Born in Auvergne, Maurice Pialat (1925–2003) discovered cinema as a child in the Paris suburbs. He was a passionate painter and theatre actor, and by the 60s began making short films and documentaries, as well as working as an assistant director and editor for cinema and TV. His first of 10 features was 1969’s NAKED CHILDHOOD. UNDER THE SUN OF SATAN won the 1987 Palme d’or. He worked with actors like Isabelle Huppert, Gérard Depardieu, Sophie Marceau, and Sandrine Bonnaire, exploring the themes of turmoil in childhood, the family, and the couple. Pialat's films are said to have dispensed with mannerisms, and his everyday stories tell the bittersweet nature of the French petite bourgeoisie. This earned him the disregard of some critics, but also enduring popularity, with films characterized by a psychological narrative style, often set outside the metropolises.