Director Alexander Azha: biography. "The 9th Life of Louis Drax", "Mirrors" and other famous films

2024 Author: Leah Sherlock | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-17 05:25

Alexander Azha is a man who, like no one else, knows how to inspire fear in the audience. This talented director has made a name for himself by making quality horror and thrillers that are hard to put down. The filmography of the 38-year-old Frenchman currently includes 9 films, most of which were successful. What does the viewer know about him?

Alexander Azha: biography of a star

The future famous director was born in Paris, it happened in August 1978. Alexander Azha is a person whose life path was predetermined from birth, since the professional activities of his parents were directly related to cinema. The boy's mother worked as a film critic, his father was a famous director.

It's no surprise that Alexander Azha first hit the set as a child. The father filmed his son in several of his films, but the cameo roles played did not make the child seriously interestedacting profession. Alexander, as a teenager, decided that he would become a famous director. One can only speculate as to whether he envisioned at the time that he would make mostly horror and thriller films.

Bright debut

The director, whose work Alexander Azha was fond of in his youth, was the legendary Hitchcock. It is not surprising that he shot his first picture, trying to imitate his idol, it happened in 1997. The short film "Over the Rainbow", which is a horror in the style of Hitchcock, allowed the aspiring director to prove himself as a talented screenwriter, as he wrote the script himself.

Alexander's debut short film was liked by the jury of the Cannes Film Festival, the aspiring director was nominated for the Palme d'Or. The first significant success inspired the future master to further achievements.

First feature films

Already in 1999, Alexander Azha presented a full-length picture to the audience. The filmography of the young director acquired the film "Frantic", the plot of which was borrowed from the work "Graffiti" written by Julio Cortazar. The thriller is dedicated to the events taking place in the totalitarian state of Latin America. The main characters were young revolutionaries who suddenly fell in love with each other. Critics reacted positively to the film, but the next picture was much more successful.

Alexander Azha is a filmmaker who made Bloody Harvest in 2003. The horror film tells about the mysterious events thatunfold in a house located on the outskirts. Two girls are captured by a bloodthirsty maniac who intends to take their lives. Fans of the genre highly appreciated the picture, the horror movie collected a decent amount at the box office.

The hills have eyes

Horror "Bloody Harvest" not only gave its creator fame, but also attracted the attention of Wes Craven to the talented director. The famous Hollywood producer and director convinced his young colleague to take on the remake of the film The Hills Have Eyes, which was released back in 1977. Azha considered the idea interesting and already in 2006 presented his version of the picture to the audience.

The horror film tells about the adventures of an ordinary American family, who makes his way through the desert on his trailer. Travelers encounter mutants, from which they are forced to defend themselves. The horror film was filmed in Morocco, even the disturbing political situation did not force the creators to abandon this plan. The global box office gross amounted to about $70 million, and Alexander established himself as a famous director.

Famous thrillers and horror movies

Of course, not all the famous paintings that Alexander Azha managed to shoot by the age of 38 are mentioned above. "Mirrors" is another successful remake of the director, a free retelling of the South Korean horror film "Through the Looking Glass". The film is about a police officer who is forced to guard an abandoned department store. The hero's attention is drawn to the unusual mirrors of the outlet, they start a chain of mysterious events.

Listing the best films of the master of scary stories, one cannot fail to mention the film "Piranha 3D". This horror film with elements of comedy tells about the events that take place on the coast of a small resort town. An earthquake strikes, unleashing hundreds of prehistoric piranhas. Of course, the monsters, having gained freedom, open a bloody hunt for young surfers who are unaware of what awaits them.

Film "The 9th Life of Louis Drax"

Naming the best films shot by Alexander, one cannot ignore the tape that was released in 2016. "The Ninth Life of Louis Drax" - this is the title of the next thriller of the master. The central character of the mystical story is a nine-year-old child who was the victim of a mysterious accident. A boy's fall off a cliff causes him to fall into a coma. Doctors think the case is hopeless, but there is a specialist who thinks otherwise.

A psychiatrist in love with the victim's mother tries to help Louis. He also suspects that the father of the child is to blame for the incident. The doctor makes desperate attempts to penetrate the subconscious of his patient, as a result, he gradually loses touch with reality.

The Ninth Life of Louis Drax is a movie worth watching not only because of the original plot. The stellar cast also impresses, starring Jamie Dornan, Sarah Gadon, Aaron Paul.

Life behind the scenes

Azha is a director who does not like to discuss his personal life withjournalists. It is known that the master is married, director Laila Marrakchi became his chosen one. The couple has no children yet.