Michael Mann on His Inspirations for ‘Thief,’ ‘Heat’ and ‘The Insider’ and Commitment to Authenticity: ‘I Find Things That You Cannot Make Up’

Michael Mann on His Inspirations for ‘Thief,’ ‘Heat’ and ‘The Insider’ and Commitment to Authenticity: ‘I Find Things That You Cannot Make Up’

It’s fitting that Michael Mann should be honored at the Lumière Festival in Lyon, since the director of “Ali,” “Heat” and “The Insider” began his filmmaking career in France. After graduating from the London Film School in 1967, Mann — who grew up in Chicago and switched course from a literature degree to filmmaking after seeing Stanley Kubrick’s “Dr. Strangelove” — was dead-set on directing dramatic features. In the meantime, he found his way…