Alfred Hitchcock (UK, 1899-1980) is undeniably the

world's most famous film director. His name has

become synonymous with the cinema, and each

new generation takes the same pleasure in rediscovering

his films, which are now treasures of

our artistic heritage. Hitchcock started out in the

British silent cinema of the 1920s, which reached

its peak with successful thrillers such as The Man

Who Knew Too Much (1934), Sabotage (1936)

and The Lady Vanishes (1938). Recognized as a

'young genius', Hitchcock moved to Hollywood

and set about reinventing cinematic tradition,

combining the modern with the classic in films

such as Vertigo (1957), North by Northwest (1959)

and The Birds (1963). Hitchcock gave talented

actors such as James Stewart and Cary Grant

the chance to play enduring antiheroes and

imprinted the public imagination with the myth

of the 'blonde', as embodied by Grace Kelly, Kim

Novak and Tippi Hedren.