Maurice Pialat

Born: August 31 1925
Where: Puy De Dome, France
Died: January 11 2003

The former painter and actor won the illustrious support of Francois Truffaut and Claude Berri early in his directing career.

While attending the Ecole des Beaux-Arts in Paris he also took on a variety of jobs, including acting (he appeared in one of Claude Chabrol's films).

In 1958 he bought a camera and began to shoot short films and released his first feature in 1969.

Not the most prolific director - he made just 10 feature films in a 25-year career - he will probably be best remembered for Loulou, To Our Loves and Police.

Other highlights include Under Satan's Sun (which won the Golden Palm at Cannes in 1987) and his biopic Van Gogh, starring Jacques Dutronc.

He also had a novel - Nous ne Viellerons pas Ensemble - published in 1972.

Pialat died of kidney failure in Paris in January 2003.