Jacques Rivette

Jacques Rivette (1 March 1928 – 29 January 2016) was a French film director and film critic most commonly associated with the French New Wave and the film magazine Cahiers du Cinéma. He made twenty-nine films, including L'Amour fou (1969), Out 1 (1971), Celine and Julie Go Boating (1974), and La Belle Noiseuse (1991). His work is noted for its improvisation, loose narratives, and lengthy running times. Inspired by Jean Cocteau to become a filmmaker, Rivette shot his first short film at age twenty. He moved to Paris to pursue his career, frequenting Henri Langlois' Cinémathèque Française where he met François Truffaut, Jean-Luc Godard, Éric Rohmer, Claude Chabrol and other future members of the New Wave. Rivette began writing film criticism and was hired by André Bazin for Cahiers du Cinéma in 1953. He continued making short films, including Le Coup de Berger, which is often cited as the first New Wave film. Recognised for his contribution to cinema, Rivette received several awards including the Sutherland Trophy, the Grand Prix and the Prix Méliès.