French director Jacques Rosier, a key figure in French cinema’s new wave, has died at the age of 96.

Michael Pearson, who worked with Rosier for 15 years, said he died at the hospital between Thursday and Friday night.

“We have left Jacques Rozier behind. He represented freedom and we will miss him dearly,” the Cinematheque franchise tweeted.

The new wave of French cinema, of which Rosier was one of the most important figures, and which arose at the end of the fifties of the twentieth century, aimed to replace classic cinematographic techniques in favor of an individual approach. Its notable figures include Jacques Rosier, Jean-Luc Godard, François Truffaut, Louis Malle, Claude Charpol, Jacques Dumy and Eric Rumet.

Rosier’s awards include the Jean Vigo Prize for “Man Ocean” in 1986 and the Rene Claire Award for Lifetime Achievement in 1997, and the Carros d’Or at the Cannes Film Festival in 2002.

He directed several films, including Adieu Philippines (1962), Du Coté d’Orouet (1973), and Les Naufrages de L’ile de la Tortue (1976).

He directed Fifi Martingale (2001), which was not shown in cinemas, and the not fully realized Le Perroquet Parisien (2007).

He has also directed twenty short films in addition to his work in the television industry.

“He was a free, independent director who worked without a prescriptive script,” said Pearson, who had the ability to “recapture the moment.”

(AFP)