In 1974, the 14-Juillet-Bastille Cinema was established in Paris, laying the foundations for what was to become MK2, the largest independent cinema network in France, integrating production, distribution and exhibition. Directors such as Jean-Luc Godard, Yilmaz Güney, Claude Chabrol, Krzysztof Kieslowski, Abbas Kiarostami and Gus Van Sant owe part of their careers to this company. On the occasion of the 50th anniversary of this exceptional artistic and entrepreneurial journey, a tribute is paid to its creator, Marin Karmitz, a Jewish child born in 1938 in Bucharest, destined for the crematoria, who miraculously arrived in Nice 10 years later.
A biography by Antoine de Baecque, Marin Karmitz: Une Autre Histoire du Cinéma ("Marin Karmitz: Another History of Cinema"), a selection of 15 films produced by MK2 at the Cinémathèque Française (until October 12), two exhibitions at the Festival Lumière in Lyon, and a documentary film by Romain Goupil – Souviens-Toi du Futur ! ("Remember the Future!"), premiering October 23 – all of these different works celebrate his legacy. Now 86, retired from business to collect an exceptional array of photographs, Karmitz still has a keen eye on the world.
First of all, I have to tell you that I really don't like anniversaries. They focus on the past rather than the future, and that's always bothered me a lot. These events are instead the reflection of a series of coincidences and opportunities that came my way. Today, I can only speak about MK2’s past, it’s up to my sons to speak about the company's future.
Not exactly. It's true that I'd been thinking about the handover for a long time. I became president of the group's supervisory board, but I must admit I was slow to leave the company. I found an intermission in 2009, when I accepted a mission from [then-president] Nicolas Sarkozy to head the Council of Artistic Creation (CCA). In addition to my long-standing interest in cultural policy, one of the reasons I accepted this position – which I can now say didn't only earn me praise – was to have another job and avoid staying at MK2! At the same time, I started organizing exhibitions, particularly photography exhibitions. Ultimately, all of this helped me overcome my anxiety and gradually let go.
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