Breathless

The film that created two legends - Godard and Belmondo - and cemented an already existing reputation: director Jean-Pierre Melville appears here in the role of a writer brimming with ironic wit. On the eve of filming, August 16, 1959, Godard writes, somewhat uncertain and full of doubts about whether he can stand alongside the recently celebrated Truffaut: "Dear François, in a few days I'll give you the dialogues to read. After all, it was your screenplay. Yesterday I spoke about it with Melville. I owe him and the screening of the working copy of the great Momo (Erik Rohmer's nickname) the fact that my spirits have finally lifted. I'd like to write you more, but in my exhaustion such a bold move would prevent me from working tomorrow. We're shooting on the seventeenth in any weather. In short, it's about a boy who thinks about death, and a girl who doesn't... Friendly greetings from one of your sons."