• François Truffaut, a pivotal figure in the French New Wave, was a filmmaker, actor, and critic who significantly influenced cinema. • He began his career writing for Cahiers du Cinéma, where he championed the auteur theory and penned scathing critiques. • His directorial debut, The 400 Blows (1959), a semi-autobiographical coming-of-age story, launched the French New Wave and established his style. • Truffaut's prolific career included diverse films like Jules and Jim, Shoot the Piano Player, and Day for Night, which won an Academy Award. • Beyond his films, his book-length interview with Alfred Hitchcock, Hitchcock/Truffaut, remains a landmark work in film criticism. - digital collage