Overview

• Jean-Pierre Thorn died July 5 at age 78, triggering an outpouring of tributes from the French film community.
• Festivals are reissuing his key works online, including his 1968 Renault-Flins documentary “Oser lutter, oser vaincre” and early fiction “Je t’ai dans la peau,” on Films d’ici.
• Close collaborators such as producer Richard Copans and mentee Alice Diop are planning screenings and events in his honor.
• Thorn’s co-founding of ACID in 1992 and tenure on the SRF council exemplified his advocacy for independent cinema distribution and labor rights.
• His pioneering blend of militant documentary—from May 1968 steel-worker strikes to hip-hop culture explorations—shaped a new generation of filmmakers.