The French hold the playwright Moliere in the high esteem the English-speaking world reserves for Shakespeare. As with the Bard of Avon, there is mystery about Moliere's life. In 1644, when Moliere was a struggling actor, the authorities threw him into debtors prison. On his release, he disappeared for six months. After resurfacing, he led his company on a 13-year tour that made him famous, and earned him a place at the French court. When French film director Laurant Tirard heard this story, it got him thinking.