Mabrouk El Mechri

Mabrouk el Mechri (born 18 September 1976) is a French director, screenwriter, and actor. El Mechri was born in Versailles near Paris, France. He has directed a number of films. After his three shorts Mounir et Anita, Generation Cutter, and Concours de circonstance, he directed his first long feature Virgil in 2005 about the life of a boxer, followed by a comedy entitled Stand Up!. His 2008 movie entitled JCVD about Jean-Claude Van Damme and featuring him as the actor garnered Mabrouk El Mechri critical acclaim. The film, a comedy drama and at certain times biographical of Van Damme was screened at the Cannes Film Festival, 2008 Rome Film Festival (L'Altro Cinema), and the 2008 Toronto International Film Festival (Midnight Madness).

Works

Jean-Claude van Damme: Karate King

An American low-budget action film celebrated an unexpected worldwide success in 1988: "Bloodsport". With its, the world of film fans and martial arts cinema discovered a new idol: Jean-Claude Van Damme. In the 1970s there was Bruce Lee, but at the end of the 1980s a Belgian won the day. Van Damme was a karate master and had unparalleled strength and flexibility. For ten years he was one of Hollywood's hottest action stars. But excessive overconfidence and drugs bring him down again. At home in Europe he becomes a laughing stock on talk shows. Only with "JCVD" does he manage to get back on his feet, playing his character with perspective and self-irony, but without ever giving up the reputation that his action films brought him and which has been a cult for several generations. The highs and lows of his eventful life are told through archive footage and contributions from people close to the popular Belgian actor.

Release Date:2023-03-17

Character:Self - Interviewee

Vote Count:24

Kung-Fu Zohra

Zohra is convinced that separating from her husband Omar would break her little girl’s heart and so determines not to leave him despite the violence he metes out. Then she meets Chang Sue, the caretaker of the gym where she works to make ends meet. When she learns that he’s a kung fu master, Zohra asks him to teach her some self-defence basics…

Release Date:2022-03-09

Department:Editing

Job:Editor

Character:Le manager

Vote Count:54

Nox

A mother, herself retired from the police, embarks on an underground exploration of Paris to find her daughter, a missing investigator on a mission.

Release Date:2018-03-12

Department:Creator

Job:Creator

Vote Count:17

The Cold Light of Day

After his family is kidnapped during their sailing trip in Spain, a young Wall Street trader is confronted by the people responsible: intelligence agents looking to recover a mysterious briefcase.

Release Date:2012-04-04

Department:Directing

Job:Director

Vote Count:911

Maison close

Paris, 1871. This is a story of the women trapped in a luxury brothel, 'Paradise'. The very young Rose came to Paris in search of her mother, former prostitute. She is trapped and forced to enroll in Paradise. Vera is 35 years. She knows that the end of her career as a prostitute is near. She is betting everything on the Baron Du Plessis, her main client, and the only one able to redeem her debt. Hortense is the owner of Paradise. She must take care of her girls and resist pressure from a suburban thug who is charging her money.

Release Date:2010-10-04

Department:Directing

Job:Director

Episode Count:10

Vote Count:13

Murphy's Law

After four years in jail, Elias is doing his rehabilitation in an hospital as stretcher bearer. In five hours, his parole will be completed. He will make a fresh start and forget about his past. But that would be forgetting about Murphy's law and its string of problems.

Release Date:2009-11-04

Department:Writing

Job:Writer

Vote Count:37

JCVD

Between his tax problems and his legal battle with his wife for the custody of his daughter, these are hard times for the action movie star who finds that even Steven Seagal has pinched a role from him! This fictionalized version of Jean-Claude Van Damme returns to the country of his birth to seek the peace and tranquility he can no longer enjoy in the United States, but inadvertently gets involved in a bank robbery with hostages.

Release Date:2008-06-04

Department:Directing

Job:Director

Vote Count:515

Une journée avec Jean-Claude Van Damme

A day in the life of Jean-Claude Van Damme

Release Date:2008-01-01

Department:Directing

Job:Director

Tomer Sisley - Stand up

Release Date:2006-10-03

Department:Directing

Job:Director

Vote Count:3

Virgil

Every week, Virgil makes his father Ernest dream by telling him about his boxing exploits during a visit. Every week, Virgil comes to dream by meeting the eyes of Margot, a young woman who is also visiting. This week, Ernest tells her that he is going to get out and that he will finally be able to see Virgil in the ring. There's just one problem: Virgil hasn't boxed in three years.

Release Date:2005-09-07

Department:Writing

Job:Screenplay

Vote Count:2

Concours de circonstance

Short movie

Release Date:2003-01-01

Department:Directing

Job:Director

Génération cutter

Short movie

Release Date:2000-01-01

Department:Directing

Job:Director