Pierre-Antoine Hiroz (b. 1961)
Birthplace:
Levron, Val de Bagnes, Switzerland
Born:
March 30, 1961
Pierre-Antoine Hiroz, born in 1961 in Levron in the commune of Vollèges, is a mountain guide, director, and film producer (Espace Production S.A.). He is married to actress and director Pascale Rocard. After completing compulsory schooling, he began training as a lumberjack. He later became a ski instructor and mountain guide. While continuing his career, he completed internships as an assistant director on documentaries, news reports, and commercials. He thus made his first films virtually self-taught. In 1985, his first documentary, Je veux le soleil debout (I Want the Sun Standing), about Stéphane Hiroz, his brother with Down syndrome, brought him international recognition thanks to prestigious awards. Produced both in Switzerland and abroad, part of his filmography is devoted to characters who have accomplished sporting feats in difficult environments such as high mountains or underwater. On several occasions he has also directed fiction or documentary series for Télévision Suisse Romande.