James Ivory formed the filmmaking company Merchant Ivory with producer Ismail Merchant and the writer Ruth Prawer Jhabvala in 1961. The company went on to produce over 40 films and became synonymous with a particular sumptuous movie genre in the 80s and 90s, often adapted from literary classics. Merchant Ivory won awards and acclaim for A Room With A View, Howard’s End, The Remains Of The Day and many more. In 2018, at the age of 89, James Ivory became the oldest ever winner of an Academy Award. Having been nominated three times previously for best director, he won the best adapted screenplay Oscar for the coming-of-age drama Call Me By Your Name.
Now 96 years old, James Ivory recalls his upbringing in Oregon, the son of a timber merchant. He says that seeing Gone With the Wind soon after the film had first been released in 1939 was a formative moment in his love of cinema. Having initially studied architecture, he enrolled at the University of California to study cinema and began making short films. It was during a trip to India that he first became fascinated with the country and was introduced to the great Indian filmmaker Satyajit Ray, who was a hugely influential figure. James Ivory also talks about the unique relationship he had with Ismail Merchant and Ruth Jhabvala whom he describes as his "life's partners".
Producer: Edwina Pitman