Maurice Pialat

French filmmaker Maurice Pialat initially wanted to be a painter. He did not fulfil that dream, and it’s hard not to trace at least part of his legendary anger and bitterness back to this early frustration. Centred on protagonists who can be brutal with one another as they cope with violent waves of emotion, his films are nevertheless marked by undeniable beauty and heartbreaking gentleness. They have the same gripping immediacy and moving grace as works by some of his most cherished artists, chief among them Vincent Van Gogh – and Pialat’s biopic of the Dutch painter may well be his masterpiece. In this long gestating episode, Elena and Manuela get emotional talking about the work of one of their favourite film directors. 

Hard Truths is an ⁠⁠Animus⁠⁠ film podcast. Every other week, Animus founder and editor Elena Lazic catches up from London, UK, with her twin Manuela, who can usually be found across the pond in Paris. Expect animated conversations about cinema, digressions into unrelated topics, and trivial facts from our personal lives. Do NOT expect to immediately be able to tell us apart. 

Hard Truths is made possible by ⁠⁠True Cinephile⁠⁠ paying members who, for £3.50/month or £35/year, access all instalments of the advice column for cinephiles Psycho. two days early, and more.