ||
| São Paulo International Film Festival | Best Feature | Won | ||
| 1996 | Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences | Best Director | Nominated | |
| Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences | Best Adapted Screenplay | Nominated | ||
| Norwegian International Film Festival | Best Foreign Feature Film | Won | ||
| London Film Critics' Circle | British Director of the Year | Won | ||
| British Academy of Film and Television Arts | Best Adapted Screenplay | Nominated | ||
| Best Direction | Won | |||
| Best Film Not in the English Language | Won | |||
| Argentine Film Critics Association | Best Foreign Film | Won | ||
| Directors Guild of America | Outstanding Directorial Achievements in Motion Pictures | Nominated | ||
| Radio Nacional de España | Best Foreign Film | Won | ||
| Radio Nacional de España | Rosa de Sant Jordi Audience Award | Won | ||
| 1997 | Académie des Lumières | Best Foreign Film | Won | |
| Danish Film Academy | Best Foreign Film | Won | ||
| Kinema Junpo | Best Foreign Language Film | Won | ||
| 2004 | London Film Critics' Circle | British Director of the Year | The Merchant of Venice | Nominated |
| 2005 | Accademia del Cinema Italiano | Best European Film | Nominated | |
| 2012 | Académie des Arts et Techniques du Cinéma | Best Documentary Film | Michel Petrucciani | Nominated |
| 2014 | Bari International Film Festival | Platinum Award for Cinematic Excellence | — | Won |
| Cinéfest Sudbury International Film Festival | International Audience Choice Award | Elsa & Fred | Won | |
| 2017 | El Gouna Film Festival | Golden Star – Feature Narrative Competition | The Music of Silence | Nominated |
| Montecarlo Film Festival | Career Award | — | Won |
