to the committee introduction

Born in 1960, Serge Michel discovered amateur film in his early youth, as making films was his parent’s hobby after having bought their first camera in 1955, an Erscam 8 mm. So he soon appears in front of the screen, later on the screen, in family stories which to-day are the joy ... of his own children! But Serge is also interested in what happens on the other side of the camera, and he made his first film in 1972. His personal products are mostly reportages and documentaries; an animation and a fiction film (Le conte du soir was admred at UNICA in Villa Carlos Paz in 1996) complete his collection. Moreover he very actively participated in the realisation of many fiction films, as cameraman when not being actor.

Serge became acquainted with UNICA in 1971, at the Montreux congress. Since then he has present at almost all UNICA congresses. On demand of the president Josef Walterscheidt he was coopted by the UNICA committee in 1984, in order to develop the circle of The Friends of UNICA.

Serge Michel and baby.He dedicated himself with happiness and passion to this work, setting out to intensify UNICA and to strengthen the ties of friendship woven within UNICA by the „members of the great family“. For above the personal relations created around a common passion for the animated image, our union tries to give its modest contribution to the friendship between the peoples, according to the objectives which are also those of the UNESCO.

In 1988 Serge Michel was elected as a member of the committee, and between 1994 and 2006 he was vice-president of the committee in the team animated by Max Hänsli. He represents UNICA in the International Counsel for Cinema, Television and audio-visual Communication, the CICT, and is currently a vice-president of its executive committee.

He was many times a member of an international jury (UNICA in Mar del Plata, the festivals of Igualada, Troyes, Antibes, Ghent).

His professional activity made him move home several times, now he returns to his original region, the West of France, taking the responsibility for the regional railway infrastructures. Being Engineer he so completes a career orientated towards the structure of the territory: after urbanism, roads and port infrastructures, the railroads will attract all his attention.

His „Tour de France“ allowed him to discover different regions and also different sensibilities. As for his cinematographic activity, he more or less took part , according to the period and his free time, in activities on club-region or federation level (the FFCV, French Federation of Cinema and Video), on the one hand still faithful to the family studio (ACi88, atelier de cinéma et vidéo), on the other to UNICA.

What pleases him in UNICA?

To enable one to a better understanding of the world in which we live, starting from films reflecting different cultures, personal sensibilities. To be able to exchange, confront and bring nearer points of view, without any commercial consideration. To meet men and women, authors, creative persons or spectators, animated by the same state of mind, wanting no advantages but passionate.

What are his dreams for UNICA?

May our organisation continue its development towards the poorly represented continents, in order to be more and more representative and may it multiply the exchanges between non professional film- and videomakers of the whole world. Awaiting the organisation of an interplanetary meeting, for example on Mars!