Pascal Bonitzer

Screenwriter Pascal Bonitzer has worked in the French film industry since 1967. He is most well-known internationally for his collaborations with director Jacques Rivette and André Téchiné, though he has also acted in and directed films. From 1969 to 1985, he served as the editor of the legendary and highly influential film magazine "Cahiers du cinéma," a breeding ground for the earlier French New Wave directors -- François Truffaut, Jean-Luc Godard, Jacques Rivette, and Claude Chabrol, among others -- who all wrote for the publication before becoming filmmakers themselves. Of his work with Rivette, his most notable films are arguably "La Belle Noiseuse," about a painter and his muses; the romantic comedy"Va Savoir," about the search for a long lost play; and the emotionally intense period drama "The Duchess of Langeais," which focuses on a turbulent love affair between a Napoleonic military officer and a duchess. His work with Téchiné has also been fruitful, with "The Bronte Sisters," "Scene of the Crime," and "My Favorite Season" garnering much critical acclaim. He made his feature film debut as a director with 1996's "Encore," about a university professor suffering through depression and writer's block. He also wrote the critically lauded biopic "Lumumba," about the charismatic Congo leader.