The “two” in the title are François Truffaut and Jean-Luc Godard; the “wave” is the French New Wave, of which both men are the most renowned creators. Emmanuel Laurent’s fascinating documentary traces the friendship of these two legendary auteurs, who met in the movie-clubs of Paris and would later become colleagues in the 1950s as writers for Cahiers du Cinéma. Assembling a wonderful array of archival material (film clips, newspaper articles, interview footage), Laurent focuses on the great triumphs both men had with their debut features: Truffaut in 1959 with The 400 Blows, Godard in 1960 with Breathless—works that forever changed the history of cinema. Though they had very different backgrounds (Truffaut came from an unhappy working-class family, Godard from a distinguished Franco-Swiss clan), both men maintained a close, supportive friendship throughout most of the 1960s. Their tragic split began in the final years of that decade, as Godard’s films became more and more politicized; their ties were severed irrevocably in 1973 after Godard wrote a cruel letter to Truffaut attacking his film Day for Night. Laurent’s documentary is essential viewing for all those who wish to know more about these two invaluable mavericks.

RATING: Not Rated 
 
The Tournees Festival is made possible with the support of the Cultural Services of the French Embassy and the French Ministry of Culture (CNC), the Florence Gould Foundation, and the Grand Marnier Foundation and highbrow entertainment.

This event is free and open to the campus and community.