John Boorman attended Catholic school (Salesian Order) although his family was not, in fact, Roman Catholic. His first job was for a dry-cleaner. Later, he worked as a critic for a women's journal and for a radio station until he entered the television business, working for the BBC in Bristol. There, he started as assistant but worked later as director on documentaries, such as The Newcomers (1964). His friendship with Lee Marvin allowed him to work in Hollywood (e.g. Le point de non-retour (1967) and Duel dans le Pacifique (1968)) from where he returned to the UK (e.g. Léo le dernier (1970), Zardoz (1974) or L'exorciste II: L'hérétique (1977)). He became famous for Excalibur (1981), La forêt d'émeraude (1985) and his autobiographic story Hope and Glory: La guerre à sept ans (1987) where he tells his own experiences as a child after World War II and which brought him another Academy Award Nomination after Délivrance (1972).
