Alejandro Jodorowsky

Birthday: 7 February 1929, Tocopilla, Tocopilla, II Región, Chile

Alejandro Jodorowsky was born in Iquique, Chile on February 7, 1929. In 1942 he moved to Santiago where he attended university, was a circus clown and a puppeteer. In 1955 he went to Paris and studied mime with Marcel Marceau. He worked with Maurice Chevalier there and made a short film, La cravate (1957). He also befriended the surrealists Roland Topor and Fernando Arrabal, and in 1962 these three created the "Panic Movement" in homage to the mythical god Pan. As part of this group Jodorowsky wrote several books and theatrical pieces. In the later 1960s he directed avant-garde theater in Paris and Mexico City, created the comic strip "Fabulas Panicas", and made his first "real" film, the surrealist love story Fando y Lis (1968), based on a play by Arrabal. In 1971, El topo (1970) was released and became a cult classic, as did La montaña sagrada (1973). In 1975 he returned to France to begin work on a film that was never made: a colossal adaptation of Frank Herbert's "Dune", which was to star Orson Welles, Salvador Dalí and others, was to be scored by Pink Floyd, and which brought together the visionary talents of H.R. Giger, Dan O'Bannon, and 'Jean "Moebius' Giraud' (Giger and O'Bannon later collaborated on Alien (1979).) The project's financiers backed out, and "Dune" was eventually filmed by David Lynch. Jodorowsky's next film was 1979's Tusk (1980), a story of a young girl's friendship with an elephant, which quickly faded into obscurity. In the early 1980s he began working with Moebius and other artists on various comic strips, graphic novels and cartoons, and wrote several more books. He returned to film with 1989's Santa sangre (1989), which was critically acclaimed and widely distributed. In 1990 he directed Omar Sharif and Peter O'Toole in the fantasy film The Rainbow Thief (1990). Throughout the 1990s he continued to produce cartoons with a variety of graphic artists and is reportedly to begin work on another film, the long-awaited "Sons Of El Topo", sometime in 2002 or 2003. Jodorowsky's wife Valerie and sons Brontis, Axel and Adan have all at times appeared in his films. Hide

I ask of film what most North Americans ask of psychedelic drugs. I ask of film what most North Americans ask of psychedelic drugs.

What can do an artist? He can not create. He can transform. We are transforming things. Only God can Show more What can do an artist? He can not create. He can transform. We are transforming things. Only God can create. We are transformers.... Not the Hollywood Transformers. Hide

[on El topo (1970), in his book El Topo,1974] When I wanted to do the rape scene, I explained to [Ma Show more [on El topo (1970), in his book El Topo,1974] When I wanted to do the rape scene, I explained to [Mara Lorenzio] that I was going to hit her and rape her. There was no emotional relationship between us, because I had put a clause in all the women's contracts stating that they would not make love with the director. We had never talked to each other. I knew nothing about her. We went to the desert with two other people: the photographer and a technician. No one else. I said, 'I'm not going to rehearse. There will be only one take because it will be impossible to repeat. Roll the cameras only when I signal you to.' Then I told her, 'Pain does not hurt. Hit me.' And she hit me. I said, 'Harder.' And she started to hit me very hard, hard enough to break a rib...I ached for a week. After she had hit me long enough and hard enough to tire her, I said, 'Now it's my turn. Roll the cameras.' And I really...I really...I really raped her. And she screamed. "Then [Mara Lorenzio] told me that she had been raped before. You see, for me the character is frigid until El Topo rapes her. And she has an orgasm. That's why I show a stone phallus in that scene ... which spouts water. She has an orgasm. She accepts the male sex. And that's what happened to Mara in reality. She really had that problem. Fantastic scene. A very, very strong scene. Hide

[on his films] Most directors make films with their eyes. I make films with my balls. [on his films] Most directors make films with their eyes. I make films with my balls.

I don't live in France; I live in myself. I don't live in France; I live in myself.

In the world, what you do has a value but what you don't do also has a value. For me 'Dune' was a dr Show more In the world, what you do has a value but what you don't do also has a value. For me 'Dune' was a dream - a big dream! And I am happy like this. It's a dream that I intended to do, which is good. When we didn't make the picture, Dan O'Bannon needed to be interned in a mental institution for two years because he didn't get to do it. But when he came out he wrote the script for 'Alien'. Who would believe that? But it's true. Hide

If you are great, El Topo is a great picture. If you are limited, El Topo is limited If you are great, El Topo is a great picture. If you are limited, El Topo is limited

Alejandro Jodorowsky's FILMOGRAPHY

All as Actor (9) as Director (1) as Creator (2)

The Dance of Reality (La Danza de la Realidad)

The Holy Mountain

Pychomagic, a Healing Art [Sub: Eng]

Endless Poetry (Poesía sin fin)

El Topo

Jodorowsky's Dune

Santa Sangre

Memory: The Origins of Alien

Jodoworowskys Dune

Fando and Lis (Fando y Lis)