During his studies, he met Jeanne Balibar and Arnaud Desplechin, with whom, together with Mathieu Amalric, Emmanuelle Devos, Denis and Bruno Podalydès, he created the group of young filmmakers and intellectuals called 'Rive Gauche'.

Emmanuel Bourdieu began his writing career in the theatre with the play Tout mon possible (All I Can) and Je crois (I Believe), put on in 1998 by Denis Podalydès.

He then wrote for film with Arnaud Desplechin (My Sex Life... or How I Got into an Argument, Esther Kahn, A Christmas Tale), Nicole Garcia (Vendôme) and Catherine Corsini (The New Eve).

In his first feature film, released simultaneously in cinemas under the title Vert Paradis (Green Paradise) and broadcast on Arte as Les Cadets de Gascogne.

In 2006, Les Amitiés maléfiques (Poison Friends) received the Grand Prix of the Critics at Cannes Film Festival.