ROLAND JOFFÉ
Date of Birth: November 17, 1945
Born in London, England, Joffé was educated at Lycee Francaise and Carmel College. While
studying English and drama at Manchester University, he became interested in theatre and began
working with Frank Dunlop after graduation. The two would become founding members of the Young
Vic Theatre. He joined Britain's National Theatre and then founded the company's first touring
group under Lawrence Olivier.
Joffé turned to television as a training director and eventually moved from the local news
program to episodes of Coronation Street, On the Line and a documentary film,
ANN. Following his work on the series Bill Board, Joffé worked on telefilms such as
The Spongers, No Mama, No and United Kingdom.
He made a remarkable feature debut with The Killing Fields (1984), a harrowingly realistic
account of reporter Sidney Schanberg's time in Cambodia, which won three Academy Awards and
earned Joffé a Best Director nomination. The 1986 release of The Mission, starring Robert De
Niro and Jeremy Irons, garnered more Academy and BAFTA Award nominations.
In 1989 Joffé moved on to Fat Man and Little Boy. The film (which he also wrote), about the
creation of the atomic bomb, gave him a Golden Berlin Bear nomination from the Berlin
International Film Festival. His next three films hit a dry spell with low box office numbers
and left viewers unimpressed.
He began the new millennium with Vatel, starring Gérard Depardieu and Uma Thurman. A period
piece about a steward who falls in love with the king's concubine, it finally broke Joffé's
ten-year losing streak by winning the Silver Frog at Camerimage.
Besides directing, Joffé has also produced a number of films including City of Joy, Super
Mario Bros., The Scarlet Letter and Vatel.
Joffé is married to British actress Cherie Lunghi.
Filmography:
Vatel (2000)
Goodbye Lover (1999)
The Scarlet Letter (1995)
City of Joy (1992)
Fat Man and Little Boy (1989)
The Mission (1986)
The Killing Fields (1984)