Untitled (Battle of Bogside), 1969

Gilles Caron, born in 1939 in Neuilly-sur-Seine and dubbed the “French Robert Capa” by Henri Cartier-Bresson, breathed new life into French photojournalism despite his unfortunately short career.

In 1959, after beginning his studies in journalism, Gilles Caron completed 22 months of military service in Algeria, an experience that would leave a deep impression on him. In 1966, he founded the Gamma agency with Raymond Depardon, and from then on he covered all the major events of the time: the Middle East, Vietnam, Chad, Northern Ireland, Biafra... Wherever there was a conflict, Gilles Caron was there with his camera, until that fateful day on April 5, 1970, when he disappeared in Cambodia in an area controlled by the Khmer Rouge.

As a war reporter, Caron faced extreme situations countless times, but he also worked in the worlds of cinema and fashion, which left a significant mark on his aesthetic vocabulary. Alongside Raymond Depardon, he quickly made a name for himself by covering all the major conflicts of the period: the Middle East, Vietnam, Chad, Northern Ireland, Biafra… Wherever there was fighting, he was there with his camera until one day in April 1970—April 5, to be precise—when he disappeared in Cambodia in an area controlled by the Khmer Rouge.

His extremely realistic account of the events of May 1968—in particular his famous photograph of Daniel Cohn-Bendit confronting a CRS riot police officer—is indelibly etched in our collective memory.