Berlin prize for Zhivago composer

Jarre began his musical career by studying percussion

French composer Maurice Jarre, known for his music on a string of Hollywood classics, will receive a lifetime achievement award in February.

The 84-year-old will be presented with the honour at next year's Berlin International Film Festival.

Festival chief Dieter Kosslick said his work is "world-famous and remains unforgettable in cinema history".

He received three Academy Awards for his arrangements on Lawrence of Arabia, Doctor Zhivago and A Passage to India.

Percussion and conducting

"Film composers often are in the shadows of great directors and acting stars," Kosslick said.

"It's different with Maurice Jarre; the music of Doctor Zhivago, like much of his work, is world-famous and remains unforgettable in cinema history."

The festival will screen Lawrence of Arabia, the film which marked the beginning of a decade-long collaboration with British director David Lean.

Jarre began his musical career by studying percussion and conducting.

He has worked on more than 150 international film productions, including works by Alfred Hitchcock, John Huston and Peter Weir.

The festival will open with the premiere of The International, a spy thriller starring Clive Owen and Naomi Watts.

Pervious recipients of the award include Robert Altman and Arthur Penn.

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