**Jules Dassin (1911-2008)** was an American director and screenwriter. He began his career in Hollywood, distinguishing himself for his realistic film noir movies, such as *The Naked City* (1948) and *Night and the City* (1950).

A victim of McCarthyism, he was blacklisted and forced to move to Europe, where he resumed his career. Here he achieved international fame with *Rififi* (Du rififi chez les hommes, 1955), a masterpiece of the heist movie genre, famous for its silent robbery sequence.

This was followed by successes such as Never on Sunday (1960), shot in Greece with his future wife Melina Mercouri, and Topkapi (1964). His style is characterized by dramatic tension, the raw realism of his early works, and the sophisticated elegance of his heist films. Dassin is remembered for his versatility and his ability to create intense atmospheres.