Xavier Legrand

Xavier Legrand is a French actor, screenwriter, and filmmaker born in 1979 who has established himself as one of the most incisive voices on domestic violence in contemporary European cinema. Originally trained as an actor, Legrand’s transition to writing and directing proved transformative for both his career and the genre.

His short film Avant que de tout perdre (Just Before Losing Everything, 2013) depicts a woman’s desperate attempt to flee her abusive husband with harrowing procedural detail. The film earned an Academy Award nomination for Best Live Action Short Film and screened at the Manhattan Short Film Festival, where audiences worldwide voted on its fate — a fitting democratic showcase for a film about systemic failure.

Legrand expanded the story into his debut feature Custody (Jusqu’à la garde, 2017), which competed at the 74th Venice Film Festival. He won the Silver Lion for Best Director, and the film swept four César Awards including Best Film. The feature — a legal thriller that morphs into something closer to horror — was hailed as one of the decade’s most visceral depictions of domestic abuse.

Finalist Filmography

• Avant Que De Tout Perdre (Just Before Losing Everything) — Manhattan Short 2013 Finalist