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Suzanne Schiffman

Suzanne Schiffman

Writer and director · Died June 6, 2001, aged 71 · Paris, France

Suzanne Schiffman (née Klochendler, 27 September 1929 – 6 June 2001) was a screenwriter and director for numerous motion pictures. She often worked with François Truffaut. The 'script girl' Joelle, played by Nathalie Baye in Truffaut's Day for Night was based on Schiffman. It accurately portrayed the close collaboration she had with Truffaut and other directors. Her Jewish mother was detained by the Gestapo during the war, but Klochendler and her sibling were hidden by an order of nuns.[1] Schiffman studied art history at the Sorbonne after the war. During her career she worked closely with Jean-Luc Godard and Jacques Rivette in addition to Truffaut, latterly on the scripts of his films. She was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Original Screenplay for the film Day for Night and won a César Award for writing The Last Metro with Truffaut. Suzanne Schiffman died of cancer in 2001. Description above from the Wikipedia article Suzanne Schiffman, licensed under CC-BY-SA, full list of contributors on Wikipedia.

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Biography from TMDB.

Born
September 27, 1929
Died
June 6, 2001 (aged 71)
From
Paris, France
Works as
Writer and director
Titles
32 on MovieCove · 52 credits in all
Links
IMDb (opens in a new tab)TMDB (opens in a new tab)Wikidata (opens in a new tab)

Known for

TMDB popularity, last 39 days to Oct 28Down 31% in 30 days

What are Suzanne Schiffman's films like?

Across their 12 MovieCove titles with a thematic analysis, their films lean Bonds and Self.

Genres

Comedy7 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 88th percentile, at or above their average across these genres
: browse their Comedy movies
Drama3 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 86th percentile
: browse their Drama movies

Their MovieCove films by primary genre. The badge is the typical Midcredits score of the genre's films, the median percentile; an up arrow marks a genre at or above their average across these genres.

Themes

share of theme weight
Bonds
32%
Self
25%
Ideas
20%
Society
15%
Morality
4%
Power
2%
Survival
2%
Romantic love5 titles, browse their movies with this themeArt3 titles, browse their movies with this themeObsession2 titles, browse their movies with this themePurpose3 titles, browse their movies with this themeCommunity2 titles, browse their movies with this themeSelf-worth2 titles, browse their movies with this theme

What they feel like to watch

their average across 12 films
ToneFeelDemandtheir average · filled zone: the category
Serious: How heavy the subject matter and outlook get. Browse their serious movies.
Tone · Weight
lightdark

A split, not a type: Light 6 · Serious 4 · Dark 2

Grounded: How far its world departs from everyday reality. Browse their grounded movies.
Tone · Style
naturalisticheightened

Grounded 6 · Stylized 5 · Heightened 1

Charged: How hard the emotional peaks hit while you watch. Browse their charged movies.
Feel · Intensity
gentleintense

A split, not a type: Gentle 7 · Charged 3 · Intense 2

Steady: How much it swings between very different feelings. Browse their steady movies.
Feel · Swings
steadyswings

Steady 9 · Shifting 3 · Whiplash 0

Some laughs: How much of the runtime is played for laughs. Browse their some laughs movies.
Feel · Humor
noneconstant

Straight-faced 5 · Some laughs 7 · Funny 0

Slow burn: How fast it moves from scene to scene. Browse their slow burn movies.
Demand · Pace
slowrelentless

Slow burn 9 · Even-paced 3 · Relentless 0

Engaged: How much focus it asks of you — look away and lose the thread? Browse their engaged movies.
Demand · Attention
casualfull focus

Casual 4 · Engaged 7 · Full focus 1

Affecting: How much it costs you emotionally; whether you need recovery time. Browse their affecting movies.
Demand · Emotional cost
easyheavy

A split, not a type: Easy watch 6 · Affecting 4 · Heavy 2

Open-ended: How much is left for you to interpret. Browse their open-ended movies.
Demand · Resolution
resolvedambiguous

A split, not a type: Resolved 6 · Open-ended 4 · Ambiguous 2

Moods and endings

endings are an aggregate; no title is named

Dominant moods · mentions across their titles

Tense
7
Warm
5
Contemplative
6
Romantic
4
Melancholic
3
Other
7

How their films linger

Feel-good4 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteBittersweet4 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteHopeful4 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteHaunting3 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteThought-provoking3 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteWistful4 titles, browse their movies with this aftertaste

How their films end · 1 with a twist

  • Happy2
  • Bittersweet4
  • Tragic2
  • Ambiguous4

AI-generated from each title's plot synopsis and cast list, with extra plot summaries, reviews and Parents Guide notes for titles the model may not know, and the model's own knowledge of the ones it recognizes. Only analyzed titles count, so this covers part of the filmography; the feel axes count films only for now.

Where can I watch Suzanne Schiffman's films?

As of October 24, 2026, 22 of their 32 MovieCove titles stream on a subscription or free service, most on The Criterion Channel (15).

Also on these channels

Subscription and free streaming for Suzanne Schiffman's titles on MovieCove; rent and buy are not counted. Titles are listed by Midcredits score, highest first, at most 12 per service; a dashed chip is a producer credit or a minor one, such as a thanks. A service opens the browse page, which counts movies only, so its number can differ.

Filmography

52 credits, 32 with a MovieCove page; 1 appearance as themselves is hidden until asked for.

  • Το όνειρο του Ίκαρου (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2005)

    Writer

  • Fool's Song (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2003)

    Writer

  • Stolen Tangos (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2002)

    Writer

  • Le jour et la nuit (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1992)

    Director · Writer

  • Out 1 (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1990)

    Co-Director · Set Designer · Writer

  • Corps perdus (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1990)

    Writer

  • Paperback Woman (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1989)

    Director · Writer

  • Sorceress(1987)

    Director · Writer

    Midcredits score: 61st percentile of all films

  • Wuthering Heights (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1985)

    Screenplay

  • The Future of Emily (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1985)

    Writer

  • Robin (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1985)

    Scenario Writer

  • Love on the Ground(1984)

    Writer

    Midcredits score: 69th percentile of all films

  • The Man Who Loved Women(1983)

    Original Film Writer

    Midcredits score: 18th percentile of all films

  • Confidentially Yours(1983)

    Adaptation · Assistant Director · Dialogue · Screenplay

    Midcredits score: 88th percentile of all films

  • Le Pont du Nord(1981)

    Scenario Writer · Writer

    Midcredits score: 74th percentile of all films

  • Merry-Go-Round (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1981)

    Writer

  • The Woman Next Door(1981)

    Assistant Director · Screenplay

    Midcredits score: 86th percentile of all films

  • Paris s'en va (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1981)

    Writer

  • The Last Metro(1980)

    Assistant Director · Dialogue · Screenplay

    Midcredits score: 91st percentile of all films

  • Love on the Run(1979)

    First Assistant Director · Screenplay

    Midcredits score: 84th percentile of all films

  • The Green Room (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1978)

    Assistant Director · First Assistant Director

  • The Man Who Loved Women(1977)

    First Assistant Director · Screenplay · as La femme avec le bébé (uncredited)

    Midcredits score: 90th percentile of all films

  • Small Change(1976)

    Assistant Director · Screenplay

    Midcredits score: 94th percentile of all films

  • The Story of Adele H(1975)

    Assistant Director · Screenplay

    Midcredits score: 87th percentile of all films

  • Don't Cry with Your Mouth Full (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1973)

    First Assistant Director · Scenario Writer · Writer

  • Out 1: Spectre (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1973)

    Writer

  • Day for Night(1973)

    Assistant Director · Writer

    Midcredits score: 97th percentile of all films

  • A Gorgeous Girl Like Me(1972)

    Assistant Director

    Midcredits score: 60th percentile of all films

  • Two English Girls(1971)

    Assistant Director

    Midcredits score: 86th percentile of all films

  • Out 1 (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1971)

    Show 8 episodes · Co-Director · Writer

  • The Boat on the Grass (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1971)

    Writer

  • Bed & Board(1970)

    First Assistant Director

    Midcredits score: 92nd percentile of all films

  • The Wild Child(1970)

    Assistant Director

    Midcredits score: 92nd percentile of all films

  • Mississippi Mermaid(1969)

    Script Supervisor

    Midcredits score: 76th percentile of all films

  • Les Gauloises bleues (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1969)

    Script Supervisor

  • Stolen Kisses(1968)

    Script Supervisor

    Midcredits score: 93rd percentile of all films

  • The Bride Wore Black(1968)

    Script Supervisor

    Midcredits score: 87th percentile of all films

  • The Chinese(1967)

    Script Supervisor

    Midcredits score: 82nd percentile of all films

  • Fahrenheit 451(1966)

    First Assistant Director

    Midcredits score: 85th percentile of all films

  • A Married Woman(1964)

    Script Supervisor

    Midcredits score: 84th percentile of all films

  • Band of Outsiders(1964)

    Script Supervisor

    Midcredits score: 95th percentile of all films

  • The Soft Skin(1964)

    Script Supervisor

    Midcredits score: 93rd percentile of all films

  • Contempt(1963)

    Script Supervisor

    Midcredits score: 89th percentile of all films

  • Le Petit Soldat (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1963)

    Script Supervisor

  • My Life to Live(1962)

    Script Supervisor

    Midcredits score: 97th percentile of all films

  • Love at Twenty(1962)

    Script Supervisor

    Midcredits score: 82nd percentile of all films

  • Jules and Jim(1962)

    Script Supervisor

    Midcredits score: 95th percentile of all films

  • A Woman Is a Woman(1961)

    Script Supervisor

    Midcredits score: 90th percentile of all films

  • Amazons of Rome(1961)

    Script Supervisor

    Midcredits score: 6th percentile of all films

  • Lola(1961)

    Script · Script Supervisor

    Midcredits score: 92nd percentile of all films

  • Shoot the Piano Player(1960)

    Script Supervisor

    Midcredits score: 91st percentile of all films

  • The Army Game (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1960)

    Script Supervisor

Career shape

A full career of 52 titles from 1960 to 2005.

Biggest box office

The Man Who Loved Women (1983)

$11M worldwide

Highest rated

Day for Night (1973)

Midcredits 97th

Most popular right now

The Last Metro (1980)

By role

only this rolewith another role
Acting1 of 52: 0 only acting, 1 with another roleDirecting5 of 52: 0 only directing, 5 with another roleWriting28 of 52: 14 only writing, 14 with another role · typical Midcredits score87thOther crew34 of 52: 24 only other crew, 10 with another role · typical Midcredits score90th

52 titles, 14 with more than one role — other crew and writing overlap on 10 of them.

By decade

1960s19 · crew1970s14 · 1 acting · 14 crew1980s13 · crew1990s3 · crew2000s3 · crew

Counts from TMDB across their full career, self appearances out; a title counts in every role they held on it. The ring is the typical Midcredits score (the median percentile) of the role's titles that are on MovieCove, shown from 5 scored.

How do Suzanne Schiffman's films land?

Their typical MovieCove film has a Midcredits score in the 88th percentile, the median of all 32; across their 12 films with reception data, the typical film sits in the 84th percentile for acclaim.

Acclaim · how much people like their films

84thpercentile
Typical film, the median of 12

Approval · how many liked their films

86thpercentile
Typical film, the median of 12

Reach · how many have seen their films

81stpercentile
Typical film, the median of 12

Midcredits score across 32 titles, by percentile

  • 75th and up26
  • 50th to 74th4
  • Below 25th2

Shape of the crowd

23 of their 32 titles are Crowd Pleasers.

  • Universally Loved7
  • Crowd Pleaser23
  • Broadly Agreed1
  • Mixed1

Most divisive · director, writer

Sorceress (1987)

55th percentile spread · 16% rated it 4 or lower

Most loved · writer

Day for Night (1973)

Midcredits 97th · 86% liked

Reviewers score the dialogue 58/100 and the plot and story 45/100 in their films, across 12 reviewed titles. The element that speaks to their work as a writer.

Percentiles are each film's standing among all films on MovieCove; the typical film is the median, so one outlier cannot drag it. Percentiles and reviewer scores count the films IMDb credits them on, for now; the Midcredits score bands, the shape of the crowd and the two cards count their MovieCove titles, shows included (a show ranked among shows), appearances as themselves left out. A descriptor is the shape of a title's IMDb rating distribution against the catalog; "most divisive" needs a spread wider than half of all titles, and a card names only a principal credit: a craft role, and on a show a crew role or a run of episodes, never a courtesy credit or a one-off guest spot.

Is Suzanne Schiffman's work okay for kids?

Across up to 5 MovieCove titles with content scores, every category sits near the median of all films.

Their medianMedian of all filmsMiddle 80% of their titles
Sex & Nudity5 titles29–57 · median 40 · moderatenear the median of all filmsMedian of all films: 32

Severity 0–100 from the Content Guide. Categories with under 10 votes on a title are not counted. The band's colour is the severity of their median, named beside it.

Who does Suzanne Schiffman work with?

People who share at least 2 of Suzanne Schiffman's MovieCove titles, grouped by what they did on them; François Truffaut shares the most, 9.

Directors

Writers

Actors

Composers, cinematographers and editors

Producers

Mixed roles