Alexandre Astruc is a French film critic and film director born 13 July 1923, in Paris (France). Before becoming a film director he was a journalist, novelist and film critic. His role in the auteur theory is his notion of the caméra-stylo or "camera-pen" and the idea that a director should wield his camera like a writer uses his pen and that he need not be hindered by traditional storytelling. In 1994 he was awarded the René Clair Award for his whole body of film work.