AKA:   Dimitri Kirsanov

* 6-3-1899, Dorpat, Estonia, Russia -  †  1957

Education:     Ecole Normale de Musique, Paris

In France from 1923. Kirsanoff was at the forefront of Parisian avant-garde filmmaking thanks to works such as MENILMONTANT (1926), which combined Soviet-style montage with hand-held camerawork and lyrically composed static shots. Kirsanoff's early silent films, many starring first wife Nadia Sibirskaia, are considered his best works. With the coming of sound the quality of his output declined, though he continued to direct commercial ventures into the 1950s. His second marriage was to editor Monique Kirsanoff.

Filmography: 

1923   L'IRONIE DU DESTIN  director, screenwriter, performer

1926   MENILMONTANT       producer, director, screenwriter, photography

1927   SABLES         director

1927   SYLVIE DESTIN        director, screenwriter

1929   BRUMES D'AUTOMNE director, screenwriter

1931   DIE NACHT VON PORT SAID director

1934   RAPT   director

1936   VISAGES DE FRANCE director

1937   FRANCO DE PORT     director, screenwriter

1938   L'AVION DE MINUIT   director, dialogue

1938   LA PLUS BELLE FILLE DU MONDE     director, screenwriter

1939   QUARTIER SANS SOLEIL      director, screenwriter

1952   LE TÉMOIN DE MINUIT        director

1955   LE CRANEUR   director

1956   CE SOIR LES JUPONS VOLENT        director

1956   MISS CATASTROPHE - director