In 1990, back living in London after Forwood’s illness, and firmly established in his career as a best-selling writer, Bogarde made one last appearance on screen, this time in the French film Daddy Nostalgie, directed by Bertrand Tavernier. The role was a fitting swan song. In his ‘portrait’ of Tavernier for The Sunday Telegraph, Bogarde had only praise for the director: ‘He knows more about the cinema than practically any director I have worked with, Visconti coming a close second.’ I have said, when asked, that Visconti is the Emperor of film, Losey is the King, Tavernier is the Genius. And, for me, so he is a genius in the minutiae of life which he gets on to a cinema screen as no one else has ever done quite so brilliantly before. Nothing very much happens in a Tavernier film. Just all of life. ” (For the Time Being, 74-76). While Visconti was ‘The Emperor’, Bertrand Tavernier was ‘The Genius’. (Coldstream, 511)

Going into the film, the two artists had a long-standing rapport and respect for one another. Bogarde had known Tavernier as Joe Losey’s publicist years before. Moreover, as President of the 1984 Cannes jury, Bogarde and his team members gave Tavernier the Best Director Award. Filming Daddy Nostalgie was a cordial meeting of minds, with Tavernier soliciting Bogarde’s input throughout.