Tribute to Jean-Luc Godard, the director of the new wave

The filmmaker Jean-Luc Godard died, at 91 years old, Tuesday, September 13. A look back at his life and work.

The French-Swiss filmmaker Jean-Luc Godard has given the final clap of his existence thanks to assisted suicide. “Mr. Godard had recourse to the legal assistance in Switzerland of a voluntary departure following “multiple invalidating pathologies” according to the terms of the medical report” explained Patrick Jeanneret, confirming an information published by the newspaper Libération.

*Breathless with Jean Seberg (Patricia Franchini), Jean-Paul Belmondo (Michel Poiccard) © Jean-Luc Godard*

The director had to his credit more than 70 films including the famous “Breathless”, released in 1960, with actors Jean-Paul Belmondo and Jean Seberg. In the early 1960s, Jean-Luc Godard invented a new way of making movies, handheld camera, in natural settings. This is the New Wave. Nathalie Baye, who was directed by Godard in the film “Detective”, remembers a singular director: “If you cheat a little, he sees it right away and he did not want that. One should not make a way with Godard”.

François Truffaut, another director of the New Wave, thought that: “Godard is the greatest filmmaker in the world. He is not the only one who films as he breathes, but he is the one who breathes best.”

The protean and experimental filmmaker, poet and rebel, was without doubt the most inventive of his time. He knew how to use the power of the image and put it for a time at the service of social struggles. In May 1968, the director made an outcry in solidarity with the students and workers. He then moves away from the cinema system and shoots more confidential films. He then worked for television and returned to the cinema in the 80s, finding a place of prominence.

*Farewell to Language © Jean-Luc Godard*

Jean-Luc Godard has received numerous awards in recognition of his work including several Golden and Silver Bears at the Berlin Film Festivals as well as several Golden Lions at the Venice Film Festival. At the Cannes Film Festival, his film “Farewell to Language” received the Jury Prize in 2014, and the filmmaker was awarded a special Golden Palm for his entire career and the film “The Picture Book” in 2018.

Hélène Cougot

Passionnée depuis son plus jeune âge par l’art et la mode, Hélène s’oriente vers une école de stylisme, l’Atelier Chardon-Savard à Paris, avec une option Communication. Afin d’ajouter des cordes à son arc, elle décide de compléter sa formation par un MBA en Management du Luxe et Marketing Expérientiel à l’Institut Supérieur de Gestion à Paris dont elle sort diplômée en 2020. Elle a notamment écrit des articles lifestyle et beauté pour le magazine Do it in Paris et se spécialise en rédaction d’articles concernant le luxe, l’art et la mode au sein du magazine Luxus Plus.********** [EN] Passionate about art and fashion from a young age, Hélène went to a fashion design school, Atelier Chardon-Savard in Paris, with a Communication option. In order to add more strings to her bow, she decided to complete her education with an MBA in Luxury Management and Experiential Marketing at the Institut Supérieur de Gestion in Paris from which she graduated in 2020. She has written lifestyle and beauty articles for Do it in Paris magazine and specializes in writing articles about luxury, art and fashion for Luxus Plus magazine.