Omnibus (1967)

Jean Renoir: Part One - From La Belle Époque to World War II (1993x7)

Air date: Nov 17, 1993

David Thompson's beguiling documentary on Renoir's life and work, made for the occasion of the one-hundredth anniversary of his birth. Born 100 years ago, Jean Renoir (1894-1979) is considered by many the greatest of film directors. Omnibus presents a two-part investigation of Renoir's life and career, coinciding with a short season of his films on BBC2. The son of Impressionist painter Pierre-Auguste Renoir, Jean's career began in the silent era but his most acclaimed films date from the 1930s. His films are said to reflect his father's love of nature and deep humanity, and have long been an inspiration to other directors as well as audiences.