François Truffaut
François Truffaut (1932–1984) was a French director, critic, and screenwriter who, with Jean-Luc Godard and others, founded the French New Wave. A self-taught cinephile who began as a polemical critic at Cahiers du Cinéma, he articulated the auteur theory before turning to filmmaking with his autobiographical debut The 400 Blows. His work returned again and again to childhood, romantic obsession, and the act of reading — both books and people — with a warmth that distinguished him from his more confrontational colleagues. His acclaimed films include The 400 Blows, Shoot the Piano Player, Jules and Jim, Day for Night, and The Last Metro.