• Sidney Poitier 

"We have lost an icon, a hero, a mentor, a fighter, and a national treasure," Bahamian Deputy Prime Minister Chester Cooper responded to news of the death of American actor Sidney Poitier. died on January 7 at the age of 94.

Of Haitian origin, the young Sidney Poitier grew up on Cat Island in the Bahamas, dreaming of cinema and glory.

And soon begins to caress his dream.

First by taking free comedy lessons at the American Negro Theater – free of charge, in exchange for the services of a stagehand.

Then in front of the cameras of Broadway, where he landed his first film role in 1950 in "The door opens", by Joseph L. Mankiewicz, a film which addresses the theme of racism.

Artist engaged in the fight against prejudice and exclusion, the actor, solar and magnetic,

becomes the first black actor to win an Oscar for his performance in "Le Lys des champs".

With more than forty films to his credit shot as an actor and seven feature films as a director, Sidney Poitier has written his name into the legend.

Ultimate consecration in 2002, he received a new honorary Oscar, this time for "his extraordinary performances, his dignity, his style and his intelligence". 

Actor Sidney Poitier at the 2014 Vanity Fair Oscar Party in West Hollywood, California on March 2, 2014 © Danny Moloshok, Reuters

  • Gaspard ulliel 

Steel blue gaze, slender and elegant silhouette, the discreet French actor and model Gaspard Ulliel died at the age of 37, on January 19, 2022. Born on November 25, 1984 in Boulogne-Billancourt, this cinema enthusiast began his career at the age of 11 years old in an episode of the mini-series "A woman in white", alongside Sandrine Bonnaire.

After the Florent lessons, the rising star of French cinema alternated auteur cinema and popular successes.

His fair and sincere interpretations earned him two Césars: first that of best male hope in 2005 for his role in "A long engagement Sunday", then that of best actor in 2017 in "Just the end of the world".

Sometimes "Jacquou le Croquant", sometimes "Saint Laurent", her natural grace opens the doors to modeling.

The promising journey of the muse of Chanel stops at the crossroads of two ski slopes in La Rosière, in Savoie.

A shock for French cinema.

He leaves more than thirty films to posterity.

Gaspard Ulliel at the 68th Berlin International Film Festival, February 17, 2018. © Axel Schmidt, Reuters

  • Thierry Mugler 

The exuberant French couturier Thierry Mugler, who reigned over fashion from the 1970s to the 2000s, died on January 23, 2022 of "natural death", at his home in Vincennes.

Artist touches on everything, it is in the world of classical dance that the young Thierry made his debut.

From his first teenage entrechats performed for the ballet of the Opéra du Rhin, he left for the capital at the age of 20 in search of a commitment in a corps de ballet.

However, it is his stylistic talents and his eccentric outfits that allow him to distinguish himself.

Avant-garde, it surprises with a modern, sexy style, while appropriating the stylistic codes of the Hollywood divas of the 1950s, with a lot of corsets and exposed breasts.

body lover,

he likes to stage his creations in real blockbusters.

For the tenth anniversary of his house, in 1984, he organized the first public fashion presentation in Europe, at the Zenith, in front of 6,000 people, like a rock concert.

The troublemaker of fashion dresses the greatest.

Beyoncé, the Kardashian clan or even Lady Gaga swear by her spooky and sulphurous outfits.

The one who is nicknamed the "shock creator" leaves thousands of inconsolable fashionistas at the age of 73.

the Kardashian clan or even Lady Gaga swear by her spooky and sulphurous outfits.

The one who is nicknamed the "shock creator" leaves thousands of inconsolable fashionistas at the age of 73.

the Kardashian clan or even Lady Gaga swear by her spooky and sulphurous outfits.

The one who is nicknamed the "shock creator" leaves thousands of inconsolable fashionistas at the age of 73.  

French couturier Thierry Mugler during the presentation of his exhibition "Couturissime" at the Montreal Museum of Fine Arts, February 26, 2019. © Martin Ouellet-Diotte, AFP

  • Jean-Louis Trintignant 

It was at the age of 91 that this rock of French cinema with a deep voice and enveloping charm joined the Pantheon of Cinema, on June 17, 2022 in Collias, in the Gard.

This son of an industrialist brought up the hard way chooses the boards to fight his shyness.

The young Jean-Louis then went to Paris to take comedy lessons from Charles Dullin;

his magnetic presence and the finesse of his playing do the rest.

For half a century, Jean-Louis Trintignant naturally established himself in the theater and in the cinema to become an essential actor of his generation.

The actor, crowned with the most prestigious awards, truly entered the history of cinema thanks to the film "A man and a woman", by Claude Lelouch, which received the Palme d'Or at Cannes in 1966.

The man with 160 roles received a César for best actor in 2013 for "Amour" by Michael Haneke, a film also awarded the Palme d'Or.

The tragic fate of his daughter Marie Trintignant, who died under the blows of her companion Bertrand Cantat, plunges the melancholic actor into deep disarray.

Suffering from prostate cancer which he refuses to treat, he died "peacefully, of old age" at his home, in the Gard, "surrounded by his loved ones", confided his wife to the press. 

Jean-Louis Trintignant on the red carpet of the 2012 Cannes Film Festival. © Anne-Christine Poujoulat, AFP

  • Shinzo Abe 

Former Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, 67, died suddenly on Friday July 8 in Nara.

Victim of an attack, he died of his injuries.

Prime Minister from 2012 to 2020, Shinzo Abe has had a profound impact on Japanese political life.

He was for years the mentor of the current Prime Minister, Fumio Kishida, within the Liberal Democratic Party (PLD).

After studying political science in Japan and the United States, Shinzo Abe tried his hand at civilian professional life by working for the steelmaker Kobe Steel before joining the ranks of his political dynasty.

Resuming in 1993 the seat of deputy that his father had occupied in the family bastion of Yamaguchi, he progressed within the hierarchy of the PLD, advocating the conservative roadmap defended by his clan.

Cantor of "  

Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe presenting a plan to relieve the Japanese economy after the effects of Covid-19 in Tokyo, March 28, 2022. © Issei Kato, Reuters

  • Mikhail Gorbachev 

A major figure in the history of the 20th century, Mikhail Gorbachev died at the age of 91 "following a long and serious illness", the Russian press agencies announced on August 30.

Born on March 2, 1931 into a family of modest peasants in the Caucasus, of Russian origin on his father's side and Ukrainian on his mother's side, Gorbachev took the classic route of apparatchik.

He climbed the steps of power one by one until taking on March 11, 1985, at the age of 54, the head of an economically drained Soviet empire and entangled in an endless war in Afghanistan.

The young head of state, recognizable by his famous wine stain, established political pluralism upon his arrival in power, liberalized the economy and signed disarmament treaties with the United States.

Winner of the Nobel Peace Prize for his role in the end of the Cold War in 1990, he is also the architect of the fall of the Berlin Wall.

Adored in the West, he is also perceived in his country as the gravedigger of the Soviet Union.

Since retiring from political life in 1991, the last leader of the USSR had lived in virtual anonymity in Russia. 

On July 9, 1986, Mikhail Gorbachev, then General Secretary of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union, greets the crowd alongside French President François Mitterrand, during an official trip to the USSR.

© Marcel Mochet, AFP

  • Elizabeth II 

Queen of the United Kingdom and the Commonwealth, Elizabeth II takes her last breath on September 8 at her Balmoral castle at the age of 96.

His disappearance panics the editors of the whole world.

Nothing predestined young Elizabeth, born April 21, 1926, to ascend the throne.

But at 10, her life changed dramatically: her uncle, King Edward VIII, abdicated after less than a year of reign, leaving his place to his brother, George VI, Elizabeth's father.

First in the line of succession to the crown, she became queen at the age of 26 when her father died.

Begins a long succession of ceremonial journeys to make the crown shine throughout the Commonwealth.

She visits 117 countries, meets 113 leaders and welcomes fifteen British Prime Ministers.

It has seen a succession of fourteen American presidents and ten French presidents.

Millions of hands clasped, thousands of ribbons cut, hundreds of speeches made before crowds who were happy to see him.

She is also the subject of numerous criticisms, in particular for the lavish expenses of her royal residences, and has to deal with the marital difficulties of her children.

In 2015, after sixty-three years of reign, Elizabeth II exceeded the record held by Queen Victoria, her great-great-grandmother, and became the longest-lived monarch.

A key figure of the 20th century, she celebrates her platinum jubilee in February 2022 for her 70 years of reign.

On his death, ten days of national mourning are observed.

The opportunity for his subjects and his many admirers from all over the world to rush to London to show him gratitude and respect.

thousands of ribbons cut, hundreds of speeches made before crowds who were happy to see him.

She is also the subject of numerous criticisms, in particular for the lavish expenses of her royal residences, and has to deal with the marital disappointments of her children.

In 2015, after sixty-three years of reign, Elizabeth II exceeded the record held by Queen Victoria, her great-great-grandmother, and became the longest-lived monarch.

A key figure of the 20th century, she celebrates her platinum jubilee in February 2022 for her 70 years of reign.

On his death, ten days of national mourning are observed.

The opportunity for his subjects and his many admirers from all over the world to rush to London to show him gratitude and respect.

thousands of ribbons cut, hundreds of speeches made before crowds who were happy to see him.

She is also the subject of numerous criticisms, in particular for the lavish expenses of her royal residences, and has to deal with the marital difficulties of her children.

In 2015, after sixty-three years of reign, Elizabeth II exceeded the record held by Queen Victoria, her great-great-grandmother, and became the longest-lived monarch.

A key figure of the 20th century, she celebrates her platinum jubilee in February 2022 for her 70 years of reign.

On his death, ten days of national mourning are observed.

The opportunity for his subjects and his many admirers from all over the world to rush to London to show him gratitude and respect.

hundreds of speeches given to crowds who were happy to see him.

She is also the subject of numerous criticisms, in particular for the lavish expenses of her royal residences, and has to deal with the marital disappointments of her children.

In 2015, after sixty-three years of reign, Elizabeth II exceeded the record held by Queen Victoria, her great-great-grandmother, and became the longest-lived monarch.

A key figure of the 20th century, she celebrates her platinum jubilee in February 2022 for her 70 years of reign.

On his death, ten days of national mourning are observed.

The opportunity for his subjects and his many admirers from all over the world to rush to London to show him gratitude and respect.

hundreds of speeches given to crowds who were happy to see him.

She is also the subject of numerous criticisms, in particular for the lavish expenses of her royal residences, and has to deal with the marital disappointments of her children.

In 2015, after sixty-three years of reign, Elizabeth II exceeded the record held by Queen Victoria, her great-great-grandmother, and became the longest-lived monarch.

A key figure of the 20th century, she celebrates her platinum jubilee in February 2022 for her 70 years of reign.

On his death, ten days of national mourning are observed.

The opportunity for his subjects and his many admirers from all over the world to rush to London to show him gratitude and respect.

in particular for the sumptuous expenses of his royal residences, and must face the marital disappointments of his children.

In 2015, after sixty-three years of reign, Elizabeth II exceeded the record held by Queen Victoria, her great-great-grandmother, and became the longest-lived monarch.

A key figure of the 20th century, she celebrates her platinum jubilee in February 2022 for her 70 years of reign.

On his death, ten days of national mourning are observed.

The opportunity for his subjects and his many admirers from all over the world to rush to London to show him gratitude and respect.

in particular for the sumptuous expenses of his royal residences, and must face the marital disappointments of his children.

In 2015, after sixty-three years of reign, Elizabeth II exceeded the record held by Queen Victoria, her great-great-grandmother, and became the longest-lived monarch.

A key figure of the 20th century, she celebrates her platinum jubilee in February 2022 for her 70 years of reign.

On his death, ten days of national mourning are observed.

The opportunity for his subjects and his many admirers from all over the world to rush to London to show him gratitude and respect.

her great-great-grandmother, and became the longest-lived monarch.

A key figure of the 20th century, she celebrates her platinum jubilee in February 2022 for her 70 years of reign.

On his death, ten days of national mourning are observed.

The opportunity for his subjects and his many admirers from all over the world to rush to London to show him gratitude and respect.

her great-great-grandmother, and became the longest-lived monarch.

A key figure of the 20th century, she celebrates her platinum jubilee in February 2022 for her 70 years of reign.

On his death, ten days of national mourning are observed.

The opportunity for his subjects and his many admirers from all over the world to rush to London to show him gratitude and respect.  

Queen Elizabeth at the Chelsea flower show in London in May 2019. © Geoff Pugh, AFP

  • Jean-Luc Godard 

The deep and hissing voice of Jean-Luc Godard died definitively on September 13, 2022 in Rolle, Switzerland, at the age of 91.

The Franco-Swiss filmmaker resorted to assisted suicide, authorized and supervised in Switzerland, to put an end to his exhaustion.

The second in a bourgeois family of four children, Jean-Luc Godard was born on December 3, 1930 in Paris.

He shared his childhood between the French capital and Switzerland.

With his baccalaureate – which he obtained after the third attempt – he led a bohemian life in Paris, neglected by his family because of his tendencies towards kleptomania.

Very quickly, the cinema imposes itself in its existence.

Between writing a screenplay or a film review, he frequents the Cinémathèque de Paris and film clubs.

He rubbed shoulders with the future big names in filmmaking: André Bazin, François Truffaut,

Eric Rohmer and Claude Chabrol.

He in turn directed his first film in 1960, "A bout de souffle", with Jean-Paul Belmondo.

A feature film that revolutionizes cinematographic grammar and inspires international directors.

Co-founder of the New Wave, we owe him "Le Mépris" or "Pierrot le fou", frequently cited as masterpieces of French cinema.  

Director Jean-Luc Godard during a debate at the Cinéma des Cinéastes in Paris on the occasion of the release of his film "Socialiste", June 18, 2010. © Miguel Medina, AFP

  • Coolio 

The rap planet mourns on September 28 one of its famous faces.

American rapper and actor Coolio dies at the age of 59, victim of cardiac arrest in Los Angeles.

First a member of the group WC and the Maad Circle, Coolio embarked on a solo career in 1994. His album "It Takes a Thief" containing the hit "Fantastic Voyage" was acclaimed by critics and the public.

Then his title and album "Gangsta's Paradise", soundtrack of the film "Rebel Spirit", is one of the greatest successes in the history of rap.

Number 1 on the charts in a dozen countries for several weeks, the title with its catchy rhythm and poetic lyrics earned its author a Grammy Award.

Coolio is six times nominated and awarded at the National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences.

His success, however, dried up in the 2000s. Rare participation in reality TV shows or television series offered final appearances to a now smaller audience.

In 2013, the singer has setbacks with justice, accused in particular of having hit his partner.

At the dawn of his sixties, the artist joined rappers Tupac and Takeoff in "Gangsta's Paradise".

Rapper Coolio, May 31, 2022 in Las Vegas.

© Ethan Miller, AFP

  • Jerry Lee Lewis 

"This man doesn't play rock'n'roll. He is rock'n'roll!" said singer Bruce Springsteen in 1995 about Jerry Lee Lewis, who died on October 28, 2022 in the state of Mississippi.

Born September 29, 1935 in Ferriday to a poor family in Louisiana, young Jerry began playing the piano at the age of 7.

He gave his first public concert when he was still only a teenager.

Very quickly, the young man with an energetic and boosted style, both on the piano and on vocals, electrifies the crowds.

Striking his fists or his heels on the keyboard, sometimes playing standing up, he quickly carved out a reputation as the "bad boy" of rock'n'roll.

Provocative to the point of excess, he goes so far as to set fire to his piano at the end of a concert.

The life of the "Killer", as he is nicknamed,

is also punctuated by dark moments.

In the shadow of the legend, the murder of two of his wives emerges implicitly, without the star ever being worried by the justice system.

Drug addict, firearms enthusiast, the rockabilly icon seems untouchable.

The proof, he continues until an advanced age his tours to the four corners of the planet.

The world of music the halo of a Grammy for all of his work.  

Jerry Lee Lewis at the 19th Annual Bridge School Benefit Concert in Mountain View, California October 29, 2005. © Kimberly White, Reuters

  • Pierre-Soulages 

The master of "outrenoir" died on October 25, 2022 in Nîmes at the age of 102.

For more than 75 years, the painter with the long black silhouette like his canvases has never stopped exploring the mysteries of color, tirelessly tracing furrows to bring out the light.

From an early age, Pierre Soulages was fascinated by old stones and archaeology.

At the age of 12, the visit to the Sainte-Foy de Conques abbey with his class proved decisive: the desire to become an artist was born.

From 1947, the young painter put his suitcases in Paris where he was noticed by Francis Picabia who encouraged him, as well as Fernand Léger.

At the time, abstract painting was on the rise.

But it is red, yellow, blue.

Pierre Soulages stands out from his classmates: he chooses to work black with walnut husk,

used to stain wood, and house painter brushes.

The young designer in search of the absolute advocates a total lack of means to achieve the essential.

His technique clashes, his aesthetic pleases.

He attracts the recognition of the most prestigious cultural institutions and the international art market.

From the 1950s, his paintings entered the most prestigious museums in the world such as the Guggenheim in New York or the Tate Gallery in London.

He left a prolific body of work at his death – more than 1,550 paintings.

His career was crowned by the opening of a museum in Rodez in 2014 following a donation of a set of his works.

His disappearance sounds the death knell for one of the last great figures of modern art.

The young designer in search of the absolute advocates a total lack of means to achieve the essential.

His technique clashes, his aesthetic pleases.

He attracts the recognition of the most prestigious cultural institutions and the international art market.

From the 1950s, his paintings entered the most prestigious museums in the world such as the Guggenheim in New York or the Tate Gallery in London.

He left a prolific body of work at his death – more than 1,550 paintings.

His career was crowned by the opening of a museum in Rodez in 2014 following a donation of a set of his works.

His disappearance sounds the death knell for one of the last great figures of modern art.

The young designer in search of the absolute advocates a total lack of means to achieve the essential.

His technique clashes, his aesthetic pleases.

He attracts the recognition of the most prestigious cultural institutions and the international art market.

From the 1950s, his paintings entered the most prestigious museums in the world such as the Guggenheim in New York or the Tate Gallery in London.

He left a prolific body of work at his death – more than 1,550 paintings.

His career was crowned by the opening of a museum in Rodez in 2014 following a donation of a set of his works.

His disappearance sounds the death knell for one of the last great figures of modern art.

attracts recognition from the most prestigious cultural institutions and the international art market.

From the 1950s, his paintings entered the most prestigious museums in the world such as the Guggenheim in New York or the Tate Gallery in London.

He left a prolific body of work at his death – more than 1,550 paintings.

His career was crowned by the opening of a museum in Rodez in 2014 following a donation of a set of his works.

His disappearance sounds the death knell for one of the last great figures of modern art.

attracts recognition from the most prestigious cultural institutions and the international art market.

From the 1950s, his paintings entered the most prestigious museums in the world such as the Guggenheim in New York or the Tate Gallery in London.

He left a prolific body of work at his death – more than 1,550 paintings.

His career was crowned by the opening of a museum in Rodez in 2014 following a donation of a set of his works.

His disappearance sounds the death knell for one of the last great figures of modern art.

His career was crowned by the opening of a museum in Rodez in 2014 following a donation of a set of his works.

His disappearance sounds the death knell for one of the last great figures of modern art.

His career was crowned by the opening of a museum in Rodez in 2014 following a donation of a set of his works.

His disappearance sounds the death knell for one of the last great figures of modern art. 

The French painter poses in front of one of his works at the inauguration of the Pierre Soulages museum in May 2014 in Rodez.

© Philippe Wojazer, Reuters

  • Jiang Zemin 

The international press gave him for dead in 2011 following persistent rumors about his state of health.

Jiang Zemin actually died eleven years later of leukemia, aged 96, on November 30, 2022 in Shanghai.

An electrical engineer by training, a lover of classical music and an amateur pianist, he got into politics late in life.

He joined the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) in 1946, while pursuing his career as an engineer.

His leadership skills propelled him to first minister and then mayor of Shanghai between 1985 and 1988. His ability to peacefully put an end to protests in his city of Shanghai, the beginnings of the events in Tiananmen Square in 1989, without bloodshed as in Beijing , escapes no one.

And especially not to Deng Xiaoping, then president,

who offered him the post of secretary general of the Chinese Communist Party between 1989 and 2002, before enthroning him as his successor.

Jiang Zemin acceded to the Chinese presidency in 1993, taking over the reins of a country marked by the events of Tiananmen.

We like to make fun of his skimpy gait, his old-fashioned glasses and his facial expressions.

But for ten years, he accompanies the transformation of the most populous nation in the world into a world power.

When he left power in 2003, China became a member of the World Trade Organization (WTO) and won the organization of the 2008 Beijing Olympics. The country is on its way to becoming a superpower.

taking over the reins of a country marked by the events of Tiananmen.

We like to make fun of his skimpy gait, his old-fashioned glasses and his facial expressions.

But for ten years, he accompanies the transformation of the most populous nation in the world into a world power.

When he left power in 2003, China became a member of the World Trade Organization (WTO) and won the organization of the 2008 Beijing Olympics. The country is on its way to becoming a superpower.

taking over the reins of a country marked by the events of Tiananmen.

We like to make fun of his skimpy gait, his old-fashioned glasses and his facial expressions.

But for ten years, he accompanies the transformation of the most populous nation in the world into a world power.

When he left power in 2003, China became a member of the World Trade Organization (WTO) and won the organization of the 2008 Beijing Olympics. The country is on its way to becoming a superpower.  

Former Chinese President Jiang Zemin at a press conference in Beijing, China, September 2, 1994. © Will Burgess, Reuters

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