Used to be banned from entering China because of his film Seven Years in Tibet (1997). But years later, he was hired to direct the Chinese-French co-production Wolf Totem (2015) and had his ban lifted.
Member of the 'Official Competition' jury at the 35th Cannes International Film Festival in 1982.
He was sent to the French Cameroons as an Army Film Director by the
National Service. During this period he trained locals to make their
own movies while working on a series of educational films for the
natives.
Education: Vaugirard School; IDHEC, Paris; Sorbonne, Paris
(literature).