Yves Alion and Jean Ollé-Laprune’s retrospective on Claude Lelouch, one of France’s most beloved cinéastes, takes the form of an extended interview with the filmmaker and provides the reader with a rare glimpse into the thoughts, motivations and inspirations of one of the most prolific Gallic directors still working today. By posing precise, revelatory questions to Lelouch, the authors uncover the successes, pitfalls, and relationships, both professional and personal that shaped a career spanning some 40 films in 50 years.

The retrospective simultaneously celebrates Lelouch’s sizeable oeuvre while asserting his continued influence on French film today. With a film out in 2005 entitled Le Courage d’Aimer, Lelouch has received critical acclaim for such films as the seminal Un Homme et Une Femme (1966), Les Uns et Les Autres (1981), and Tout Ça...Pour Ça! (1993). Lelouch has worked with the greats of French cinema including Catherine Deneuve and won Oscars for Best Foreign Language Film and Best Original Screenplay as well as the Palme d’Or at Cannes.