Criticism/Creation mix at Cahiers

As cited in my previous post Bazin described a phenomenon characteristic of the Cahiers tradition : a constant interconnection between critical thinking on cinema and its effective practice. Ever since its genesis, the editorial board of Les Cahiers du Cinéma developed a particular proximity with filmmaking, often critics doing the leap and directing their own films after analysing so many of their masters.

"Nonetheless, after defining the independence of creation from criticism, a new phenomenon should be mentioned, the growing dependency of criticism from creation.The birth of criticism at the silent era was tightly bound to creation : Canudo, Delluc, L'Herbier, Dulac, Gance, Epstein, Tedesco... are both filmmakers and theoreticians. Critical reflection and creation were interdependent. (...)
In France, this new generation of young intellectuals [Politique des auteurs] with a conscious vocation and envy to make cinema, believe knowledge and reflection of cinema is no longer at the studio or internship on set, but at the Cinémathèque and by the practice of film criticism."
André Bazin (Reflexions sur la critique, 1958)

I've compiled a non-exhaustive list of Cahiers critics who turned filmmaker to illustrate this interesting fact. Some continued to write in Les Cahiers during their filmmaking career, some came back to criticism for good, others proved they were capable filmmakers with so much talent they entered the pantheon of cinema history.

Film critics who make films

Cahiers precursors : Theoretician-Filmmaker

• Robert Bresson (14 films/17 scenarii/0 performances) "Objectif 49"
• Jean Cocteau (10/42/12) "Objectif 49"
• Alexandre Astruc (19/17/4) "Objectif 49"

Cahiers contributors : Critic-Filmmaker

• Jean-Luc Godard (88 films/73 scenarii/34 performances) "Jeune Turc"
• Claude Chabrol (67/51/48) "Jeune Turc"
• Chris Marker (42/32/0)
• Eric Rohmer (51/34/9) "Jeune Turc"
• Wim Wenders (46/31/20) Special Issue Editor
• Luc Moullet (32/19/27)
• Jacques Rivette (31/23/7) "Jeune Turc"
• François Truffaut (26/34/14) "Jeune Turc"
• Jacques Doniol-Valcroze (21/27/17) Founder
• André Techiné (21/24/2)
• Marguerite Duras (19/48/8) Special Issue Editor
• Olivier Assayas (19/23/2)
• Jean-Louis Comolli (19/20/4) "Moderniste"
• André S. Labarthe (19/5/17)
• Jean André Fieschi (17/2/2) "Moderniste"
• Jean Eustache (12/5/8)
• Jean-Pierre Limosin (12/5/2)
• Jean Douchet (11/21/4)
• Danièle Dubroux (10/10/10)
• Jean-Claude Biette (9/7/10)
• Léos Carax (7/6/4)
• Serge Le Peron (6/4/2)
• Louis Skorecki (6/2/1)
• Alain Bergala (5/4/1)
• Pascal Bonitzer (5/44/26)
• Christophe Honoré (5/8/0)
• Thierry Jousse (4/4/4)
• François Weyergans (3/1/1)
• Serge Toubiana (2/1/2)
• Alain Philippon (2/0/0)
• Nicolas Saada (1/6/1)
• Philippe Sollers (1/5/3)
• Marc Chevrie (1/1/0)
• Michel Chion (1/1/0)
• Jean Narboni (1/0/7)
• Vincent Ostria (1/0/1)
• Yann Lardeau (1/0/1)

-- Approximate number of (films directed/scenarii/performances) for a partial selection of Cahiers critics, taken from IMDb for information (complementary infos/corrections welcomed).