The Girl from Paris

Born on January the 4th, 1963 in Cambrai, Christian Carion lived an original journey before becoming a filmmaker. Coming from a family of farmers of Lebucquière, in the Pas-de-Calais region in France, he pursued his parents’ wishes in studying a sciences secondary education and attending a ministry of agriculture engineering school at the age of 20, practicing his profession in Arras until 1991. As a person passionate of the 7th art, he decided to devote himself to cinema by renting a camera and filming on his own. In this endeavor he meets and becomes the friend of producer Christophe Rossignon who definitely guides him towards a career as a director. The young director takes him along to short film shootings which he produces, while he continues to work for the ministry of agriculture to earn a living. During this time, he makes three short films, of which the last one (Monsieur le député in 1999) is co-produced by Christophe Rossignon, who plays one of the characters. Merry Christmas is already in the air, but due to the size of the project, Christophe Rossignon persuades Christian Carion to make a less ambitous feature film that would require smaller means. The result of this advice is the production of Une hirondelle a fait le printemps in 2001, with Michel Serrault and Mathilde Seigner. The film is nominated for the César Prize 2003 in competition for best first feature film, and sells 2.3 million tickets at the French box-offices, while he performs a great international career. His debut launch Christian Carion’s cinematic destiny towards the film that he carried at heart during a dozen years: Merry Christmas. —Cineuropa.org