Alain Cavalier (b. 14th September 1931) came of age as a filmmaker during the New Wave era but had a distinctive vision which set him apart from his contemporaries. He made his name with political thrillers featuring complex characters such as Le Combat dans l’ile (Fire and Ice, 1962) and L’Insoumis (The Unvanquished, 1964), later turning to more philosophical works such as Un étrange voyage (1981) and Thérèse (1986) which won César Awards for Best Film and Best Director.