Hartley, Hal (1960– )

US director, screenwriter, editor, and producer. Talented and original, he makes personal, playfully philosophical films. They include The Unbelievable Truth (1990), Trust (1991), Simple Men (1992), Amateur (1994), Flirt (1995), Henry Fool (1998), Kimono (2000), and No Such Thing (2001).

Hartley was one of the leading figures in the revival of American independent cinema during the 1990s. His quirky films, which suggest an indebtedness to the French New Wave film-maker Jean-Luc Godard, found a small but faithful following in art-house circles. Many of his films are set in Long Island, New York, where Hartley grew up.

Under the pseudonym Ned Rifle he also writes much of the music for his films.