Maurice Pialat(1925-2003)

He worked as a painter before his film career.

[press conference for Die Sonne Satans (1987) at the 1987 Cannes Film Festival] I liked the Bernanos novel very much. It has a dimension rarely found in French literature which, without exaggerating, you could call Dostoevskian - I'm not saying Bernanos is Dostoevsky - but I read his work as a young man and I like it very much. I think I always knew I'd make a film of this novel. When I met Gérard [Gérard Depardieu], 13 years ago now, I quickly realised it was an important encounter because Gérard was the ideal person to play Donissan. I adapted Sous le Soleil de Satan but I don't think it's Bernanos' best work; it's not my favourite Bernanos novel but it's the one I wanted to film. There are other Bernanos novels I'd like to film but it would seem, from some reactions to the film last night, that the film is difficult to come to terms with for some people. What would have happened if I'd filmed, for example, L'Imposture which has some extraordinary scenes to tempt a filmmaker, and would make a film that was....we wouldn't be here talking about it because it would go over the heads of most of the audience. Cinema as we know it today....perhaps that's something which will change. I'm fairly optimistic about the future of cinema. It's a slow process, but perhaps in a few years from now.