A new retrospective celebrating the career of filmmaker Billy Wilder, titled 'Almost Perfect', is set to open at the BFI Southbank. The comprehensive showcase of his work will run from October 19 until the end of the year.
Wilder, born in Austria-Hungary at the start of the 20th century, became known for films such as Double Indemnity, Some Like It Hot, and The Apartment. His gravestone bears the inscription: “I’m a writer but then nobody’s perfect.”
His career included mastering various genres, with works like the satire Ace in the Hole, the courtroom drama Witness for the Prosecution, and The Lost Weekend, which addressed alcoholism. Wilder's directorial debut, Mauvaise Graine, was made in France in 1934 before he moved to Hollywood later that year.