Bille August (; born 9 November 1948) is a Danish director, screenwriter, and cinematographer of film and television.
August's 1987 film Pelle the Conqueror won the , Academy Award and Golden Globe Award. He is one of only ten directors to win the twice, winning the award again in 1992 for The Best Intentions, based on the autobiographical script by Ingmar Bergman.
His filmography includes The House of the Spirits, based on the novel by Isabel Allende; Smilla's Sense of Snow; Les Misérables; Night Train to Lisbon, Silent Heart, The Chinese Widow and A Fortunate Man. He has received five Robert Awards (including Best Film and Best Director) and three Bodil Awards for Best Danish Film. He is also a Knight of the Order of the Dannebrog.
Life and career August was born on 9 November 1948, in Brede, Denmark. After attending local schools, he graduated from the Foto- och Dokumentärskolan in Stockholm, Sweden, and later from the National Film School of Denmark. He began his career as a cinematographer. He made his feature directorial debut in 1978 with In My Life, which won the Bodil Award for Best Danish Film.
He collaborated twice with then wife Pernilla August under George Lucas on The Adventures of Young Indiana Jones in The Perils of Cupid and Tales of Innocence. Pernilla would later star in the first two films of the Star Wars prequel trilogy and appeared in an episode of The Clone Wars television series to reprise her role from the films.
After decades of writing, directing and producing notable films in Denmark, on 23 September 2011, Bille August announced that he had opened a studio in Hangzhou, China and taken a position as Tianpeng Media's Art Director, in order to produce Chinese films for Tianpeng Media over the next few years. Tianpeng Media is a new media company established in 2010. The company produced two films, The Women Knight of Mirror (竞雄女侠秋瑾) and The Years of Qi Xiao Fu (七小福之燃情岁月), to be released later in 2011. He is the first foreign director to be hired by the Chinese film company. In 2011, August also accepted the invitation from the Hangzhou government to serve as a "culture consultant" for the city.
His film Night Train to Lisbon (2013) premiered out of competition at the 63rd Berlin International Film Festival. He had planned to direct a Gianni Versace biopic with Antonio Banderas as Versace, but this project was cancelled. In August 2021, it was announced that August would direct a feature film adaptation of Karen Blixen's novel Ehrengard, which is being produced by Netflix and SF Studios.
Filmography Film Director Year Title Director Writer Notes1978In My Life1983Zappa1984Busters verdenTwist and Shout 1987Pelle the Conqueror 1992The Best Intentions1993The House of the Spirits1996Jerusalem1997Smilla's Sense of Snow1998Les Misérables2001A Song for MartinAlso producer2004Return to Sender2007Goodbye BafanaTo Each His Own CinemaSegment "The Last Dating Show"2012The Passion of Marie2013Night Train to Lisbon2014Silent Heart2017The Chinese Widow55 Steps2018A Fortunate Man2021The Pact2022The Kiss2023Ehrengard: The Art of Seduction
Director of photography Year Title Director Notes1977ChristianiaFlemming ColstrupOve NyholmDocumentary filmHemåt i nattenJon Lindström1978Men Can't Be RapedJörn Donner1980LoveTheodor KallifatidesMördare! Mördare!Jon LindströmTomas: A Child You Cannot ReachLone HertzDocumentary film1981Killing HeatMichael Raeburn 1982Sova rävGun Jönsson
Television Miniseries Year TitleDirectorWriter1978Et par dage med Magnus2024The Count of Monte Cristo
TV movies Year TitleDirectorWriter1980Verden er så stor, så stor1982Maj2003Detaljer
TV series Year Title Notes1993The Young Indiana Jones Chronicles2 episodes
Awards and nominations Year Title Notes1978In My LifeBodil Award for Best Danish FilmNominated- Chicago Gold HugoNominated- Golden Moscow Prize1983ZappaNominated- Golden Moscow Prize1984Busters verdenUNICEF AwardC.I.F.E.J. Prize of the International Film Festival for Children and YouthTwist and ShoutRobert Award for Best ScreenplayUNICEF AwardC.I.F.E.J. Prize of the International Film Festival for Children and YouthNominated- Golden Moscow Prize 1987Pelle the ConquerorBodil Award for Best Danish FilmRobert Award for Best Danish FilmRobert Award for Best ScreenplayGuldbagge Award for Best FilmNominated- César Award for Best European Film 1992The Best IntentionsNominated- Guldbagge Award for Best Director1993The House of the SpiritsRobert Award for Best Danish FilmRobert Award for Best Screenplay1996JerusalemLübeck Nordic Film Days1997Smilla's Sense of SnowNominated- Golden Berlin Bear1998Les MisérablesNominated- Golden Cairo Pyramid Award2001A Song for MartinNominated- Bodil Award for Best Danish FilmNominated- Crystal GlobeNominated- Guldbagge Award for Best DirectorNominated- Guldbagge Award for Best ScreenplayNominated- Golden Festroia DolphinNominated- Miami Grand Jury Prize2007Goodbye BafanaBerlin Peace Film AwardCapri Arts AwardNominated- Golden Berlin Bear Cinema for Peace Award for the Most Valuable Director of the Year2012The Passion of MarieNominated- Chicago Gold Hugo2014Silent HeartBodil Award for Best Danish FilmNominated- Robert Award for Best Danish FilmNominated- Robert Award for Best DirectorNominated- Robert Audience AwardNominated- Nordic Council Film PrizeNominated- Golden Shell2017The Chinese WidowNominated- Shanghai Golden Goblet Award for Best Feature Film2018A Fortunate ManBeijing Tiantian Award for Best FilmNominated- Robert Award for Best Danish FilmNominated- Robert Award for Best DirectorNominated- Robert Award for Best Adapted ScreenplayNominated- Filmfest Hamburg Critics Choice Award2021The PactNominated- Beijing Tiantian Award for Best Film
References
External links 1997 interview with Bille August about Smilla's Sense of Snow