biography

Guy Meauxsoone, born September 16, 1946, in Warneton, Belgium, is a French director and documentary filmmaker, renowned for his films devoted to underground exploration, caving, mountain sports, and the peoples of remote regions. He has particularly distinguished himself in the field of exploration documentary cinema, creating works that highlight underground worlds, their history, and their beauty. Among Guy Meauxsoone's major achievements is the film Trou de Fer (1992), which documents the first complete descent of the canyon of the same name, a landmark feat in the history of caving and canyoning. This film is often cited as one of the most spectacular of its kind, both for the technical difficulty of the exploration and the quality of its production. Meauxsoone has also explored other themes, focusing on the discovery, sport, and ecology aspects, as well as the human dimension of the worlds he explores. His prolific work is praised for its ability to combine scientific rigor, a sense of adventure, and aesthetic qualities, offering a unique perspective on worlds often inaccessible to the general public. This rigor is evident, for example, in The Pillars of Dreams (1987), with Patrick Berhault and Patrick Cordier exploring the cliffs of Meteora, the mystical aerial refuges of hermits in Greece. Guy Meauxsoone is a guest of honor at major caving and mountain sports events, recognized for his "impressive track record" and his contribution to the audiovisual memory of the discipline, winning numerous awards and selections. In January 2008, during an expedition to the Sierra Negra in Mexico, his son, Arthur Meauxsoone, suffered an accident around 300 BC (fractured right foot and left kneecap). The Mexican Speleo Rescue (Espeleo Rescate Mexico) did everything possible to ensure the rescue was successful. To thank them, Guy Meauxsoone is selling a DVD with around ten caving and mountain films he shot in the 1980s, both in 16mm and video, to help fund equipment and training courses. "Meaux," as he is nicknamed, settled in the Vercors region in 1983, while traveling the world with his camera, producing more than 100 television reports. A lover of the Vercors region, Guy founded the web TV association VercorsTV in 2010, which produces and broadcasts reports from all over the world on vercors-tv.com. Guy Meauxsoone died on June 14, 2023 at the age of 76 in Autrans-Méaudre in Vercors. The Vercors Natural Park paid tribute to him in its newsletter in August 2023. Documentary filmmaker Sid Perou paid tribute to him in the caving magazine Descent with the article "Goodbye, Guy Meauxsoone" (Descent (293), August 2023).