
Jean-Michel Carré
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.
1
Films
0
TV Shows
19
Crew Credits
Known For
1 CreditsBehind the Camera
19 Credits
Infrarouge
Director
2006

Against Oblivion
Director
1991

Drôle de genre
Director
2003

Inside Tibet
Director, Writer
2023

Burning Coal
Director
2000

The Putin System
Director
2007

Chine, le nouvel Empire
Director
2013

Kursk: A Submarine in Troubled Waters
Director
2004

Putin: The New Empire
Director
2016

Galères de femmes
Director
1993

Les Travailleu(r)ses du Sexe
Director
2010

Visiblement je vous aime
Director, Writer
1995
