Henri Calef

Biography

Henri Calef was a French film director and screenwriter known for his contributions to post-World War II cinema. Born in Plovdiv, Bulgaria, he moved to France and began his career as an assistant director, working on films such as The Lafarge Case (1938). Calef made his directorial debut with L'Extravagante Mission (1945). He gained recognition with Jericho (1946), a film about French Resistance fighters, and Les Chouans (1947), an adaptation of Honoré de Balzac's novel. His filmography includes La Maison sous la mer (1947), Les Eaux troubles (1949), and La Souricière (1950). Calef's works are noted for their narrative depth and exploration of human resilience.

Directed

1. Behind These Walls (1946) — Director
2. The Royalists (1947) — Director
3. Fatal Affair (1953) — Director
4. Wench (1948) — Director
5. Les Violents (1958) — Director
6. The Secret of Helene Marimon (1954) — Director
7. The Hour of Truth (1965) — Director
8. The Passerby (1951) — Director
9. Shadow and Light (1951) — Director
10. The Queer Assignment (1945) — Director
11. Troubled Waters (1949) — Director
12. The House Under the Sea (1947) — Director
13. Féminin-féminin (1973) — Director
14. Crossroads of Passion (1948) — Director
15. Sorceror (1950) — Director
16. Opération Jericho — Director

Also appeared in

1. 1940: Taking over French Cinema (2019) — Self (archive footage)