24 Facts About Euzhan Palcy

Euzhan Palcy's films are known to explore themes of race, gender, and politics, with an emphasis on the perpetuated effects of colonialism.

Euzhan Palcy has since moved towards directing documentaries and television projects such as Aime Cesaire: A Voice for History.

Euzhan Palcy then directed the television films Ruby Bridges and The Killing Yard, as well as the documentary The Journey of the Dissidents and the miniseries The Brides of Bourbon Island.

Euzhan Palcy is the first black director to win a Cesar Award and the Venice Film Festival's Silver Lion, both for Sugar Cane Alley.

Euzhan Palcy was born in Martinique, an overseas department and region of France.

Euzhan Palcy grew up studying the films of Fritz Lang, Alfred Hitchcock, Billy Wilder and Orson Welles.

Euzhan Palcy decided at the young age of ten to become a filmmaker, largely due to the imprecise depictions of black people in film and television, and her desire for a more accurate portrayal.

In 1989, Euzhan Palcy wrote and directed A Dry White Season, an American drama film directed by her and starring Donald Sutherland, Jurgen Prochnow, Marlon Brando, Janet Suzman, Zakes Mokae and Susan Sarandon.

Euzhan Palcy is the only woman filmmaker to have directed Marlon Brando, whom she brought back to the screen after a gap of nine years.

Euzhan Palcy was the first black director to direct an actor to an Oscar nomination Also starring in the film were actors Donald Sutherland and Susan Sarandon.

Euzhan Palcy was so passionate about creating an accurate story depicting the reality of apartheid that she risked her life traveling undercover to South Africa.

Euzhan Palcy became the first black female director produced by a major Hollywood studio and is the only black filmmaker who succeeded in making in the US a narrative feature against apartheid on the silver screen during the 27 years of Nelson Mandela's incarceration.

Euzhan Palcy remained in France to create her first feature three-part documentary, Aime Cesaire, A Voice For History about the famed Martinican poet, playwright, and philosopher, whom she has described as her "first godfather".

Euzhan Palcy's film won four awards, including The Christopher Awards, The Humanitas Prize, the National Educational Media Network Gold Apple and best performance Young actress award Young Artists Awards.

In 2005, Euzhan Palcy returned to the documentary to direct Parcours de Dissidents, narrated by Gerard Depardieu.

In 2007, Euzhan Palcy wrote and directed Les Mariees de I'isles Bourbon, a romantic historical epic adventure.

Euzhan Palcy wrote and directed the French three-hour period piece set in the 17th century, Les Mariees de I'isles Bourbon.

Euzhan Palcy's drive for the life and compassion for humanity inspire each and every project with which she is involved.

For Fox Studios, Euzhan Palcy developed an animated feature, currently entitled Katoumbaza.

Euzhan Palcy is actively developing a feature film, on Bessie Coleman, for which she recorded the very last witness of the first African-American woman aviator journey in France, and an action comedy set in Los Angeles and Paris.

Euzhan Palcy announced on stage that Moly Kane would receive the prosthetic leg of his dreams so that he could be free to film with his camera.

The geographical setting varies from project to project, yet Euzhan Palcy's focus on Black culture remains constant.

Euzhan Palcy often uses non professional actors in her films, and works with them to ensure a feeling of authenticity is maintained.

In Sugarcane Alley, many actors were actual workers from the sugarcane plantation, and Euzhan Palcy had them live on set for two months prior to the shooting date.