Skip to content
Themes All themes
EN

Directors quizzes: the big names behind the camera

From Hitchcock to Scorsese, from Truffaut to Tarantino: 1 free quiz to check whether you really know who directed what.
Steven Spielberg or Christopher Nolan? Cinema

The names behind the camera

We remember the actors' faces, more rarely the name of the person who ran the shoot. Yet a director leaves their mark on every shot: pace, light, the way faces are filmed or fear is built up. The directors quizzes invite you to hand each film back to its maker, in a few seconds, swiping each card to the right side before the timer runs out.

Duels between film-makers

Each quiz pits two directors, two schools or two eras against each other: masters of suspense, kings of the blockbuster, figures of the New Wave or of independent cinema. Only the films they directed themselves count, never the ones they merely produced.

Answers explained

At the end of the game, every film is explained: release year, stories from the shoot, awards and its place in the filmography. Plenty to shine with at your next film night.

Frequently asked questions

What is the difference between a director and a producer?

The director runs the shoot: choosing the shots, directing the actors and overseeing the editing. The producer raises the money, assembles the team and keeps an eye on the budget and the schedule. Some film-makers do both, but these quizzes only count the films they directed.

What is an auteur film?

It's a film whose director is regarded as its true author, just as a writer is of their novel. The idea came from the critics of the French magazine Cahiers du cinéma in the 1950s, who argued that a film-maker expresses a personal vision from one film to the next.

How can you recognise a director's style?

Every film-maker has habits: recurring themes, favourite actors, a way of filming. A very long tracking shot, a story told backwards or a particular kind of light can give the author away. After each game, read the answers: stories from the shoot help you remember who made what.