Fine Cuts: The Art of European Film Editing

3   Yann Dedet

Yann’s first films as editor were with François Truffaut. He subsequently became the editor for amongst others, Maurice Pialat and later Cédric Kahn. He has recently directed his first feature length film, ‘The Land of the Singing Dog’.

We talked in his Paris apartment and at a nearby café.

I was born in Paris in 1946. My father was a publisher, including for instance the last three books by Antonin Artaud.¹ My mother was an ‘antiquaire’ (antique dealer). I was very ‘moyen’ (average) at school, but I developed an early interest in the theatre (Shakespeare, Strindberg).

My father took me to see my first film when I was eight. It was ‘L’homme des vallées perdues’ (Shane) by George Stevens.² I ran out of the theatre, crying, when ...