Jean-Michel Carré, born July 26, 1948, in Paris, is a French film director, documentary filmmaker, cinematographer, film producer, and screenwriter. Coming from a modest background, he first studied medicine before turning to filmmaking, a passion he cultivated since his adolescence. He attended IDHEC (now La Fémis), where he earned degrees in filmmaking and directing.
From the very beginning, Carré was committed to militant and activist filmmaking. In 1968, he made a documentary on Cuba, which was banned from broadcast, marking the beginning of his commitment to denouncing social and political injustices. In 1974, he co-founded the first censored film festival, affirming his desire to bring about social change through his works.
He founded the production company Les Films Grain de Sable, dedicated to criticizing social institutions and systems. His filmography is rich and varied, including documentaries and fiction films that address themes such as working conditions, human rights, and social struggles. Among his notable works are The Putin System (2007), I (Have a Very Bad Day at Work) (2007), and Sex Workers (2010).
Carré is also known for his immersive approach to documentaries. For example, for Burning Coals (2000), he spent a year with miners in Wales to capture their reality with authenticity. His work has received numerous awards, including the FIGRA Grand Jury Prize for Kursk: A Submarine in Troubled Waters (2004).
His commitment is not limited to cinema, as he has also explored international issues such as apartheid, conflicts in the Middle East, and transformations in China. In 2013, he spoke of his libertarian Maoist past, a contradiction he accepts to explain his interest in complex and nuanced subjects.
2006
