Billy Wilder

Billy WILDER (1906-2002) was born in modern-day Poland. He entered the film business as a screenwriter in the late 1920s while living in Berlin. In 1933, he arrived in Hollywood via Paris after fleeing the rise of the Nazis. He established himself as a co-writer of the screwball comedy Ninotchka (1939) and by directing the film noir Double Indemnity (1944). Wilder was recognised with the American Film Institute (AFI) Life Achievement Award in 1986. He was also honoured with the Irving G. Thalberg Memorial Award in 1986 and the National Medal of Arts in 1993.