From Richard Dembo (24 May 24 1948 – 11 November 2004) was a French director and screenwriter. Dembo achieved worldwide recognition with his first film: La diagonale du fou. For the direction of this film, Dembo received an Oscar in 1984 for best foreign film,[1] as well as other numerous awards (César, Prix Louis Delluc). Michel Piccoli starred in the film as a Jewish citizen of the USSR. In 1993 Dembo directed L'instinct de l'ange with Hélène Vincent, Jean-Louis Trintignant, François Cluzet und Lambert Wilson.