Pierre Étaix is an Oscar-winning French clown, magician, illustrator, cabaret artist and filmmaker. Branded a genius by Jerry Lewis, and counting the likes of Terry Gilliam among his fans, Étaix has been lauded as ‘the last star of Slapstick in Europe, if not the world’.

However, for more than a decade the films of Pierre Étaix could not be seen, as the company that owned the rights to the films had kept them under lock and key. After a long legal battle, backed by Woody Allen, David Lynch, Charlotte Rampling, Jean-Luc Godard, and the French artistic community at large, Étaix’s films have finally been restored, and are being enjoyed by festival audiences the world over.

In this talk, Pierre Étaix discusses his life, career, and comic inspirations with writer and film scholar, Sir Christopher Frayling.

Sir Christopher Frayling is a writer and film scholar who was knighted in 2001 for his 'Services to Art and Design Education'. He has taught history at the University of Bath, and was Chairman of Arts Council England from 2005 to 2009.

Related Links:
Guardian: At last, Pierre Étaix's classic clowning returns to the big screen

 

Posted on Sun 29 Jan 2012.

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