Jane Campion
New Zealand filmmaker known for The Piano and The Power of the Dog.
Dame Elizabeth Jane Campion, born on 30 April 1954 in Wellington, New Zealand, is a filmmaker whose work frequently examines feminism, sexuality, and the push-pull between independence and submission. She has won two Academy Awards and been nominated for three Primetime Emmy Awards. Campion grew up immersed in theatre—her parents, Richard M. Campion and Edith Campion, founded the New Zealand Players—and initially studied anthropology at Victoria University of Wellington, earning a BA in 1975. After a stint at London’s Chelsea Art School and a graduate diploma in painting from the Sydney College of the Arts in 1981, she turned to filmmaking, citing painters Frida Kahlo and sculptor Joseph Beuys as influences. Her first short, *Tissues*, came in 1980, and she graduated from the Australian Film, Television and Radio School in 1984.
Her early short *Peel* (1982) won the Short Film Palme d’Or at Cannes in 1986, followed by awards for *Passionless Moments* (1983), *A Girl’s Own Story* (1984), and *After Hours* (1984). After directing an episode of *Dancing Daze* (1986) and the TV film *Two Friends* (1986), her feature debut *Sweetie* (1989) earned international prizes. Wider recognition came with *An Angel at My Table* (1990), a biopic of writer Janet Frame, and *The Piano* (1993), which won the Palme d’Or, an Academy Award for Best Original Screenplay, and made Campion the second woman ever nominated for Best Director at the Oscars. She later directed *The Portrait of a Lady* (1996), *Holy Smoke!* (1999), *In the Cut* (2003), and produced *Abduction: The Megumi Yokota Story* (2006). Her 2009 film *Bright Star*, about poet John Keats and Fanny Brawne, focused on Brawne’s perspective. Campion co-created the TV series *Top of the Lake* (2013) and its sequel *China Girl* (2017), both earning acclaim and Emmy nominations. She served as jury head for the Cinéfondation and short films at Cannes in 2013 and for the main competition in 2014. In 2016, she was appointed a Dame Companion of the New Zealand Order of Merit for services to film.
- born
- 30 April 1954
- field
- Filmmaker
- nationality
- New Zealand
- known_for
- Writing and directing The Piano (1993) and The Power of the Dog (2021)
Lore & Background
Campion was born in Wellington, New Zealand, the second daughter of Edith Campion, an actress, writer, and heiress, and Richard M. Campion, a teacher and theatre and opera director. She attended Queen Margaret College and Wellington Girls' College, and graduated with a Bachelor of Arts in Anthropology from Victoria University of Wellington in 1975. She later earned a graduate diploma in visual arts from the Sydney College of the Arts in 1981. Her dissatisfaction with painting led her to filmmaking; her first short film, Tissues, was made in 1980, and she graduated from the Australian Film, Television and Radio School in 1984.
Her directorial debut was Two Friends (1986). She is best known for writing and directing The Piano (1993) and The Power of the Dog (2021). Other films include An Angel at My Table (1990), The Portrait of a Lady (1996), Holy Smoke! (1998), and Bright Star (2009). She co-created the television series Top of the Lake (2013) and its sequel, China Girl (2017). Campion was appointed a Dame Companion of the New Zealand Order of Merit in the 2016 New Year Honours.
Reader's Guide
Jane Campion's significance lies in her status as one of the most acclaimed female filmmakers in cinema history. Her film The Piano won the Palme d'Or at Cannes and an Academy Award for Best Original Screenplay; she was the second woman ever nominated for Best Director at the Academy Awards. With The Power of the Dog, she became the first woman to receive multiple Best Director nominations and won the award. Her work often centers on gender politics, seduction, and female sexual power. Campion's art school background, citing Frida Kahlo and Joseph Beuys as influences, shaped her visual style. She has also served as a jury head at Cannes and a faculty member of the European Graduate School. Her legacy includes influencing other filmmakers, as noted when Xavier Dolan credited The Piano with inspiring him to write roles for women with soul and strength.
Did You Know?
- Campion's first short film, Peel (1982), won the Short Film Palme d'Or at the 1986 Cannes Film Festival.
- She was the second woman ever nominated for the Academy Award for Best Director, for The Piano in 1994.
- Campion's daughter, Alice Englert, played a lead role in Top of the Lake: China Girl.
- She issued an apology to Serena and Venus Williams after a comment in her Critics' Choice Award acceptance speech.
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