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Claire Simon

Claire Simon

Director, writer and cinematographer, also actor · Born July 1, 1955 (71) · London, England, UK

Cannes award winner · Venice award winner · Berlinale award nominee

Claire Simon is a French scriptwriter, actress, cinematographer,editor and director.

Biography from TMDB.

Born
July 1, 1955 (71)
From
London, England, UK
Works as
Director, writer and cinematographer, also actor
Titles
5 on Motif · 39 credits in all
Links
IMDb (opens in a new tab)TMDB (opens in a new tab)Official site (opens in a new tab)Wikidata (opens in a new tab)

Known for

TMDB popularity, last 157 days to Oct 28Up 36% in 30 days

What are Claire Simon's films like?

Across a limited sample of 4 Motif titles with a thematic analysis, their films lean Society and Self.

Themes

share of theme weight
Society
26%
Self
20%
Ideas
19%
Power
16%
Survival
13%
Morality
6%
Community3 titles, browse their movies with this theme

What they feel like to watch

their average across 4 films
ToneFeelDemandtheir average · filled zone: the category
Grounded: How far its world departs from everyday reality. Browse their grounded movies.
Tone · Style
naturalisticheightened

Grounded 3 · Stylized 0 · Heightened 1

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

Gentle 2 · Charged 2 · Intense 0

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

Steady 4 · Shifting 0 · Whiplash 0

Straight-faced: How much of the runtime is played for laughs. Browse their straight-faced movies.
Feel · Humor
noneconstant

Straight-faced 4 · Some laughs 0 · Funny 0

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

Slow burn 4 · Even-paced 0 · Relentless 0

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

A split, not a type: Casual 1 · Engaged 1 · Full focus 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 1 · Open-ended 1 · Ambiguous 2

Moods and endings

endings shown from 5 titles

Dominant moods · mentions across their titles

Contemplative
3
Hopeful
2
Tense
1
Warm
1
Bittersweet
1
Other
3

How their films linger

Thought-provoking3 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteHopeful2 titles, browse their movies with this aftertaste

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 Claire Simon's films?

As of October 24, 2026, 3 of their 5 Motif titles stream on a subscription or free service.

Also on these channels

Subscription and free streaming for Claire Simon's titles on Motif; rent and buy are not counted. Titles are listed by Motif 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

39 credits, 5 with a Motif page.

  • Writing Life – Annie Ernaux Through the Eyes of High School Students (not in the Motif catalog yet)(2026)

    Director · Author · Camera Operator

  • Elementary(2024)

    Director · Cinematographer

    Motif score: 67th percentile of all films

  • Our Body(2023)

    Director · Author · Cinematographer · as Self

    Motif score: 95th percentile of all films

  • I Want to Talk About Duras (not in the Motif catalog yet)(2022)

    Director · Screenplay

  • The Grocer's Son, the Mayor, the Village and the World (not in the Motif catalog yet)(2021)

    Director · Cinematographer

  • Garage, Engines, and Men (not in the Motif catalog yet)(2021)

    Director

  • The Village (not in the Motif catalog yet)(2019)

    Show 10 episodes · Director · Cinematographer · Creator

  • Young Solitude (not in the Motif catalog yet)(2018)

    Director · Cinematographer · Writer

  • Uno sguardo alla Terra (not in the Motif catalog yet)(2018)

    Actor

  • The Competition(2016)

    Director · Cinematographer · Screenplay

    Motif score: 75th percentile of all films

  • The Woods Dreams Are Made of (not in the Motif catalog yet)(2016)

    Director · Cinematographer · Writer

  • Gare du Nord (not in the Motif catalog yet)(2013)

    Director · Writer

  • Human Geography (not in the Motif catalog yet)(2013)

    Director · Assistant Editor · Cinematographer · as Self

  • Film socialisme(2010)

    Writer

    Motif score: 45th percentile of all films

  • God's Offices (not in the Motif catalog yet)(2008)

    Director · Screenplay

  • Ça brûle (not in the Motif catalog yet)(2006)

    Director · Writer

  • A Home at the End of the World(2004)

    Casting

    Motif score: 66th percentile of all films

  • Mimi (not in the Motif catalog yet)(2003)

    Director · Editor · Writer · as Self (voice)

  • Un petit cas de conscience (not in the Motif catalog yet)(2002)

    as Sophie

  • 800 Km De Différence - Romance (not in the Motif catalog yet)(2002)

    Director · Cinematographer · Editor · Writer

  • Ça, c'est vraiment toi (not in the Motif catalog yet)(2000)

    Director

  • Sinon, oui (not in the Motif catalog yet)(1997)

    Director · Screenplay

  • At All Costs (not in the Motif catalog yet)(1995)

    Director · Cinematographer

  • Récréations (not in the Motif catalog yet)(1993)

    Director · Cinematographer

  • Histoire de Marie (not in the Motif catalog yet)(1993)

    Director

  • The Wheel (not in the Motif catalog yet)(1993)

    Director

  • Scènes de ménage (not in the Motif catalog yet)(1991)

    Director

  • Les patients (not in the Motif catalog yet)(1990)

    Director · Writer

  • Agosto (not in the Motif catalog yet)(1988)

    Editor

  • La police (not in the Motif catalog yet)(1988)

    Director · Writer

  • Quand je serai jeune (not in the Motif catalog yet)(1988)

    as Claire, l'assistante monteuse

  • Une journee de vacances (not in the Motif catalog yet)(1983)

    Director

  • Subterfuge (not in the Motif catalog yet)(1983)

    Editor

  • Mon cher Simon (not in the Motif catalog yet)(1982)

    Director

  • Moi non ou l’argent de Patricia (not in the Motif catalog yet)(1981)

    Director

  • Plogoff, Stones Against Rifles (not in the Motif catalog yet)(1980)

    Editor

  • Tandis que j’agonise (not in the Motif catalog yet)(1980)

    Director · Editor · Writer

  • Madeleine (not in the Motif catalog yet)(1976)

    Director

  • Jamie (not in the Motif catalog yet)

    Director · Cinematographer

Career shape

A full career of 38 titles, 37 of them dated from 1976 to 2026.

Biggest box office

Film socialisme (2010)

$222K worldwide

Highest rated

Our Body (2023)

Motif 95th

Most popular right now

Film socialisme (2010)

By role

only this rolewith another role
Acting3 of 38: 3 only acting, 0 with another roleDirecting31 of 38: 10 only directing, 21 with another roleWriting15 of 38: 0 only writing, 15 with another roleCinematography11 of 38: 0 only cinematography, 11 with another roleEditing6 of 38: 3 only editing, 3 with another roleOther crew4 of 38: 1 only other crew, 3 with another role

38 titles, 21 with more than one role — directing and writing overlap on 15 of them.

By decade

1970s1 · crew1980s9 · 1 acting · 8 crew1990s7 · crew2000s7 · 1 acting · 6 crew2010s7 · 1 acting · 6 crew2020s6 · crew

Counts from TMDB across their full career, self appearances out; a title counts in every role they held on it.

Awards

2 major awards from 10 major nominations, 1997–2024.

WinNomination
  1. 2024
    • Cannes award, nominated
  2. 2023
    • Berlinale award, nominated ×2
  3. 2018
    • Berlinale award, nominated
  4. 2016
    • Venice award, won · Best Documentary on Cinema
  5. 2008
    • Cannes award, won
    • Cannes award, nominated · Directors' Fortnight
    • Cannes award, nominated
  6. 2006
    • Cannes award, nominated · Directors' Fortnight
  7. 1997
    • Cannes award, nominated · Directors' Fortnight

Major bodies only: the Oscars, Primetime Emmys, Golden Globes, BAFTAs and Screen Actors Guild Awards are named; Cannes, Venice, the Berlinale, Sundance, the directors', writers' and producers' guilds, the Grammys, Critics Choice and the Independent Spirit Awards count as other major bodies. Festival and regional prizes are not counted. Source: IMDb.

How do Claire Simon's films land?

Their typical Motif film has a Motif score in the 67th percentile, the median of all 5; across a limited sample of 4 films with reception data, the typical film sits in the 73rd percentile for acclaim.

Acclaim · how much people like their films

73rdpercentile
Typical film, the median of 4

Approval · how many liked their films

67thpercentile
Typical film, the median of 4

Reach · how many have seen their films

59thpercentile
Typical film, the median of 4

Motif score across 5 titles, by percentile

  • 75th and up2
  • 50th to 74th2
  • 25th to 49th1

Shape of the crowd

2 of their 5 titles are Crowd Pleasers.

  • Universally Loved1
  • Cult Classic1
  • Crowd Pleaser2
  • Mixed1

Most divisive · writer

Film socialisme (2010)

74th percentile spread · 28% rated it 4 or lower

Most loved · actor, director, writer, cinematographer

Our Body (2023)

Motif 95th · 83% liked

Reviewers score the atmosphere 75/100 in their films, across 3 reviewed titles; fans 82, detractors 30. The element that speaks to their work as a director.

Percentiles are each film's standing among all films on Motif; 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 Motif score bands, the shape of the crowd and the two cards count their Motif 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.

Who does Claire Simon work with?

People who share at least 2 of Claire Simon's Motif titles; Luc Forveille shares the most, 3.