Jean-François Richet

Born: Meaux, France

The director financed his French big screen debut - Etat des Lieux - by successfully gambling his dole money at a local casino.

Buoyed by the film's success (it won a Cesar [French Oscar]), Richet went on to direct homegrown product before taking the reins of the American remake of Assault on Precinct 13.

One of three children, he was raised by his single mother on a council estate on the outskirts of Paris.

After leaving school at an early age, he took various low-paid jobs before putting the finance together to shoot Etat des Lieux on a budget of £15,000.

Based on his knowledge of the French working classes, the movie landed the Cesar for best first feature and was shown in festivals worldwide.

Producer Pascal Caucheteux (who Richet would work with on Assault on Precinct 13) joined the writer/director for his next two projects.

In 1997, Crack City (Ma 6-T va crack-er) screened at the Cannes Film Festival and also launched Richet on a parallel career as a music producer.

Hip hop artists he's produced include KRS-One, B-Real from Cypress Hill, Afrika Bambaataa, Mobb Deep and Eric Sermon.

About Love, starring Virginie Ledoyen, told the story of love in the French suburbs and included amateur actors.

In 2005, Richet successfully made the switch to Hollywood with his big budget remake of John Carpenter's Assault on Precinct 13 with Ethan Hawke and Laurence Fishburne.