Martin Jauvat: The Self-Taught Filmmaker Charting the Banlieue with Humour and Colour

PARIS, 24 January 2026 – From making amateur films in his garden in Chelles to presenting work at the Cannes Film Festival, Martin Jauvat represents a new, distinctly personal voice in French cinema. The 30-year-old director, screenwriter and actor, who describes himself as a “banlieusard de la classe moyenne pavillonnaire,” prepares for the national release of his second feature, Baise-en-ville, on 28 January. His journey is one of autodidactic perseverance, a rejection of traditional film school paths, and a mission to portray suburban life with a vibrant, optimistic palette often absent from French screens.

From Table Tennis to Cinema: An Unconventional Path

Born in 1995 in Chelles, Seine-et-Marne, Martin Jauvat’s initial ambitions lay in sport, with a brief but disillusioning stint as a competitive table tennis player for AS Chelles. After secondary school, he attempted a literary preparatory class in Paris and sat the entrance exam for the prestigious film school La Fémis, failing to gain admission. This rejection proved formative. Rather than pursuing further formal education, he returned to Chelles and began writing and directing short films entirely self-taught, filming in his garden with friends.

His early, self-produced works—Les Vacances à Chelles (2019) and Mozeb (2020)—caught the attention of producer Emmanuel Chaumet of Ecce Films after a chance connection via director Benoît Forgeard. This partnership provided a professional framework for his subsequent short, Le Sang de la veine (2021), which was nominated for a César Award. Chaumet, hailed by some as a reviver of French auteur cinema, has produced all of Jauvat’s work since, fostering a “cinema of friends” atmosphere on set.

Key Facts & Filmography

Grand Paris and the “Colourful Banlieue”

Jauvat’s breakthrough came with his first feature, Grand Paris, presented in the ACID programme at the 2022 Cannes Festival. The film, a comedic road movie set on the RER trains of the Île-de-France network, follows two friends who discover a mysterious artefact on a Grand Paris Express construction site. It blends suburban ennui with genre elements of science-fiction and adventure, inspired by the director’s love for filmmakers like David Lynch and Gregg Araki.

In interviews, Jauvat has consistently stated his desire to correct the cinematic portrayal of the French suburbs. “I never recognised myself in any of the representations of the banlieue I saw in film or on television,” he told mk2 Curiosity. He aims to replace gloomy stereotypes with a “more coloured, more optimistic” vision, drawing from his own experience of lower-middle-class suburban life. His aesthetic is intentionally bright, citing football jerseys and ligne claire comic art like Tintin as key visual influences.

Baise-en-ville: A Bigger Canvas, The Same Outsider

His sophomore feature, Baise-en-ville, premiered in the Semaine de la Critique section at Cannes in 2025. The film represents a significant scaling up, with a budget reportedly twenty times larger than that of Grand Paris. Despite this, Jauvat insists he maintained his signature style: fixed shots, visual sobriety, and a focus on the “loser” figure, which he personally identifies with. The film is a satire that uses humour to engage with contemporary politics and the “start-up nation” mentality, though the director avoids direct didacticism.

The film’s title refers to a small overnight bag, and the story incorporates elements from a period of personal difficulty for Jauvat, including temporary work, obtaining a driving licence, and a romantic breakup. It features recurring collaborators like Mahamadou Sangaré and Sébastien Chassagne, alongside new faces such as Michel Hazanavicius.

Frequently Asked Questions

What does “Baise-en-ville” mean?

The title translates literally as “fuck-in-town” and is the colloquial name for a small overnight bag used for impromptu stays away from home. Jauvat was inspired by the object itself and built the film’s narrative around it.

Is Martin Jauvat also an actor?

Yes. In addition to directing, he often appears in his own films, playing Renard in Grand Paris and the lead role of Sprite in Baise-en-ville. He also acts in others’ projects, winning the “best young male hope” prize at the 2022 Festival Jean-Carmet for his role in Garance Kim’s Ville éternelle.

What is his filmmaking philosophy?

Jauvat advocates for persistent, personal creation outside established systems. His advice to aspiring filmmakers is: “Il faut faire, même si tu rates” (“You have to do, even if you fail”). He values maintaining a singular, outsider voice and sees his “cinéma fauché” (broke cinema) origins not as a limitation, but as a source of identity and strength.