Bille August
Known for
Bille August is a Danish director celebrated for sweeping, emotionally direct dramas that achieved rare international success for Scandinavian cinema. Pelle the Conqueror, following a Swedish father and son's hardship as farm laborers in nineteenth-century Denmark, won both the Palme d'Or and the Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film, one of the defining international triumphs of Danish cinema. The Best Intentions, based on an Ingmar Bergman screenplay depicting his own parents' troubled marriage, extended his gift for intense domestic drama, while The House of the Spirits and Les Misérables showed his range into large-scale international literary adaptation with major international casts. Smilla's Sense of Snow brought his sensibility to English-language thriller filmmaking. August's ability to render large emotional and historical canvases with restraint made him one of the most internationally successful Danish directors of his generation.
Bille August
23 Directed
6 Series
Bille August is a Danish director celebrated for sweeping, emotionally direct dramas that achieved rare international success for Scandinavian cinema. Pelle the Conqueror, following a Swedish father and son's hardship as farm laborers in nineteenth-century Denmark, won both the Palme d'Or and the Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film, one of the defining international triumphs of Danish cinema. The Best Intentions, based on an Ingmar Bergman screenplay depicting his own parents' troubled marriage, extended his gift for intense domestic drama, while The House of the Spirits and Les Misérables showed his range into large-scale international literary adaptation with major international casts. Smilla's Sense of Snow brought his sensibility to English-language thriller filmmaking. August's ability to render large emotional and historical canvases with restraint made him one of the most internationally successful Danish directors of his generation.
Movies
Director
Les Misérables
1998
Director
The House of the Spirits
1993
Director
Night Train to Lisbon
2013
Director
55 Steps
2018
Director
The Chinese Widow
2017
Director
The Pact
2021
Director
The Kiss
2022
Director
A Fortunate Man
2018
Director
Pelle the Conqueror
1987
Director
Marie Kroyer
2012
Director
Smilla's Sense of Snow
1997
Director
To Each His Own Cinema
2007
Director
Ehrengard: The Art of Seduction
2023
Director
Goodbye Bafana
2007
Director
Silent Heart
2014
Director
Zappa
1983
Director
Return to Sender
2004
Director
The Best Intentions
1992
Director
Jerusalem
1996
Director
In My Life
1978
Director
A Song for Martin
2001
Director
Twist and Shout
1984
Director
Buster's World
1984
Full Filmography
The Count of Monte Cristo
Creator
2025–
TV
Ehrengard: The Art of Seduction
Director
2023
Film
The Kiss
Director
2022
Film
The Pact
Director
2021
Film
A Fortunate Man
Creator
2018–
TV
A Fortunate Man
Director
2018
Film
55 Steps
Director
2018
Film
The Chinese Widow
Director
2017
Film
Silent Heart
Director
2014
Film
Photos
Frequently Asked Questions
How old is Bille August?
Bille August is 77 years old, born on November 9, 1948.
What are the most famous roles of Bille August?
Bille August is best known for directing The House of the Spirits, Les Misérables, Night Train to Lisbon.
How many movies has Bille August directed?
Over a 48-year career (since 1978), Bille August has directed or written 23 films and worked on 6 TV shows.
What was Bille August's first movie?
The career of Bille August began with Me, You ().
What is Bille August's most recent movie or series?
Bille August's most recent release is The Count of Monte Cristo, which premiered on January 13, 2025.
What TV shows has Bille August created or directed?
On television, Bille August has appeared in The Count of Monte Cristo, The Young Indiana Jones Chronicles, The Best Intentions, A Fortunate Man.
Bille August
1948-11-09
Bille August (born November 9, 1948) is a Danish Academy Award winning film and television director. His film Pelle the Conqueror from 1987 won the Palme D'or, Academy Award and Golden Globe. He is one of the very few directors to win the Palme D'or twice, winning the prestigious award again in 1991 for The Best Intentions, based on the autobiographical script by Ingmar Bergman. He was married to Swedish actress Pernilla August from 1991 to 1997. His son Anders August is a screenwriter.