What is "auteur theory"

Auteur theory (, author) is a theory originally of filmmaking which holds that a film reflects the director's personal creative vision. It arose in France during the late 1940s as an outgrowth of the cinematic theories of André Bazin and Alexandre Astruc—dubbed "auteur theory" by American film critic Andrew Sarris. It has since been applied to producers of popular music, as well as directors of video games.