The Sign of Leo

Eric Rohmer turned to filmmaking at the start of the French New Wave, after a varied career as a novelist, journalist and editor of the influential magazine Cahiers du cinema. The Sign of Leo, his debut feature, tells the cautionary tale of a Paris-based American, born under the sign of Leo and convinced that luck is on his side. In anticipation of an inheritance from a recently deceased aunt, he freely wracks up debts only to find himself in dire straits when his windfall fails to materialise. The film displays the emotional subtlety, wit and insight that would come to characterise his work and earn him international acclaim.