Tribute to a cinema legend. This Friday, October 21, France 5 broadcasts a special evening dedicated to Patrick Dewaere. In a documentary film directed by Alexandre Moix, his daughter and actress Lola Dewaere presents viewers with the portrait of this hero who marked the seventh art.

Son of a famous actress and member of the little Maurins, Patrick Bourdeaux emancipated himself from the clan by changing his name to borrow that of his maternal grandmother (De Vaëre). When he made his debut with the members of the Café de la Gare in the 1960s, it was under the artist name Patrick Dewaere that he was revealed to the cinema. In 1974, he enjoyed success in Les Valseuses where he formed a mythical trio with Gérard Depardieu and Miou-Miou.

Playing Pierrot, one of the thugs in Bertrand Blier’s film, this role will allow Patrick Dewaere to shine in the spotlight. “I said to myself, ‘This is it, my life is going to change, everything is going to change.’ And, it’s true, my life completely changed from that moment on. it was going to work”, he confided in an interview of which France 5 revealed an extract on its social networks. “I knew that from that day on, I would do what all actors dream of, which is to make movies”.

From this controversial and provocative film, Patrick Dewaere sees his career launched on the big screen. For a decade, the actor starred in around thirty feature films that marked several generations of French people. From his successes to his setbacks, this documentary is an opportunity to dive back into the career of Lola Dewaere’s father. By retracing her steps, the actress and heroine of the Astrid and Raphaëlle series evokes the memory of a father figure who left too soon.

For the occasion, Planet has selected a (non-exhaustive) list of cult films from his career. And you, what is your favorite Patrick Dewaere film? A look back at 8 mythical roles in our slideshow.