A secret agent working undercover as a paediatrician is not the hero of the next film to be produced by Thierry Wong, but it is certainly the job he once dreamed of having when he grew up! The Super 8 camera he received as a birthday present finally convinced him otherwise. The world of cinema is a vast realm for a teenager, but as a second-year high school student he already knew that he wanted to pursue a career in film. It was in this same class that he met Pierre Forette, who was later to become his partner. His studies took him to the Bordeaux business school, then to the FEMIS film and audiovisual institute, while he earned a postgraduate diploma (DEA) in film. He even studied at the University of California Los Angeles while completing development internships at Daniel Melnick’s company Indieprod and at New Regency Productions, which is run by Arnon Milchan, the producer of Once Upon a Time in America, JFK and Pretty Woman, among others.  After his return to France, he decided to create his own production company in 1997, Cine Nomine, founded in partnership with Pierre Forette. “Producers are not just financiers. They must also be instigators and provide support for other functions. The producer has to monitor each stage of the film, get involved, and exert control over the production, and must also be able to hold a discussion with anyone working on the film, from the scriptwriter to the chief cameraman.” So it makes sense that, for the project that won the Jean-Luc Lagardère Foundation grant, Thierry Wong went to Sarcelles to keep tabs on things. “We didn’t want to make just another film on the urban ghetto; we wanted to tell a story,” he stated at the time.

Achievements since winning the grant

In 1997, Thierry Wong produced Je Serai la Plus Belle, directed by Fabrice Genestal, and Eric Carlier’s Un Jour Dix Ans. He and Pierre Forette also work as consultants for producers and such public bodies as the CNC (National cinematography centre) and the European Commission.

2000 saw the theatrical release of La Squale, the project supported by the Jean-Luc Lagardère Foundation, directed by Fabrice Genestal. The film was nominated for a 2001 César award in the Best First Film category.

In 2002, Thierry  Wong produced Frederic Graziani’s En Roue Libre, and in 2003, Le Cadeau d’Héléna, by the same director.

In 2005, Thierry Wong produced Black Box, directed by Fabrice Genestal, and President, directed by Lionel Delplanque.