TEHRAN (MNA) –French actor Jean-Pierre Léaud, best known for Francois Truffaut’s 400 Blows and Jean Luc Godard’s Masculin Feminin, is heading his way to help celebrate the 36th edition of Fajr International Film Festival in Tehran.
The French actor’s career has gone hand in hand with the great directors of the French New Wave, but he has remained a compelling and continuing presence long after that movement ended. He has influenced a further generation of French directors, as well as filmmakers from other cultures, and he is attending this year’s Fajr to share some of his experiences with filmmakers and fans.
Jean-Pierre Léaud (born 28 May 1944) is a French actor, best known for playing Antoine Doinel in François Truffaut’s series of films about that character, beginning with The 400 Blows. He also worked several times with Jean-Luc Godard, and is a significant figure of the French New Wave. Léaud is not everybody’s cup of tea for sure, but will remain an important name in film history.
As an actor he can be adored or hated for exactly the same reasons: he is one of those rare players that directors let improvise his dialogue, which gets on certain viewers’ nerves while it fascinates others. The same is true for his very personal staccato diction and elocution and his many mannerisms, the most obvious one being his way to run his hand through his long hair.
Presided over by Iranian film writer and director Reza Mirkarimi, the 36th edition of Fajr International Film Festival will be held in Tehran on April 19-27.
The festival is set to welcome over 300 special guests to this year’s edition, ranging from filmmakers to screenwriters, actors to activists. A host of A-list actors will attend, including legendary Italian actor Franco Nero and influential American film director Oliver Stone.