Didier Kaminka, screenwriter, director and emblematic actor of French comedies of the 1970s and 1980s, died last Tuesday at the age of 81. Known for his work on films such as The Under-Gifted, Banzai et Sofa Promotionhe leaves behind a career marked by his collaboration with cinema figures such as Coluche, Pierre Richard and Daniel Auteuil.
Born April 22, 1943 in Paris, Didier Kaminka made his debut as an actor in the 1960s before making a name for himself as a screenwriter. His career took a decisive turn when he co-wrote I know nothing but I will tell everything (1973) with Pierre Richard, which paved the way for a series of successful comedies. He became a privileged collaborator of director Claude Zidi, signing incisive and humorous dialogues for The Under-Gifted (1980) et The Kings of Gag (1985).
Behind the camera, he directs Sofa Promotion (1990), a social comedy depicting the failings of the world of work, which was a great success. His last on-screen role was in The Sleeper Duval (2017) by Manuel Sanchez, where he plays a melancholy painter, contrasting with the caustic humor of his beginnings.
Didier Kaminka also left his mark on the cinematographic landscape as a dialogue writer, contributing to the American adaptation of The Total! by James Cameron, who would become True Lies with Arnold Schwarzenegger. “I salute the memory of a man of cinema with multiple talents, who contributed to the heyday of French comedy,” declared Minister of Culture Rachida Dati in a press release.
A ceremony in tribute to Didier Kaminka will be held in Paris on Friday October 4.
Alice Leroy
