Serge Silberman (1 May 1917 – 22 July 2003) was a French film producer known for his collaborations with several major European and Japanese filmmakers, includingLuis Buñuel,Akira Kurosawa,Jean-Pierre Melville,René Clément,Jacques Becker, andNagisa Oshima.
Silberman was born inŁódź, then a part of theRegency Kingdom of Poland, to aJewish family.
DuringWorld War II, Silberman survivedNaziconcentration camps and eventually settled in Paris.
One of his first works as a film producer wasJean-Pierre Melville's 1955 filmBob the Gambler, a precursor to theFrench New Wave movement.
Silberman's most notable collaborations were with thesurrealist film directorLuis Buñuel. The pair, along with screenwriterJean-Claude Carrière, who Silberman introduced to Buñuel, worked together on a number of films, starting with the 1964 filmDiary of a Chambermaid. Silberman produced most of Buñuel's late films, including theAcademy Award winnerThe Discreet Charm of the Bourgeoisie in 1972 and the director's last filmThat Obscure Object of Desire in 1977.
Silberman founded his own production company, Greenwich Film Productions, in 1966. The company was responsible for the production of over 15 films. In 1981, Silberman produced his most financially successful film,Jean-Jacques Beineix'sDiva. The film was not well received in the country of its origin, France, but became a box-office hit abroad. The money gained from the movie enabled Silberman to provide funding forAkira Kurosawa's ambitious 1985 filmRan, which at the time of its making was the most expensive Japanese film ever.
Silberman was awarded an honoraryCésar Award in 1988.
He died in Paris in 2003 at the age of 86.[1]
