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BIOGRAPHY

JIM JARMUSCH

Jim JarmuschDirector | Writer | Actor

Date of Birth 22 January 1953, Akron, Ohio, USA
Birth Name James R. Jarmusch
Height 6' 2" (1.88 m)


Moved to New York City at the age of seventeen from Akron, Ohio. Graduated from Columbia University with a B.A. in English, class of '75. Without any prior film experience, he was accepted into the Tisch School of the Arts, New York.


Jarmusch came to New York City from Akron, Ohio to study at Columbia and NYU's film school. He would also study film at the Cinematheque Francaise in Paris. He worked as an assistant on Lightning Over Water (1980), a film by Nicholas Ray and Wim Wenders, before making his first film, _Permanent Vacation (1982)_, made for roughly $15,000. After much hustling, he found a German producer by the name of Otto Grokenberger, who stayed out of his way and provided him with complete artistic control. The result was the highly stimulating Stranger Than Paradise (1984), a film he structured around Screamin' Jay Hawkins' song, "I Put A Spell On You", and which would go on to win the Camera D'Or at the 1984 Cannes Film Festival.


Stationary camera (deadpan). His films often involve travlers as well as life after midnight. Shows and views the American landscape from a non-commercial viewpoint (e.g. the tavern were everybody knows your name instead of franchised stripmalls)
Often casts musicians as actors in his films
Salt & pepper hair
The narrative structure of his films mostly lack clear plot progression and focus more on mood and character development
Introvert character eavesdrops on two strangers' conversations
Offscreen distant train whistle
Sense of place/historical figures from movie's location
Country music on soundtrack
Japanese tourist

On Feb. 2, 1994, Jarmusch appeared for an interview before an audience on the first night of a retrospective of his films held by the Walker Art Museum in Minneapolis, MN.
Chris Parker, who starred in Jarmusch's first film Permanent Vacation (1980) was a friend of Jarmusch's and had never acted before (according to a 2/2/94 interview with Jarmusch). When Jarmusch submitted "Permanent Vacation" to Tisch as his film thesis/project, they wouldn't accept it - apparently, they didn't think it was worth their time.
Is the older brother of Ann and Tom Jarmusch.
Good friend of Aki Kaurismäki, Finnish director of The Man Without a Past (2002). Placed the final segment of his movie Night on Earth (1991) in Finland with the three characters speaking Finnish.
Up until 2005, has never made a film under a studio's watch.
Attended Columbia University.
Once almost died from eating wild mushrooms, which resulted in an interest in the study of mushroom.
Doesn't allow his movies to be dubbed for foreign movie markets. They are mostly shown with subtitles in other countries.
He owns the negatives to all his own films, except one, Year of the Horse (1997), which he made for Neil Young.
Father worked at the Goodrich tire plant in Akron, Ohio. Mother reviewed films for the Akron Beacon Journal.
Although Broken Flowers (2005) came out after Lost in Translation (2003), Jarmusch wrote the script exclusively for Bill Murray before Sofia Coppola.
Has lived with his girlfriend, filmmaker Sara Driver, for 20 years. [2005]
At college one of his professors was cult director Nicholas Ray. They formed a friendship and Jarmusch became his assistant for the making of a film.
Founder member of "the Sons of Lee Marvin". Other members include Tom Waits, Thurston Moore, John Lurie, Nick Cave. Membership requires a plausible likeness to Lee Marvin such that you could be rumored to be his son.
Guest with Johnny Depp of Belgrade Film Festival FEST in 1992.
According to Roger Ebert, 'there is a deep embedding of comedy, nostalgia, shabby sadness and visual beauty' in his work.
Likes seeing his films once, with a paying audience that doesn't know he is there, after that he doesn't want to see them ever again.
Is a founding member of The Sons of Lee Marvin, a humorous "semi-secret society" of artists resembling the iconic actor.
Often described as the archetypal auteur of American independent film.
Stopped drinking coffee in 1986, the year of the first installment of Coffee and Cigarettes, though he continues to smoke cigarettes.
Always owns the negatives of his films.
Is a member of rock band SQÜRL with film associate Carter Logan and sound engineer Shane Stoneback.
Novelist Paul Auster described the characters in Jarmusch's films as "laconic, withdrawn, sorrowful mumblers".
Stated that his goal was "to approximate real time for the audience.".