Albert Lamorisse

• Name — Albert Lamorisse • Born — 13 January 1922 • Birthplace — Paris, France • Died — 2 June 1970 • Place of death — Karaj, Iran • Resting Place — France • Occupation — Writer, screenwriter, director, producer, game designer • Years Active — 1947–1970 • Spouse — Claude Jeanne Duparc Lamorisse • Illustration — Lamorisse Helicopter memorial, in Karaj Dam, winter 2018

Lamorisse was born in Paris, France. He first came into prominence – just after Bim (1950) – for directing and producing White Mane (1953). This is a short film that tells a fable of how a young boy befriends an untamable wild white stallion in the marshes of Camargue (the Petite Camargue) in Southern France.

Lamorisse's best known work is the short film The Red Balloon (1956), which earned him the Palme d'Or Grand Prize at the Cannes Film Festival, and an Oscar for writing the Best Original Screenplay in 1956.

Lamorisse died in a helicopter crash while filming the documentary Le Vent des amoureux (The Lovers' Wind), during a helicopter tour of Iran in 1970. His son and widow completed the film, based on his production notes, and released it eight years later. It was nominated for a posthumous Oscar for best documentary. The title The Lovers' Wind is translated into Bad-e Saba in Persian. A saba wind is a gentle wind that blows from the northeast, symbolizing the whispers of lovers. Albert and Claude Lamorisse had three children named Pascal, Sabine, and Fanny. Pascal and Sabine were featured in The Red Balloon.

Short films • Bim (1950)... a.k.a. Bim, le petit âne (France) • Crin-Blanc (1953)... a.k.a. White Mane (U.S.) and Wild Stallion • Le Ballon rouge (1956)... a.k.a. The Red Balloon Feature films • Le Voyage en ballon (1960);... a.k.a. Stowaway in the Sky • Fifi la plume (1965)... a.k.a. Circus Angel (US: TV title) Documentaries • Djerba (1947) • Versailles (1967) • Paris jamais vu (1967) • Le Vent des amoureux (1978)... a.k.a. The Lovers' Wind