Teddy Lussi-Modeste
French Romani film director, screenwriter and literature teacher
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Teddy Lussi-Modeste (born 25 March 1978) is a French Romani[3][4] film director, screenwriter and literature teacher.[5] He wrote and directed the films Jimmy Rivière (2011), The Price of Success (2017), and The Good Teacher (2024).
Early life
Lussi-Modeste grew up in La Tronche, Grenoble, in a Sinti, Manush Romani community in France.[3][6]
Career
Lussi-Modeste studied cinema at the film school La Fémis in Paris.[7] He later became a literature teacher in high schools and colleges, before devoting himself entirely to cinema in the late 2000s.[7]
Lussi-Modeste started his career as a film director in 2004 with the short film Kissing Tigers. In 2011, he released his feature directorial debut, the drama Jimmy Rivière.[8] He later wrote and directed the drama films The Price of Success (2017), and The Good Teacher (2024).[5] Lussi-Modeste also co-wrote the screenplay of Rebecca Zlotowski's 2019 comedy drama film An Easy Girl, and Maïwenn's 2023 historical drama film Jeanne du Barry.[5]
In the 2020s, Lussi-Modeste kept working as a French teacher at a school in Aubervilliers in the Seine-Saint-Denis department, the northeastern suburbs of Paris.[9]
Filmography
As director
| Year | Title | Notes | Ref(s) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2004 | Kissing Tigers | Short film | [5] |
| 2005 | Courts mais GAY: Tome 10 | Short film, segment Embrasser les tigres | |
| 2007 | Dans l'oeil | Short film | |
| 2009 | I'm Coming | Short film | |
| 2011 | Jimmy Rivière | Also screenwriter | |
| 2017 | The Price of Success | [10] | |
| 2024 | The Good Teacher | [11] | |
As screenwriter
| Year | Title | Notes | Ref(s) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2004 | Pilou | Short film; directed by Claudine Natkin | [5] |
| 2019 | An Easy Girl | Directed by Rebecca Zlotowski | |
| 2023 | Jeanne du Barry | Directed by Maïwenn | |
As actor
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2023 | Jeanne du Barry | Doctor La Martinière | Directed by Maïwenn |
Awards and nominations
| Year | Award / Festival | Category | Work | Result | Ref(s) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2011 | Angers Premiers Plans Film Festival | Audience Award - Best French Feature Film | Jimmy Rivière | Won | [12] |
| Louis Delluc Prize | Best Debut Film | Nominated | [13] | ||
| 2017 | San Sebastián International Film Festival | New Directors Award | The Price of Success | Nominated | [14] |
