Born in 1963, Laurent de Bartillat graduated with a degree in Art History from the Sorbonne. Beginning as a photographer and documentarian, he alternated for several years between writing books and filmmaking. In 1991, he made his first film, Cette Europe là, about Romania under Ceaucescu. He followed this with the 1992 documentary, Seul, where he filmed Gérard d’Aboville’s lone crossing of the Pacific, winning him a nomination for best documentary at the Sept d’Or awards. Next came 365 jours, the social chronicle of a street in Paris and, in 2000, Le Monde à l’envers for TV channel TF1, along with publishing a book of his photography, J’ai entraperçu les moustaches du diable. Committed to preserving the environment, he co-wrote the book Stop with Simon Retallack, which is an account of the alarming state of the planet. Laurent de Bartillat has also directed several shorts, including the award-wining Heart Race (1997). In 2007, he directed his first feature The Vanishing Point, which premiered in the 2007 Rome Film Festival, and went on to be successfully released in a dozen countries.
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