Alain Resnais, French Filmmaker, Dies At 91

Alain Resnais, the famed French director, died late Saturday in Paris, France at the age of 91.

Resnais first made his stamp in film history with his 1959 film, Hiroshima Mon Amour, which continues to be hailed as one of the best films ever made. Resnais’ career, which includes Night and Fog (1955), a documentary on the Holocaust, Last Year at Marienbad (1961), and Wild Grass (2009), spanned over half a century.

His last film, Life of Riley (Aimer, boire et chanter), premiered last month at the Berlin Film Festival where it won the Silver Bear Alfred Bauer Prize for introducing new perspectives into film. Resnais is also known for influencing a new generation of filmmakers, from the French New Wave to David Lynch.

“When people ask me why I make films, I always answer that ‘je tourne pour voir comment ça tourne,’ I make films to see how films are made. I’m proud of that phrase. I’m curious to see what will become of the script, because there are always surprises, and in the end the film does not resemble what one initially expects, generally speaking,” Resnais said.

Resnais worked tirelessly throughout the last 50 years, and continuously experimented with the medium of film, making documentaries and even dabbling in cartoons.

“I’ve read articles calling me a filmmaker of memory. I’ve always refused that label by saying, ‘No, I want to make films that describe the imaginary,” Resnais said while accepting a lifetime achievement award at the 2009 Cannes Film Festival.

France is mourning the loss of Resnais, with French President Francois Hollande calling Resnais “one of its [France’s] great film-makers.” Hollande also praised Resnais for his never-ending work ethic, saying in a statement, “He received all the recognition and prizes. But what counted for him was always his next work.”

– Olivia Truffaut-Wong