Robert Bresson

Robert Bresson (25 September 1901 – 18 December 1999) was a celebrated French film director known for his ascetic approach. Contributing significantly to the art of cinema, this style featured non-professional actors, sparse use of scoring, and a minimalist approach to film-making. His works are considered seminal examples of minimalist cinema, often marked by their tragic stories. Acknowledged as one of the most highly regarded film-makers of all time, seven of his films made into 'Sight & Sound' critics' poll of the 250 greatest films ever made. He lived in Paris' Île Saint-Louis after his early education at Lycée Lakanal in Sceaux.

Bresson's cinematic journey began as a photographer, with his first short film in 1934. Yet, the war years play a considerable backdrop in his work, having been captured by the Germans in 1940 and held as a prisoner of war for over a year; experiences that informed 'A Man Escaped'. Despite a fifty-year career, Bresson made only 13 feature-length films, reflecting his painstaking approach to the filmmaking process and his non-commercial interests. He did face difficulty finding funding for his projects, and in his later life, he had stopped watching other filmmakers' movies. His death came on 18 December 1999 at the age of 98 at his home in Droue-sur-Drouette southwest of Paris.