Lenny Borger (1951 - 2024) was a Paris-based, Brooklyn-born expatriate who wrote the subtitles for over 30 French films released by Rialto, beginning with Renoir’s Grand Illusion in 1999. A master of argot, Lenny added authentic flavor to Noir gems like Rififi, Touchez Pas Au Grisbi, Quai des Orfèvres, Pépé le Moko, and Bob le Flambeur, along with films by Alain Resnais, Robert Bresson, Marcel Carné, Claude Sautet, Georges Franju, and Luis Buñuel. He created fresh new subtitles for the early New Wave masterworks of Jean-Luc Godard, including Breathless, and worked with Godard personally on the director's most recent films. Among other contemporary directors, he worked with Bertrand Tavernier, Claude Chabrol, and Patrice Chereau. Lenny passed away on December 23, 2024. Read more about his life and work.
Photo: Simine Rassi