Michel Gondry

Michel Gondry is a French filmmaker and visual artist renowned for his inventive and often surreal visual style, which blends dreamlike imagery with meticulous handcrafted effects. Born on 8 May 1963 in Versailles, France, he grew up as the grandson of inventor Constant Martin, a lineage that perhaps fueled his lifelong fascination with mechanical ingenuity and imaginative storytelling. After starting his career drumming for the French rock band Oui Oui, Gondry quickly transitioned to directing music videos, catching the eye of Björk with the iconic "Human Behaviour" video in 1993, a collaboration that would eventually encompass eight videos and cement his reputation for pushing the boundaries of the medium. His extensive work in the music‑video realm includes groundbreaking visuals for artists such as The White Stripes, Daft Punk, Radiohead, and The Chemical Brothers, many of which earned Grammy nominations and introduced techniques later popularized in mainstream cinema, like the early use of “bullet time” in a 1996 Smirnoff commercial. In the early 2000s Gondry made his feature‑film debut with Human Nature and achieved worldwide acclaim with Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind (2004), a collaboration with screenwriter Charlie Kaufman that won them an Academy Award for Best Original Screenplay and showcased his signature blend of practical effects, in‑camera tricks, and emotionally resonant storytelling. Beyond fiction, he directed documentaries such as Dave Chappelle's Block Party and The Thorn in the Heart, as well as a series of inventive television commercials that have set records for award wins. Throughout his career Gondry has continued to explore interdisciplinary projects, ranging from installation art at Deitch Projects to an Artist‑in‑Residence stint at MIT, while maintaining a prolific output of music videos, commercials, and experimental short films, all characterized by a playful hand‑crafted aesthetic that challenges conventional filmmaking conventions.