'Hitchcock/Truffaut' Trailer: The Iconic Cinema Conversation Comes To Life

For cinephiles, one of the most helpful and revered books is Hitchcock/Truffaut, the 1967 publication that features French filmmaker Francois Truffaut sitting down with legendary director Alfred Hitchcock for a week-long conversation that spanned the master of suspense's entire career up to that point.

The book (which you can pick up right here) was full of insight and wisdom with regards to Hitchcock's filmmaking style and sensibilities, and it has been referenced as being a catalyst for opening the eyes of many filmmakers. And now some of cinema's best have sat down to talk in a documentary that serves as a sort of appendix to the book, providing plenty of details about Hitchcock's filmmaking process.

Watch the Hitchcock Truffaut trailer after the jump!

Here's the documentary trailer from IndieWire:

This is undoubtedly a documentary for hardcore lovers of cinema, but it may also open the eyes of those who have more than a passing interest in film and are looking for a way to be introduced to some more educational and fascinating material.

Helping to bring audiences into the fray of this legendary conversation between two of cinema's finest directors are some other impressive names from behind the camera, including Martin Scorsese, David Fincher, Arnaud Desplechin, Kiyoshi Kurosawa, Wes Anderson, James Gray, Olivier Assayas, Richard Linklater, Peter Bogdanovich and Paul Schrader. Having any documentary with those filmmakers involved is reason enough to watch.

The Kent Jones-directed film premiered at Cannes over the summer, and it was very well-received. Variety said:

"Featuring footage that spans Hitchcock's entire career, with in-depth analysis of everything from the glass-ceiling effect in his early silent "The Lodger" to the anxious psychological realism of "Marnie," "Hitchcock/Truffaut" serves as a compelling entry point for new converts — even if it demands some sleuthing for neophytes to identify which films supply the various unlabeled clips. To help make his case, Jones calls on 10 of the medium's most respected practitioners, from his old friend Martin Scorsese to Truffaut successor Arnaud Desplechin (whose "Jimmy P." Jones co-wrote). Younger audiences will appreciate the giddiness with which their new god, Wes Anderson, refers to the book's impact, while David Fincher offers a virtual master class in how Hitchcock has shaped his aesthetic."

So it sounds like this will be good for a variety of viewers, not just the most educated film students and cinephiles. For those interested, the film will be hitting theaters starting on December 2nd.

In 1962, Hitchcock and Truffaut holed up together for a week in Hollywood to discuss their ideas for transforming the art of film directing. Drawing on the original tape recordings of this encounter – the source material for Truffaut's landmark book "Hitchcock by Truffaut," this film provides images for the greatest film lesson of all time, inviting viewers into the spellbinding world of the creator of "Psycho," "The Birds" and "Vertigo." Hitchcock's stunningly modern artistry is explained and illuminated by some of the greatest directors of our times: Martin Scorsese, Wes Anderson, James Gray, David Fincher, Kiyoshi Kurosawa, Olivier Assayas, Richard Linklater, Arnaud Desplechin, Peter Bogdanovich and Paul Schrader.