Roland Joffe

Roland Joffé – Life, Career & Memorable Quotes

Explore the life and career of Roland Joffé (born November 17, 1945), the acclaimed English film and television director and producer. Discover his formative years, breakthrough works (The Killing Fields, The Mission), artistic vision, controversies, and enduring quotes.

Introduction

Roland Joffé is an English director, producer, and screenwriter known for his grand, morally engaged films and his consistent interest in politics, history, and human suffering.

He rose to international prominence with The Killing Fields (1984) and The Mission (1986), both of which won critical acclaim and awards.

His career has also seen failures and controversies, making him a complex figure whose work provokes both admiration and debate.

Early Life and Education

Roland Joffé was born in London, England, on November 17, 1945.

He was educated at the Lycée Français Charles de Gaulle in London and then at Carmel College in Wallingford, Oxfordshire (a Jewish boarding school). University of Manchester.

In his youth, Joffé had personal complexities: his father Mark Joffé had a relationship with Esther Garman, who was related to the artist Jacob Epstein. After Esther’s death, Roland lived with her parents, which meant he grew up among artists and intellectuals.

His upbringing was thus influenced by both cultural, artistic and intellectual milieu.

Career Beginnings: Television

Joffé began his professional life in television.

Some early television credits:

• Episodes of Coronation Street

• The Stars Look Down adaptation for Granada

• Political dramas like Bill Brand

• Plays in the BBC’s Play for Today series, including The Spongers, The Legion Hall Bombing, United Kingdom

His television work already showed a tendency toward socially engaged material and political themes.

Interestingly, early in his BBC career he faced obstacles: he was at one point blocked from certain appointments because of political vetting related to his past attendance of meetings with leftist groups.

This tension between art and politics would persist throughout his career.

Breakthrough & Major Films

The Killing Fields (1984)

This was Joffé’s breakout feature. The film tells the story of journalists and their relationships, set against the horrors of Khmer Rouge–ruled Cambodia.

• Joffé viewed it not just as a war film but as a story of connection and friendship that transcends ideology.

• The film earned multiple Academy Award nominations and won Oscars for Best Supporting Actor (Haing S. Ngor), Best Cinematography, and Best ing.

In interviews, Joffé noted that studios saw The Killing Fields as a war story, but he argued that its heart was in human relationships and shared suffering.

The Mission (1986)

His next major film, The Mission, explores the conflict between Jesuit missionaries aiding indigenous Guaraní people in South America and colonial powers seeking to exploit them.

• The Mission won the Palme d’Or at Cannes in 1986, a high honor.

• The film is often praised for its moral clarity, its beautiful cinematography, and the powerful score by Ennio Morricone.

These two films cemented Joffé’s reputation for ambitious, socially conscious cinema.

Later Work, Challenges & Controversy

While early in his career, Joffé enjoyed critical success; later, his work was more uneven.

Some notable later films:

• Fat Man and Little Boy (1989) – about the development of nuclear weapons.

• City of Joy (1992) – set in India, a story of hope and struggle.

• The Scarlet Letter (1995) – a more commercially ambitious adaptation that met with critical failure.

• Vatel (2000), Goodbye Lover, Captivity (2007), There Be Dragons (2011), The Lovers (2013), and The Forgiven (2017)

Some films, like The Scarlet Letter and Captivity, were criticized harshly and even garnered Razzie nominations.

He also adapted and co-produced the Super Mario Bros. (1993) movie, which was a commercial misstep.

Throughout, Joffé remained committed to themes of faith, justice, identity, colonialism, and moral consequence — even when his execution was contested.

Artistic Vision & Themes

Roland Joffé’s work often grapples with:

• Colonialism, power, and oppression

• Faith, redemption, and moral dilemmas

• History and memory

• The individual vs system or ideology

He often speaks about cinema as a moral medium: not just entertainment but a way to engage audiences about deep truths.

He has said (among many quotes):

“Good directing is about getting the performance to be just what’s right for the movie.” “I think a film should have a gestation period of at least two or three years.” “I like cinema audiences. I respect them, and I talk to them just like I would anybody I know.” “Eventually, the tribe developed so much confidence in me that they invited me to be their chieftain.” “When you look at our world, the truth is that we’re all under the influence of politics.” “I began to feel that, in a sense, we were all prisoners of our own history.”

These statements suggest he views film not as a passive object but as an active conversation between the filmmaker, audience, and society.

Legacy & Influence

• Joffé’s early films remain landmarks in politically engaged cinema.

• The Mission is often cited in film studies for its spiritual and visual ambition.

• Though his later work is divisive, his willingness to take risks has inspired directors who aim to merge spectacle with conscience.

• His career also serves as a cautionary tale: ambition must be matched by consistency and clarity of vision.

His son, Rowan Joffé, is also a screenwriter and director.

Roland Joffé is active in film organizations (e.g. Operation USA) and lives in Malta.