Jean Renoir

Jean Renoir was born 15 September 1894, the son of painter Pierre-Auguste Renoir, and spent a lifetime translating his father's eye for human warmth onto film. La Grande Illusion arrived in 1937, followed two years later by The Rules of the Game, both of which secured his place among directors whose work redefined what cinema could express about our shared absurdities and desires. He moved between countries and forms with ease: The River in 1951 became the first color film shot in India, made with his nephew, cinematographer Claude Renoir, while The Golden Coach and French Cancan turned his lo…