Tarpon Filmmaker, Christian Odasso

About Filmmakers

Christian Odasso (1940-2011) began his filmmaking career in Paris during the Nouvelle Vague as the cinematographer for cinema verité director, François Reichenbach. Together they won numerous awards, including the Palme d'Or and Prix Special du Jury at Cannes, L'Ours d'Or in Berlin, the Voile d'Or in Locarno, the Prix Louis Deluc, and an Academy Award for Best Documentary film for L’Amour de la Vie on Arthur Rubinstein. Christian collaborated with directors such as Orson Welles on F for Fake, Chris Marker, Claude Lelouch, and Martin Scorsese. He filmed profiles on artists such as Salvador Dali, Dunoyer de Segonzac, Gromaire; musicians such as Herbert von Karajan, Rubinstein, Yehudi Menuhin, Van Morrison, BB King, Pink Floyd, Jimmy Buffet; athletes such as Jean Claude Killy, Pele, Bjorn Borg, Carlos Monzon, and El Cordobes; movie stars such as Jeanne Moreau and Brigitte Bardot; and writers such as Carlos Fuentes, Richard Brautigan, Jim Harrison, and Thomas McGuane. He shot documentary footage of indigenous Mexican culture, JFK’s funeral, and musical performances in Iran, at Woodstock, at the Opera de Paris, and with the Maurice Bejard dance company. He filmed short and long format commercials and promotional films for Dior, Moet- Hennessy, Perrier, Air France, Club Med, Renault, and Citroën.

Guy de la Valdene (1944-2023) was born and raised in France. An avid angler, lifelong hunter, naturalist, and nature writer, his books include On the Water: A Fishing Memoir, The Fragrance of Grass, For a Handful ofFeathers, Making Game and a novel, Red Stag. His numerous articles have appeared in Sports Afield, Field & Stream and Gray’s Sporting Journal. His single foray into directing and producing film created the cult classic, Tarpon, for which he remained very proud.