Coralie Fargeat Biography

Coralie Fargeat was born in Paris, France. She wanted to be a filmmaker since she was 17, when she started making short films. Growing up, Coralie was struggling with her everyday life, so she turned to films that were outside the real world like Star Wars and Indiana Jones. For her, the exciting life was happening in the movies.

Coming out of high school, Coralie wanted to attend La Fémis, the prestigious film and television school in Paris. However, applicants required three years of general academics, so she spent a few years studying political science. One day, while in school, a film crew came to shoot on the campus. She asked the assistant director if she could do an internship. That led to her working on the film Passion of Mind (2000) with Demi Moore.

Coralie’s love of genre filmmaking didn’t necessarily fit the current landscape in the France film industry, so she started her directing career making shorts. Her directorial debut came with the short Le télégramme in 2003, which was about two women awaiting a postman’s delivery during World War II. Her second short was Reality+ in 2014. It was a sci-fi story about a man living in the near future who installs a brain implant that lets users see themselves and others with their dream physique. The film was nominated for Best Narrative Short at the 2016 Tribeca Film Festival.

Coralie’s debut feature film was Revenge (2017), a thriller about a young woman who is raped and left for dead. Coralie said she was interested in exploring a character who on the surface may seem “weak” but place her into the situations of films like Kill Bill and Rambo and watch her evolve into a sort of superhero.
In 2022, she directed the ninth episode of Netflix’s adaptation of The Sandman titled “Collectors.”

When she directed her second feature film The Substance (2024), it was a full circle moment as the film reconnected her with Demi Moore and starred Margaret Qualley and Dennis Quaid. The film premiered at the Cannes Film Festival, where it was nominated for the Palme d’Or and Coralie won the prize for Best Screenplay.

The accolades continued throughout the year as she received nominations for Best Director and Best Original Screenplay at the Academy Awards, BAFTAs, Critics Choice Awards and Golden Globes. The film was also nominated for Best Picture and Demi Moore was nominated for Best Actress.

Filmography:

The Substance (2024)
The Sandman (2022)
Revenge (2017)