Greatest Directors--U-V

1. Lars von Trier

Writer | Dancer in the Dark

Probably the most ambitious and visually distinctive filmmaker to emerge from Denmark since Carl Theodor Dreyer over 60 years earlier, Lars von Trier studied film at the Danish Film School and attracted international attention with his very first feature, The Element of Crime (1984). A highly ...

2. Agnès Varda

Director | Sans toit ni loi

Agnès Varda was born on May 30, 1928 in Brussels, Belgium as Arlette Varda. She is a director and writer, known for Vagabond (1985), Faces Places (2017) and Le Bonheur (1965). She was previously married to Jacques Demy.

3. Phil Vischer

Actor | Jonah: A VeggieTales Movie

Phil Vischer was born on June 16, 1966 in Muscatine, Iowa, USA. He is an actor, known for Jonah: A VeggieTales Movie (2002), VeggieTales (1993) and VeggieTales: Lyle, the Kindly Viking (2001). He is married to Lisa Vischer. They have three children.

4. Liv Ullmann

Actress | Viskningar och rop

Liv Ullmann's father was a Norwegian engineer who used to work abroad, so as a child she lived in Tokyo, Canada, New York and Oslo. In the mid-'50s she made her stage debut and in 1957 made her film debut. She really became successful, however, when she began to work for Swedish director Ingmar ...

5. King Vidor

Director | Hallelujah

King Vidor was an American film director, film producer, and screenwriter of Hungarian descent. He was born in Galveston, Texas to lumberman Charles Shelton Vidor and his wife Kate Wallis. King's paternal grandfather Károly (Charles) Vidor had fled Hungary as a refugee following the failed ...

6. W.S. Van Dyke

Director | The Thin Man

For the better part of his career, Woodbridge Strong Van Dyke lived up to his sobriquet "One-Take Woody" by steadfastly adhering to his credo of shooting each scene as quickly and efficiently as possible. Over his 25-year career, he economically directed over 90 diverse entertainments, which not ...

7. Jean Vigo

Writer | Zéro de conduite: Jeunes diables au collège

Jean Vigo had bad health since he was a child. Son of anarchist militant Miguel Almareyda, he also never really recovered from his father's mysterious death in jail when he was 12. Abandoned by his mother, he passed from boarding school to boarding school. Aged 23, through meetings with people ...

8. Mario Van Peebles

Actor | How to Get the Man's Foot Outta Your Ass

Mario Van Peebles is a highly regarded director, actor, producer and writer. His directorial skills can be seen in the retelling of the epic mini-series "Roots" starring Forest Whitaker and Matthew Goode. Van Pebbles has directed award-winning shows such as the recent hit "Empire" and "The Last ...

9. Paul Verhoeven

Director | RoboCop

Paul Verhoeven graduated from the University of Leiden, with a degree in math and physics. He entered the Royal Netherlands Navy, where he began his film career by making documentaries for the Navy and later for TV. In 1969, he directed the popular Dutch TV series, Floris (1969), about a medieval ...

10. Dziga Vertov

Director | Chelovek s kino-apparatom

Born in Bialystok, Poland, studied music and enrolled in St. Petersburg Neurological Institute in 1916. Worked on first Soviet newsreel, Kinonedelia (1918-1919), then on subsequent newsreel series (inc. Kinopravda, 1922-1925).

11. Luchino Visconti

Director | Rocco e i suoi fratelli

Luchino Visconti was born on November 2, 1906 in Milan, Lombardy, Italy as Luchino Visconti di Modrone. He was a director and writer, known for Rocco and His Brothers (1960), Death in Venice (1971) and Le Notti Bianche (1957). He died on March 17, 1976 in Rome, Lazio, Italy.

12. Gus Van Sant

Director | Elephant

Gus Van Sant was born on July 24, 1952 in Louisville, Kentucky, USA as Gus Greene Van Sant Junior. He is a director and producer, known for Elephant (2003), My Own Private Idaho (1991) and Drugstore Cowboy (1989).

13. Thomas Vinterberg

Director | Jagten

With Sidste omgang (1993) (Last Round), his graduation short from The National Film School of Denmark, he got an early taste of critical success. He received the Jury's and Producers' Awards at the International Student Film Fest in Munich and won the 1st Prize at the Tel Aviv Film Fest. Popular ...

14. Melvin Van Peebles

Actor | The Shining

Melvin Van Peebles was born on August 21, 1932 in Chicago, Illinois, USA. He is an actor and writer, known for The Shining (1997), Sweet Sweetback's Baadasssss Song (1971) and Le conte du ventre plein (2000).

15. Luis Valdez

Director | Zoot Suit

Acknowledged as the founder of modern Chicano theatre and film, Luis Valdez was born to migrant farm workers Francisco and Armida Valdez and spent his early life traveling with the family, working in the fields himself. He eventually found himself at San Jose State College, where his play "The ...

16. Margarethe von Trotta

Director | Rosenstrasse

Margarethe von Trotta was born in Berlin in 1942. In the 1960s she moved to Paris where she worked for film collectives, collaborating on scripts and co-directing short films. She also pursued an acclaimed acting career, starring in films by well known German directors such as Rainer Werner ...

17. Edgar G. Ulmer

Director | The Black Cat

Edgar G. Ulmer was born on September 17, 1904 in Olmütz, Moravia, Austria-Hungary as Edgar George Ulmer. He was a director and writer, known for The Black Cat (1934), Isle of Forgotten Sins (1943) and The Man from Planet X (1951). He was married to Shirley Ulmer and Joan Warner. He died on ...

18. Gore Verbinski

Director | Rango

Gore Verbinski, one of American cinema's most inventive directors who was a punk-rock guitarist as a teenager and had to sell his guitar to buy his first camera, is now the director of Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest (2006) which made the industry record for highest opening weekend of ...

19. Roger Vadim

Writer | Barbarella

Roger Vadim was born on January 26, 1928 in Paris, France as Roger Vladimir Plemiannikov. He was a writer and director, known for Barbarella (1968), The Game Is Over (1966) and No Sun in Venice (1957). He was married to Marie-Christine Barrault, Catherine Schneider, Jane Fonda, Annette Stroyberg ...

20. Ram Gopal Varma

Director | Satya

Ram Gopal Varma was born in Hyderabad, the capital city of the Indian state of Andhra Pradesh. He initially was a video store owner before eventually becoming one of India's leading film directors. A film buff during his youth, Varma would watch both American and Indian cinema regularly. As a young...

21. Frantisek Vlácil

Director | Marketa Lazarová

Frantisek Vlácil was born on February 19, 1924 in Cesky Tesin, Moravian-Silesian, Czech Republic. He was a director and writer, known for Marketa Lazarová (1967), Adelheid (1970) and Stíny horkého léta (1978). He died on January 28, 1999 in Prague, Czech Republic.

22. Francis Veber

Writer | Le dîner de cons

Francis Veber was born on July 28, 1937 in Neuilly-sur-Seine, Hauts-de-Seine, Île-de-France, France. He is a writer and director, known for Le Dîner de Cons (1998), The Birdcage (1996) and The Fugitives (1986). He has been married to Françoise Veber since January 11, 1964. They have two ...

23. Denis Villeneuve

Director | Blade Runner 2049

Denis Villeneuve is a French Canadian film director and writer. He was born in 1967, in Trois-Rivières, Québec, Canada. He started his career as a filmmaker at the National Film Board of Canada. He is best known for his feature films Arrival (2016), Sicario (2015), Prisoners (2013), Enemy (2013), ...

24. Tonino Valerii

Director | Sahara Cross

Tonino Valerii was born on May 20, 1934 in Teramo, Abruzzo, Italy as Antonio Valerii. He was a director and writer, known for Sahara Cross (1977), La ragazza di nome Giulio (1970) and Django Unchained (2012). He was married to Rita. He died on October 13, 2016 in Teramo.

25. Yesim Ustaoglu

Director | Araf

After making several award - winning shorts in Turkey, Yesim Ustaoglu made her feature film debut with 1994's 'The Trace' (Iz). The film was presented at numerous international festivals, including Moscow and Gotenburg and won the Best Film Award at Istanbul Film Festival. Yesim Ustaoglu received ...

26. Jaco Van Dormael

Director | Mr. Nobody

Jaco Van Dormael was born on February 9, 1957 in Ixelles, Brabant, Belgium. He is a director and writer, known for Mr. Nobody (2009), Le tout nouveau testament (2015) and Toto le héros (1991).

27. Charles Vidor

Director | Gilda

Hungarian-born Karoly Vidor spent the First World War as a lieutenant in the Austro-Hungarian infantry. Following the armistice, he made his way to Berlin and worked for the German film company Ufa, as editor and assistant director. In 1924, he emigrated to the U.S. and, for several years, earned ...

28. Pantelis Voulgaris

Director | Happy Day

He studied film direction in Greece and worked in more than 40 films as an assistant director. In 1965 he made his first short film O kleftis (1965) and in 1967 his second short film, Tzimis o Tigris (1966) won many awards in several festivals. In 1972 he made his feature film debut, To proxenio ...

29. Valentin Vaala

Director | Omena putoaa

Valentin Vaala was born on October 11, 1909 in Helsinki, Finland as Valentin Ivanov. He was a director and editor, known for Omena putoaa (1952), Loviisa, Niskavuoren nuori emäntä (1946) and Linnaisten vihreä kamari (1945). He died on November 21, 1976 in Helsinki.

30. Tomu Uchida

Director | Kagirinaki zenshin

Tomu Uchida was born on April 26, 1898 in Okayama, Japan. He was a director and actor, known for Kagirinaki zenshin (1937), Kiga kaikyô (1965) and Tsuchi (1939). He died on August 7, 1970 in Japan.

31. Marcel Varnel

Director | Chandu the Magician

French-born Marcel Varnel began his film career not in France but in Hollywood, as a 30-year-old in 1924. He left Hollywood for Great Britain in the mid-'30s and began turning out a series of low-budget comedies for Will Hay and George Formby, among others. While his films were for the most part ...

32. Carlo Verdone

Actor | La grande bellezza

Carlo Verdone is considered by many the heir of Alberto Sordi, expecially when they acted together in Troppo forte and In viaggio con papa', in these films many similarities with Sordi were apparent, the popular language, the romanesco, and the embodiment of Italian middle man in the '80s that ...

33. Slavko Vorkapich

Director | Hanka

Slavko Vorkapich was born on March 17, 1894 as Slavoljub Vorkapic. He is known for his work on Hanka (1955), Mr. Smith Goes to Washington (1939) and The Life and Death of 9413, a Hollywood Extra (1928). He died on October 20, 1976 in Mijas, Málaga, Andalucía, Spain.

34. Sergey Vasilev

Director | Chapaev

Sergey Vasilev was born on November 4, 1900 in Moscow, Russian Empire as Sergei Dmitriyevich Vasilyev. He was a director and writer, known for Chapaev (1934), Fortress on the Volga (1942) and Heroes of Shipka (1955). He died on December 16, 1959 in Moscow, RSFSR, USSR.

35. Stan Vanderbeek

Director | A La Mode

Stan Vanderbeek was born on January 6, 1927 as Edward Van Der Beek. He is known for his work on A La Mode (1959), Cine Dreams: Future Cinema of the Mind (1972) and Pastorale (1965). He died on September 19, 1984 in Columbia, Maryland, USA.

36. Christian Vincent

Writer | La discrète

Christian Vincent was born on November 5, 1955 in Paris, France. He is a writer and director, known for La discrète (1990), L'hermine (2015) and Les saveurs du Palais (2012).

37. Marion Vernoux

Writer | Rien à faire

Marion Vernoux was born on June 29, 1966 in Montreuil, Seine-Saint-Denis, France. She is a writer and director, known for Empty Days (1999), Personne ne m'aime (1994) and Grave (2016).

38. Sandrine Veysset

Director | Y'aura t'il de la neige à Noël?

Sandrine Veysset was born in 1967 in Avignon, Vaucluse, France. She is a director and writer, known for Y'aura t'il de la neige à Noël? (1996), Victor... pendant qu'il est trop tard (1998) and Martha... Martha (2001).

39. Marcela Fernández Violante

Director | Misterio

40. Louis van Gasteren

Director | De prijs van overleven

Louis van Gasteren was born on November 20, 1922 in Amsterdam, Netherlands as Louis Alphonse van Gasteren. He was a director and writer, known for De prijs van overleven (2003), The House (1961) and Hans: het leven voor de dood (1983). He was married to Joke Meerman. He died on May 10, 2016 in ...

41. Pierre-Yves Vandeweerd

Director | Le cercle des noyés