Jackie Raynal

Jacky Raynal is a renowned French director, actress, and film editor, born in 1940 near Montpellier. She holds a degree in Linguistics, and by the early 1960s, she had begun her journey in cinema as a photographer. Raynal transitioned to film editing, initially working as an assistant editor on documentaries by G. Patriss and F. Vienne, and later editing the early works of Éric Rohmer. In 1965, she obtained her senior film editor license at CNC (National Cinema Center), contributing to the New Wave movement. Notably, she edited all the segments of "Six in Paris," collaborating with prominent directors like Jean-Luc Godard and Claude Chabrol until the late 1970s.

In 1968, Raynal co-founded the Zanzibar group with S. Boissonas and O. Mosset, working alongside filmmakers such as Philippe Garrel and Serge Bard. She made her directorial debut in 1970 with "Two Times in Barcelona," which clinched the Grand Prix at the Festival of Hyères/Toulon. By the mid-1970s, she was based in New York, where she ran the programs for Carnegie Hall Cinema and Bleeker Street Cinema until 1992, showcasing numerous independent films. Her efforts earned her accolades from François Truffaut and two awards from Village Voice in 1981 and 1991.

Raynal directed "New York Story" and "Hotel New York" while also acting in various films and organizing international film festivals. From 1973 to 1986, she co-published the independent cinema review "1000 Eyes Magazine." Since 2000, she has directed several documentaries, including "Notes on Jonas Mekas" and "Éric Rohmer, the Film Maker." In recognition of her contributions to the arts, she was honored with the Légion d’Honneur (Knight in the Order of Arts and Letters) in 2010.