Vahé Katcha

Birth : 1928-04-01, Damascus, Syria

Death : 2003-01-14

History

Vahé-Karnik Khatchadourian better known as Vahé Katcha (born in Damascus, Syria the 1st April 1928 - died in Paris on 14 January 2003) was a French Armenian author, screenwriter and journalist. Katcha wrote 25 novels and two theatre pieces in addition to a great number of adaptations and screenwriting for a great number of French films. His novel L'Hameçon was adapted for the American film The Hook. Born in Syria, Katcha spent his childhood in Lebanon, immigrating to France in 1945 when he was just 17 and where he pursued studies at IDEC in film screenwriting and won the Pelman prize in 1962 for 2 film reportages, Pas de pitié pour les aveugles et Les cancéreux. He published his first book at age 20 titled Les mégots du dimanche on Gallimard followed up by Œil pour œil. The latter was adapted to film directed by André Cayatte. Katcha wrote 25 novels including Un homme est tombé dans la rue in addition to two theatre pieces. He was involved in screenwriting for 15 films. His books adapted to the screen include Galia that launched Mireille Darc, À Cœur joie (English title Two Weeks in September) starring Brigitte Bardot, Le Maître-nageur starring Jean-Louis Trintignant and Jean-Claude Brialy and La Grande Sauterelle starring Mireille Darc. He worked with 1963 MGM film The Hook starring Kirk Douglas, adapted from his book L'Hameçon. He also cooperated with French film director of Armenian origin Henri Verneuil co-screenwriting for Le Casse (English title The Burglars) starring Jean-Paul Belmondo and Omar Sharif and in Mayrig starring Claudia Cardinale and Omar Sharif. One of his best known books is Un poignard dans ce jardin published in 1981 about the life of an Armenian family in Constantinople during the Ottoman Empire and the Armenian massacres. Other notable works include Un bateau de singes in 1966, La mort d'un juif in 1972, Un bruit qui court in 1979 and Le Chypriote (a collaboration with Arlen Papazian in 1982) all published by Les Presses de la Cité. His theatre pieces are Le Repas des fauves in 1960 and La Farce in 1963 (with mise en scène by Jean-Jacques Aslanian). His works have been translated into many languages including English, Spanish, German and Armenian in separate covers or through literary journals like «Գրական թերթ» and «Գարուն». Source: Article "Vahé Katcha" from Wikipedia in english, licensed under CC-BY-SA 3.0.

Movies

Je vous ferai aimer la vie
Writer
Anielle is raising her 17-year-old son, Olivier. The boy is badly hurt in a motorcycle accident. It's Dr. Soltier, a customer of the garage, who intervenes. His diagnosis is severe: only an immediate operation can give him a chance to survive.
Swimming Instructor
Novel
Marie, the charming daughter of Italian immigrants, has a dream : to become rich. In Roubaix, where she lives, she meets and marries small-time crooner Marcel Potier. Together they leave for the South of France where they live happily but poorly. Now, Marie hasn't forgotten her hopes of wealth and with this aim still in mind she pushes Marcel into becoming the swimming instructor of Achille Zopoulos, an oil tycoon.
The Voracious Ones
Novel
Les galets d'Etretat
Writer
Following a car breakdown, Miss Annie, director of a weight loss center, meets a certain Mr. Kelvo, a car champion. But instead of helping her, he rapes her. She decides to take revenge and follows him.
The Burglars
Writer
In Athens a collection of emeralds is successfully stolen by a team of robbers, led by safe-cracker Azad. Things go smoothly until they miss the ship by which they planned their escape; a police chief pursues Azad while he waits for the next ship to set off.
Death of a Jew
Writer
A confrontation between two enemies. One is a young, captured Israeli agent and the other an older Arab inspector who tries to get the agent talk by making him regain his desire to live.
Two Weeks in September
Writer
Story of a woman torn between her love for two different men.
The Big Grasshopper
Novel
While he is trying to escape from a hit man, Carl is setting up a kidnapping in Beirut. He gets lost on his way, falling in love with Salène, a.k.a. "La grande sauterelle"...
The Big Grasshopper
Screenplay
While he is trying to escape from a hit man, Carl is setting up a kidnapping in Beirut. He gets lost on his way, falling in love with Salène, a.k.a. "La grande sauterelle"...
Galia
Scenario Writer
Newly arrived in Paris, Galia lives in a small apartment near Notre-Dame cathedral. One evening, whilst walking along the banks of the River Seine, she saves a young woman from drowning. The woman, Nicole, tells Galia that she intended to drown herself, having left a suicide note for her husband, Greg. Having settled Nicole in her apartment, Galia sets out to recover the suicide note, but waits so that she can observe Greg’s reaction. When Greg appears unmoved by the note, Galia decides to wait for him at the art gallery where he works...
Champagne for Savages
Writer
A diverse group of friends gather to celebrate a witless woman's birthday in this comedy drama set in France during World War II. The guests include an uncle who is a Nazi collaborator, a blind war veteran, a simpering physician, an arrogant educator, a patriotic girl, and the husband of the guest of honor. When some German soldiers are killed outside the house, the group is told by the Gestapo that they must choose among themselves two who will be shot if the killer is not caught. If two victims are not chosen, all seven at the party will be captured. Things sound pretty grim, but the black comedy begins when all seven try to save themselves by any means possible.
The Hook
Novel
Three soldiers in Korea go through inner torment when they're ordered to execute an enemy soldier.
Œil pour œil
Novel
In North Africa, an anguished husband tests the character of the doctor he believes is responsible for his wife’s death.
Œil pour œil
Screenplay
In North Africa, an anguished husband tests the character of the doctor he believes is responsible for his wife’s death.