This module offers an introduction to an in-depth study of French 'auteur' cinema from the 1950s to the 2000s. The course studies a number of films by established 'auteurs' such as Jean-Luc Godard and Agnès Varda and a number of films by more contemporary directors, such as Michael Haneke and Catherine Breillat, their range proof of the continuing vitality of 'auteur' cinema in contemporary France. Lectures on auteur theory from the 'politique des auteurs' up to contemporary French debates on auteurism are interspersed with study of the films in both semesters.