André Bazin: a bio-bibliography

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André Bazin (1918-1958) played a pivotal role in establishing film studies as a respected intellectual discipline and is often regarded as the spiritual father of the French New Wave. In 1951, he co-founded Cahiers du cinéma, the most influential film journal in cinema history, and was a key proponent of auteur theory, which positions the film director as the primary creator of a film's unique style. Unlike many theorists, Bazin was a practical critic who focused on actual films rather than preconceived theories, making film criticism a process of description, analysis, and deduction. He served as an aesthetic bridge between critics and theorists, emphasizing the importance of questioning rather than providing definitive answers about art and cinema. Bazin's life was tragically cut short by leukemia in 1958, but he left behind a wealth of material, including the four-volume Qu'est-ce que le cinéma? and contributions to various magazines. This book features a comprehensive bibliography of Bazin's writings and those about him, primarily in French and English, alongside a contextual introduction to his life and work. It represents a significant contribution to cinema studies and highlights the enduring impact of one of the field's foremost thinkers.