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IMDbPro

Alejandro Jodorowsky

  • Writer
  • Director
  • Actor
IMDbProStarmeterSee rank
Alejandro Jodorowsky
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A Viking on the Croisette (undefined)
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Alejandro Jodorowsky was born in Tocopilla, Chile on February 17, 1929. In 1939 he moved to Santiago where he attended university, was a circus clown and a puppeteer. In 1953 he went to Paris and studied mime with Marcel Marceau. He worked with Maurice Chevalier there and made a short film, La cravate (1957). He also befriended the surrealists Roland Topor and Fernando Arrabal, and in 1962 these three created the "Panic Movement" in homage to the mythical god Pan. As part of this group Jodorowsky wrote several books and theatrical pieces. In the later 1960s he directed avant-garde theater in Paris and Mexico City, created the comic strip "Fabulas Panicas", and made his first "real" film, the surrealist love story Fando and Lis (1968), based on a play by Arrabal. In 1971, El Topo (1970) was released and became a cult classic, as did The Holy Mountain (1973). In 1975 he returned to France to begin work on a film that was never made: a colossal adaptation of Frank Herbert's "Dune", which was to star Orson Welles, Salvador Dalí and others, was to be scored by Pink Floyd, and which brought together the visionary talents of H.R. Giger, Dan O'Bannon, and 'Jean "Moebius' Giraud' (Giger and O'Bannon later collaborated on Alien (1979).) The project's financiers backed out, and "Dune" was eventually filmed by David Lynch. Jodorowsky's next film was 1979's Tusk (1980), a story of a young girl's friendship with an elephant, which quickly faded into obscurity. In the early 1980s he began working with Moebius and other artists on various comic strips, graphic novels and cartoons, and wrote several more books. He returned to film with 1989's Santa Sangre (1989), which was critically acclaimed and widely distributed. In 1990 he directed Omar Sharif and Peter O'Toole in the fantasy film The Rainbow Thief (1990). Throughout the 1990s he continued to produce cartoons with a variety of graphic artists and is reportedly to begin work on another film, the long-awaited "Sons Of El Topo", sometime in 2002 or 2003. Jodorowsky's wife Valerie and sons Brontis, Axel and Adan have all at times appeared in his films.
BornFebruary 17, 1929
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BornFebruary 17, 1929
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  • Awards
    • 12 wins & 14 nominations

Photos30

Adan Jodorowsky and Alejandro Jodorowsky in Endless Poetry (2016)
Adan Jodorowsky and Alejandro Jodorowsky in Endless Poetry (2016)
Alejandro Jodorowsky and Jeremias Herskovits in Endless Poetry (2016)
Alejandro Jodorowsky in Endless Poetry (2016)
Adan Jodorowsky and Alejandro Jodorowsky in Endless Poetry (2016)
Adan Jodorowsky and Alejandro Jodorowsky in Endless Poetry (2016)
Juan Ferrara, Alejandro Jodorowsky, Valerie Jodorowsky, Burt Kleiner, Luis Lomelí, Nicky Nichols, Adriana Page, Richard Rutowski, and Zamira Saunders in The Holy Mountain (1973)
Juan Ferrara, Alejandro Jodorowsky, Valerie Jodorowsky, Burt Kleiner, Luis Lomelí, Nicky Nichols, Adriana Page, Richard Rutowski, Horacio Salinas, and Zamira Saunders in The Holy Mountain (1973)
Juan Ferrara, Alejandro Jodorowsky, Valerie Jodorowsky, Burt Kleiner, Luis Lomelí, Nicky Nichols, Adriana Page, Richard Rutowski, Horacio Salinas, and Zamira Saunders in The Holy Mountain (1973)
Juan Ferrara, Alejandro Jodorowsky, Valerie Jodorowsky, Burt Kleiner, Luis Lomelí, Nicky Nichols, Adriana Page, Richard Rutowski, Horacio Salinas, and Zamira Saunders in The Holy Mountain (1973)
Juan Ferrara, Alejandro Jodorowsky, Valerie Jodorowsky, Burt Kleiner, Luis Lomelí, Nicky Nichols, Adriana Page, Richard Rutowski, Horacio Salinas, and Zamira Saunders in The Holy Mountain (1973)
Alejandro Jodorowsky and Horacio Salinas in The Holy Mountain (1973)

Known for

El Topo (1970)
El Topo
7.2
  • Writer(as Alexandro Jodorowsky)
  • 1970
The Holy Mountain (1973)
The Holy Mountain
7.8
  • Writer(as Alexandro Jodorowsky)
  • 1973
The Dance of Reality (2013)
The Dance of Reality
7.5
  • Writer
  • 2013
Santa Sangre (1989)
Santa Sangre
7.5
  • Writer
  • 1989

Credits

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IMDbPro

Writer

  • The Incal
    • based on the graphic novel by, graphic novel
    • Pre-production
  • Psychomagic, A Healing Art (2019)
    Psychomagic, A Healing Art
    • Writer
    • 2019
  • François Boucq in La journée (2017)
    La journée
    • comic book "Bouncer"
    • Short
    • 2017
  • Adan Jodorowsky in Endless Poetry (2016)
    Endless Poetry
    • Writer
    • 2016
  • Metal Hurlant Chronicles (2012)
    Metal Hurlant Chronicles
    • comic book
    • TV Series
    • 2012–2014
  • Asia Argento in The Voice Thief (2013)
    The Voice Thief
    • story
    • Short
    • 2013
  • The Dance of Reality (2013)
    The Dance of Reality
    • screenplay
    • 2013
  • Kaena: The Prophecy (2003)
    Kaena: The Prophecy
    • additional screenplay material
    • 2003
  • Santa Sangre (1989)
    Santa Sangre
    • original story by
    • screenplay by
    • 1989
  • Tusk (1980)
    Tusk
    • Writer (as Alexandro Jodorowsky)
    • 1980
  • The Holy Mountain (1973)
    The Holy Mountain
    • writer (as Alexandro Jodorowsky)
    • 1973
  • El Topo (1970)
    El Topo
    • written by (as Alexandro Jodorowsky)
    • 1970
  • Fando and Lis (1968)
    Fando and Lis
    • dialogue
    • screenplay (as Alexandro Jodorowsky)
    • 1968
  • He! Viva Dada (1965)
    He! Viva Dada
    • writer
    • Short
    • 1965
  • La cravate (1957)
    La cravate
    • Writer (as Alexandre Jodorowsky)
    • Short
    • 1957

Director

  • Psychomagic, A Healing Art (2019)
    Psychomagic, A Healing Art
    • Director
    • 2019
  • Adan Jodorowsky in Endless Poetry (2016)
    Endless Poetry
    • Director
    • 2016
  • The Dance of Reality (2013)
    The Dance of Reality
    • Director
    • 2013
  • Alejandro Jodorowsky: Interview at ICA London December 2002 (2002)
    Alejandro Jodorowsky: Interview at ICA London December 2002
    • Director
    • Video
    • 2002
  • The Rainbow Thief (1990)
    The Rainbow Thief
    • Director
    • 1990
  • Santa Sangre (1989)
    Santa Sangre
    • Director
    • 1989
  • Tusk (1980)
    Tusk
    • Director (as Alexandro Jodorowsky)
    • 1980
  • The Holy Mountain (1973)
    The Holy Mountain
    • Director (as Alexandro Jodorowsky)
    • 1973
  • El Topo (1970)
    El Topo
    • Director (as Alexandro Jodorowsky)
    • 1970
  • Fando and Lis (1968)
    Fando and Lis
    • Director (as Alexandro Jodorowsky)
    • 1968
  • Teatro sin fin (1965)
    Teatro sin fin
    • Director (uncredited)
    • Short
    • 1965
  • La cravate (1957)
    La cravate
    • Director (as Alexandre Jodorowsky)
    • Short
    • 1957

Actor

  • Samy Naceri, Ludivine Sagnier, Bun-hay Mean, Roman Frayssinet, and Djimo in Les méchants (2021)
    Les méchants
    • Homme mystérieux
    • 2021
  • Ritual: A Psychomagic Story (2013)
    Ritual: A Psychomagic Story
    • Fernando
    • 2013
  • The Island (2011)
    The Island
    • Jodo
    • 2011
  • Musikanten (2006)
    Musikanten
    • Ludwig van Beethoven
    • 2006
  • Pas si grave (2003)
    Pas si grave
    • Pablo - Le Père
    • 2003
  • Cherif
    • Prophet
    • 2002
  • The Holy Mountain (1973)
    The Holy Mountain
    • The Alchemist (as Alexandro Jodorowsky)
    • 1973
  • Anticlimax (1970)
    Anticlimax
    • 1970
  • El Topo (1970)
    El Topo
    • El Topo
    • 1970
  • Fando and Lis (1968)
    Fando and Lis
    • Puppeteer (uncredited)
    • 1968
  • La cravate (1957)
    La cravate
    • (as Alexandre Jodorowsky)
    • Short
    • 1957

Videos15

Trailer
Trailer 2:38
Trailer
Official Trailer
Trailer 1:11
Official Trailer
Trailer
Trailer 1:47
Trailer
Trailer [English SUB]
Trailer 1:45
Trailer [English SUB]
Bande-annonce [OV]
Trailer 1:39
Bande-annonce [OV]
Tráiler [OV]
Trailer 1:24
Tráiler [OV]
Official Trailer
Trailer 2:04
Official Trailer
Official Trailer
Trailer 2:06
Official Trailer
Official Trailer
Trailer 1:31
Official Trailer
Theatrical Trailer
Trailer 2:03
Theatrical Trailer
Jodorowsky's Dune
Trailer 2:03
Jodorowsky's Dune
A Viking on the Croisette
Trailer 2:31
A Viking on the Croisette

Personal details

Edit
  • Alternative names
    • Alexandre Jodorowsky
  • Born
    • February 17, 1929
    • Tocopilla, Tocopilla, II Región, Chile
  • Spouses
      Valerie Jodorowsky(divorced, 3 children)
  • Children
    • Brontis Jodorowsky
  • Other works
    Sacramental Melodrama (performance-art piece) Fabulas Panicas (comic strip)
  • Publicity listings
    • 4 Biographical Movies
    • 8 Interviews
    • 7 Articles

Did you know

Edit
  • Trivia
    Spiritual mentor to Nicolas Winding Refn.
  • Quotes
    [on his films] Most directors make films with their eyes. I make films with my balls.
  • Trademark
      Avant-garde, surrealist films that later develop a cult following

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