Directed by:
Julian SchnabelScreenplay:
Ronald HarwoodCinematography:
Janusz KaminskiComposer:
Paul CantelonCast:
Mathieu Amalric, Emmanuelle Seigner, Marie-Josée Croze, Anne Consigny, Patrick Chesnais, Niels Arestrup, Jean-Pierre Cassel, Marina Hands, Max von Sydow (more)Plots(1)
Director Julian Schnabel's acclaimed film about the remarkable life of Jean-Dominique Bauby. Based on the best-selling memoir of the same name, the film tells the story of Bauby (Mathieu Amalric), editor of Elle Paris, who, after a stroke at the age of 45, was left paralysed and unable to speak or move a muscle. Trapped in what he saw as a 'diving bell', a prison from which he was unable to escape, Bauby's only lifeline became the temporary release, or 'butterfly', of his memories and imagination. With his physical movements so restricted, Bauby's only way of communicating with the outside world lay in the blinking of his eye, a tool he developed to such an extent that he was able to develop a code to represent letters of the alphabet, enabling him to, in turn, complete his memoirs. (Pathé Distribution UK)
(more)Awards
- Winner
- Nominations
Academy Awards
- 2008 - Julian Schnabel (Best Achievement in Directing)
- 2008 - Ronald Harwood (Best Adapted Screenplay)
- 2008 - Janusz Kaminski (Best Achievement in Cinematography)
- 2008 - Best Achievement in Film Editing
Independent Spirit Awards
- 2008 - Julian Schnabel (Best Director)
- 2008 - Janusz Kaminski (Best Cinematography)
- 2008 - Jon Kilik, Kathleen Kennedy (Best Feature)
- 2008 - Ronald Harwood (Best Screenplay)
British Academy of Film and Television Arts (BAFTA)
- 2008 - Ronald Harwood (Best Adapted Screenplay)
- 2008 - Best Film not in the English Language
British Independent Film Awards (BIFA)
- 2008 - Best Foreign Independent
César Awards
- 2008 - Mathieu Amalric (Best Actor)
- 2008 - Best Editing
- 2008 - Best Film
- 2008 - Julian Schnabel (Best Director)
- 2008 - Ronald Harwood (Best Adaptation)
- 2008 - Best Sound
- 2008 - Janusz Kaminski (Best Cinematography)
Polish Film Awards
- 2009 - Julian Schnabel (Best European Film)
Golden Globes
- 2008 - Best Motion Picture – Foreign Language
- 2008 - Julian Schnabel (Best Director)
- 2008 - Ronald Harwood (Best Screenplay)
Critics Choice Awards
- 2008 - Best Foreign Language Film
- 2008 - Best Picture
- 2008 - Julian Schnabel (Best Director)
Florida Film Critics Circle Awards
- 2007 - Best Foreign Language Film
Los Angeles Film Critics Association Awards
- 2007 - Janusz Kaminski (Best Cinematography)
- 2007 - Best Film
- 2007 - Julian Schnabel (Best Director)
- 2007 - Julian Schnabel (Best Foreign-Language Film)
Cannes Film Festival
- 2007 - Julian Schnabel (Best Director)
- 2007 - Janusz Kaminski (Vulcain Prize for an artist technician, awarded by the C.S.T.)
- 2007 - Julian Schnabel (Golden Palm - Official Competition)
San Sebastián International Film Festival
- 2007 - Julian Schnabel (City of Donostia Audience Award for Best European Film)