Laurent Firode (born 11 March 1963) is a French film director and screenwriter.
Biography
Directing career After studying Chinese and Arabic, Laurent Firode directed his first short film, La Mort du chanteur de Mexico, in 1993.
The film was a success at festivals and allowed him to make his first feature film, Happenstance (Le Battement d'ailes du papillon), starring Audrey Tautou. After working in Canada on an English-language film, My First Wedding, he returned to France to direct Johnny Hallyday in Quartier VIP. He then wrote and directed several television films, including La Pomme de Newton for Arte, which won the award for Best Screenplay at the Saint-Tropez TV Fiction Festival. In 2012, Firode released the feature film Par amour, before dedicating ten years to directing short films.
In 2022, the director returned to cinemas with Le Monde d'après, a satirical sketch comedy addressing various social phenomena (reactions during the health crisis, neo-feminism, transhumanism, identity extremism, etc.). The film, produced outside the traditional institutions and funding of French cinema, was shown during special screenings in a single theater, where it attracted a few hundred viewers.
In 2026, Laurent Firode is involved in both the writing and directing of a French series in the duanju format, produced by Guillaume Sanjorge, extending a Parisian aesthetic already present in his film work, notably in Le Battement d’ailes du papillon with Audrey Tautou/.
YouTube channel Laurent Firode is the producer of the YouTube channel "Les films à l'arrache," which publishes satirical short films. According to an article published in La Lettre, the channel received financial support from the conservative Catholic billionaire Pierre-Édouard Stérin as part of his "Périclès" plan. The channel, described as far-right by Charlie Hebdo, caricatures anti-racist discourse, support for transgender identity, environmentalism, and immigration.
Filmography Year Title Role Box office Notes1996 La mort du chanteur du Mexico Director, writer, Actor, Editor & Producer ShortTorino Film Festival - Jury Special PrizeTorino Film Festival - Special MentionNominated - Torino Film Festival - Prize of the City of Torino Super bon prix Director & writer Short1997 La nuit est belle Director, writer, Actor & Cinematographer ShortFestival du Film Policier de Cognac - Best Short Le cri Director, writer & Actor Short1998 Les astres Director, writer & Cinematographer Short La cité Raymond Queneau Director, Cinematographer & Composer Short1999 Les menteurs Director & writer Short Le rendez-vous Cinematographer Short directed by Husky Kihal2000 Happenstance Director & writer $727,431 Festival International du Film Francophone de Namur - Best FilmFestival International du Film Francophone de Namur - Best First Screenplay2004 Moitié-moitié Director TV movie2005 Quartier V.I.P.Director & writer $451,530 La pomme de Newton TV movie2006 My First Wedding Director $666,154 Comment lui direDirector & writer TV movie2011 Midi et soir TV movie2012 Par amour Director, writer & Editor Télé gaucho Actor $758,347
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