Exorcist director William Friedkin will be presented with a prestige award from France’s Ministry of Culture later this year. The Officer In The Order Of Arts And Letters award recognizes people who have made a significant contribution to the arts, and has previously been given to such U.S. directors as Clint Eastwood, Gordon Parks, Mel Brooks and Robert Redford.
In a statement Friedkin said, “I’m deeply honoured to receive this award. Simply, because of the profound influence French cinema has had on all the filmmakers of my generation.”