Date of Birth

6 February 1932, Paris, France

Date of Death

21 October 1984, Neuilly-sur-Seine, Hauts-de-Seine, France

François began to assiduously go to the movies at 7. He was also a great reader but not a good pupil. He left school at 14 and started working. In 1947, aged 15, he founded a film club and met André Bazin, a French critic, who becomes his protector. Bazin helped the delinquent Truffaut and also when he was put in jail because he deserted the army. In 1953, he published his first movie critiques in "Les Cahiers du Cinema." In this magazine, Truffaut and some of his friends as passionate as he is, became defender of what they call the "author policy". In 1954, as a test, Truffaut directed his first short film. Two years afterwords, in 1956, he assisted Roberto Rossellini with some later abandoned projects.

The year 1957 was an important one for him: he married Madeleine Morgenstern, the daughter of an important film distributor, and founded his own production company "Les Films du Carrosse"; named after Jean Renoir's The Golden Coach (1952)(The Golden Coach). He also directed The Brats (1957), considered as the real first step of his cinematographic work. The other big year was 1959: the huge success of his first full-length film The 400 Blows (1959) (The 400 blows) was the beginning of the New Wave, a new way of making movies in France. This was also the birth year of his first daughter Laura Truffaut.

From 1959 until his death, François Truffaut's life and films are mixed up. Let's only note he had two other daughters Eva Truffaut (b. 1961) and Josephine (b. 1982 of French actress Fanny Ardant). Truffaut was the most popular and successful French film director ever. His main themes were passion, women, childhood and faithfulness.

Buried in the exclusive "Montmartre" cemetery Paris, France.

In 1968, two years after the book "Hitchcock, Truffaut," Alfred Hitchcock hired Truffaut's star Claude Jade (Stolen Kisses (1968) [Stolen Kisses], Bed and Board (1970), and L'amour en fuite (1979)) for Topaz (1969).

Fiancé of Claude Jade (1968).

Picked up a hitchhiker once and started a conversation about movies. When it turned out the man had little too knowledge about this subject to particpate Truffaut insisted on him leaving the car

Birth of his daughter Joséphine with companion Fanny Ardant (September 28th 1983). Partner with Fanny (1981-1984).

When genius director Sergei Parajanov was imprisoned, Truffaut signed a petition to Soviet government to release Parajanov.

Was voted the 27th Greatest Director of all time by Entertainment Weekly. He is the highest ranking director on this list who was a film critic before he became a filmmaker.

Was an early contender to direct The Stunt Man (1980), and used elements from that film's source, the Paul Brodeur novel of the same name, in the story of Day for Night (1973).

He was a big Alfred Hitchcock fan and defined him as his master.

Member of the jury at the Cannes Film Festival in 1962.

Son of Jeanine de Montferrand and Roland Lévy. François was raised by his maternal grandparents.

Father, with Madeleine Morgenstern, of two girls named Laura (b. January 22th 1959) and Eva (b. June 29th 1961).

Was Warren Beatty's first choice to direct "Bonnie and Clyde" (1967) but turned him down.

Had a falling out with Jean-Luc Godard after he came to believe that Godard put down the work of others to raise the regard of his own.

Sold la Cause du people (The Peoples' Cause) "revolutionary propaganda" to uphold the cause of freedom of expression on the streets of Paris (June 20th 1970). He had Jean-Paul Sartre and Simone de Beauvoir for company.

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