“It’s universal, Godard! For us, the spectators, but also the filmmakers of the whole world, who are losing a continent. We lived in the same building, avenue Pierre-Ier-de-Serbia in Paris. When I saw him on the sidewalk opposite, I said to myself each time: “Here, here is the history of the cinema which arrives.” It was always in the tiny elevator that we met, and each time he had a rose in his hand for Anne-Marie. [Miéville]. It was a very small elevator, and the rose was fragrant, it took up all the space.
“One day, he forgot his keys. I didn’t say anything, I was on the stairs thinking about how to help him, but I didn’t have time to think about it for long, because I saw him walk away a little on the landing, gaining momentum, and breaking down the door with his foot. It impressed me a lot, partly because I was a witness and partly because he was already old. No one else that age would have been able to open a door with their whole body. He had remained very sporty. When it was my turn to lose my keys, Anne-Marie Miéville and he stayed up until five in the morning to bring me tea on the stairs.