Michel Ciment Cause of Death

Michel Ciment, the esteemed French film critic and veteran editor of Positif magazine, has passed away at the age of 85, as announced by the magazine on social media. Described as Positif’s “master architect” following a remarkable 60-year career, Ciment’s cinematic journey began in 1938 when he was born in Paris. Enamored with cinema during his student years, he joined Positif in 1968, eventually assuming the role of editorial director in 1973. Ciment’s preference for Positif over Cahiers du Cinéma stemmed from its left-wing orientation and surrealist influences.

Throughout his prolific career, Ciment authored several books spotlighting eminent film directors, including “Kazan by Kazan” (1973), “Conversations with Losey” (1979), and “Stanley Kubrick” (1980). Notably, he contributed to The Guardian, notably penning an essay lauding Italian director Francesco Rosi, the focal point of his book “Le Dossier Rosi,” published in 1996.

John Boorman, the British director featured in Ciment’s 1985 book “Boorman: A Visionary in His Time,” expressed profound admiration, stating, “Michel was passionate about cinema. He lived and breathed cinema. I loved and admired him; he was an original, his ideas were varied, and he always defended them.”

Boorman emphasized Ciment’s rigorous standards, noting that appreciating a film wasn’t sufficient; one had to love it. As a pivotal member of the editorial team, Ciment decisively categorized films as good or bad during Sunday morning meetings over coffee and croissants. Gilles Jacob, former president of the Cannes Film Festival, paid tribute, stating, “Michel Ciment was not only a great critic and internationally recognized historian but also a curious mind about cinema and art.”