Roger Vadim
Roger Vadim (1928–2000) was a French director, screenwriter, and producer who, with his feature debut And God Created Woman, helped trigger the international stardom of Brigitte Bardot and the broader sexual frankness of late-1950s European cinema. Born Roger Vadim Plemiannikov to a Russian father and a French mother, he worked as an assistant to Marc Allégret before turning to direction. His later career was uneven but included several features remembered for their visual sumptuousness and erotic charge. His acclaimed films include And God Created Woman, The Night Heaven Fell, Les Liaisons Dangereuses, Blood and Roses, Vice and Virtue, La Ronde, Barbarella, and Spirits of the Dead (segment).