Paul Marchand 1962 – 2009 /

One of the great names of Bosnian reporting and one of the great mavericks of French journalism Paul Marchand took his own life last weekend.

I knew Paul briefly but the impression he made on me was carved deep. We met in Bosnia. Unlike many resident correspondents in Sarajevo during the dark days of winter in 1992/3 Paul was open and generous with his knowledge. Most of the veterans who had covered the war for all of 9 months or so were suspicious of newcomers and were unwilling to share information. Not Paul. It was not unheard of for him to abseil down 5 floors of the atrium of the Holiday Inn with a Romeo and Juliet Corona in his mouth and introduce himself thus – “I am Paul Marchand and I am not a Mickey” (a reference to the mouse) and then invite you for drive.

Like many French journalists and photographers Paul drove a small car – often liberated from a car hire company – at a time when many English speaking journalists were choosing armoured cars. As protection he had a handwritten sign on his rear window saying “Don’t shoot me – I am invincible”. Well, he was invincible, until he was – perhaps inevitably – shot. Shot in the arm by a 50 calibre machine gun at Sarajevo airport. He lost a few inches of arm but his enthusiasm remained undeterred and his behaviour was unchanged.

Paul admired courage, he despised those who reported from the confines of the hotel and admired those who worked amongst the ordinary people who were the victims of that war just as he did and he never failed to tell anyone exactly what he thought of them. He was charming and frustrating all at the same time but the brotherhood of journalists who covered that war is weaker without him.

Paul Marchand - photo by Emmanuel Ortiz

-

Books by Paul Marchand
Sympathie Pour Le Diable, éditions J’ai lu, 1998 (ISBN 290838275X).
Ceux Qui Vont Mourir, éditions Grasset, 2001 (ISBN 2246575915).
J’abandonne Aux Chiens L’exploit De Mous Juger, éditions Grasset, 2003 (ISBN 2246625912).
Le Paradis D’en Face, éditions Grasset, 2007 (ISBN 224663931X).

Visuals / Essays / Gary Knight