Robert Bresson (REALISATEURS DE CINEMA)
49 Quai de Bourbon, 75004 Paris, France

Robert Bresson is among the most highly regarded filmmakers of all time. His works Un condamné à mort s’est échappé (1956), Pickpocket (1959) and Au Hasard Balthazar (1966) are ranked amongst the best films in cinema history. Jean-Luc Godard once wrote, “He is the French cinema, as Dostoevsky is the Russian novel and Mozart is German music.” He pursued a painting career until 1933, when he wrote his first screenplay. In 1943 he directed his first feature, Les Anges du péché. He went on to develop a spare, minimalist style that made a notable contribution to the art of cinema. He filmed entirely on location, using natural sounds rather than post production scores. He also refused to work with professional actors, preferring amateurs. He directed thirteen feature films and wrote an important essay on cinema entitled Notes sur le cinématographe. He notably received the prize for directing at the Cannes Festival in 1957 for Un condamné à mort s’est échappé, the Grand prize for creation in 1983 for L’Argent, the jury prize in 1962 for Procès de Jeanne d’Arc, the Silver Bear at the Berlin Film Festival for Le Diable probablement in 1977, and the Lion of Honor for Career in 1989 at the Venice Film Festival.

Find out where Robert Bresson lived on Walk 58 – Pont Louis-Philippe