Serge Silberman

A prolific producer who worked with some of the biggest names in international film, Serge Silberman was the man responsible for getting such films as Jean-Pierre Melville's Bob le Flambeur (1955) and Akira Kurosawa's Ran (1985) to the big screen. A native of Lodz (now located in Poland) who spent much of his youth in various locations across Europe, Silberman survived Nazi concentration camps to emerge in Paris in 1945. Finding work with Victoria Films and Play-Art Films (before the two merged), it was there that Silberman received his first production credit with Bob le Flambeur. After gaining New Wave credibility with his work on Jacques Becker's swan song The Hole (1960), Silberman embarked on an enduring working relationship with Melville after producing the director's 1964 drama Diary of a Chambermaid. In 1966 Silberman founded Greenwich, his own personal production company, which would ultimately be responsible for over 15 films, including Jean-Jacques Beineix's Diva. In 1988 Silberman was the recipient of an honorary lifetime achievement César award. On July 22, 2003, Serge Silberman died of natural causes in Paris, France. He was 86.

~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide