Papillon
Cinema has always been fond of escape stories. Whether epic or intimate stories, war or prison film, tragedy or comedy, these tales reflect the injustices, violence and conflicts that tear people apart, as well as their propensity for solidarity and compassion. The inventiveness the characters devote to escaping is reminiscent of that of filmmakers who stage their imprisonment in order to better break it down: an always meticulous game, set against a backdrop of spatial constraints and a race against time.
Henri Charrière, known as "Papillon", is a little scoundrel who is wrongly convicted of a murder he didn't commit. Sentenced to life imprisonment, he tries to escape, but his attempts fail and lead him to Devil's Island, a prison within a prison from which no one has ever managed to escape.
Franklin J. Schaffner
Franklin J. Schaffner was an American director and producer. He began his directing career in television. In 1954, he directed the teleplay Twelve Angry Men, which would later be adapted for the big screen by Sidney Lumet. It was in 1963 that Schaffner made his debut as a film director with The Stripper, an adaptation of a play by William Inge. In 1965, he directed The War Lord, starring Charlton Heston, whom he reunited with in 1968 for his science fiction masterpiece: Planet of the Apes, based on the novel by Pierre Boulle. The film was a huge success, spawning four sequels as well as a television series and an animated series. From then on, Schaffner continued to achieve both artistic and commercial success. He directed Patton in 1970, earning 7 Oscars including Best Picture and Best Director. He then assembled a star-studded cast including Steve McQueen and Dustin Hoffman for Papillon in 1973. The film was a major success both critically and commercially. He served as president of the Directors Guild of America (DGA) from 1987 until his death in 1989.
