2009 deaths

Henri Meschonnic (18 September 1932, in Paris – 8 April 2009, in Villejuif) was a French poet, linguist, essayist and translator. He is remembered today as both a theoretician of language and as a translator of the Old Testament. The 710-page Critique du rythme, probably remains his most famous theoretical work. As a translator of the Old Testament he published many volumes, including Les cinq rouleaux in 1970 (Song of Songs, Ruth, Lamentations, Ecclesiastes, Esther); Jona et le signifiant errant in 1998 (Jonah); Gloires in 2000 (Psalms); Au commencement in 2002 (Genesis); Les Noms in 2003 (Exodus); Et il a appelé in 2005 (Leviticus); and Dans le désert in 2008 (Numbers).

Joseph Martray (born 14 May 1914, Lamballe – died 2 June 2009, at Rennes) was a French jurist, journalist, and politician. He was a member of the Legion of Honour of France. He supported Breton rights.

Édouard Luntz (8 August 1931 – 26 February 2009) was a French film director. He directed nine films between 1959 and 1973. His 1966 film Les coeurs verts was entered into the 16th Berlin International Film Festival and his 1970 film Le dernier saut was entered into the 1970 Cannes Film Festival.

Thierry Jonquet (French: [tjɛʁi ʒɔ̃kɛ]; 19 January 1954 – 9 August 2009) was a French writer who specialised in crime novels with political themes. He was born in Paris; his most recent and best known novel outside France was Mygale (1984), then published in the US in 2003 by City Lights. Mygale was also published in the UK as Tarantula in 2005 (Serpent's Tail). He wrote over 20 novels in French, including Le bal des débris, Moloch and Rouge c'est la vie.
Jonquet died aged 55 in hospital in Paris.Tarantula was filmed by Spanish director Pedro Almodóvar, under the title The Skin I Live In, which was entered in competition in May 2011 for the Cannes Film Festival.

Pierre Molinéris (Nice, 21 May 1920 - 7 February 2009) was a French professional road bicycle racer.

Pierre Barbotin (29 September 1926 – 19 February 2009) was a French racing cyclist, riding professionally from about 1948 to 1961. He was born in Nantes and died in the same city.Barbotin become known in 1951 when he finished second to Louison Bobet in the Milan–San Remo cycle race between Milan and Sanremo. This race marked the beginning of the so-called "B-B" duo - that is, a Bobet-Barbotin partnership where Barbotin became one of the principal teammates of Bobet, especially as part of the Tour de France. Barbotin rode for various teams, including Stella Dunlop (1948–50), Bottechia (1951–52), Stella Wolber Dunlop (1953), Royal-Codrix (1954), Saint Raphael (1955–57), Margnat-Coupry (1959), and Bobet BP Hutchinson (1958, 1960). Barbotin won 13 victories in his career.

José Aboulker (5 March 1920 – 17 November 2009) was a French Algerian Jew and the leader of the anti-Nazi resistance in French Algeria in World War II. He received the U.S. Medal of Freedom, the Croix de Guerre, and was made a Companion of the Liberation and a Commander of the Légion d'honneur. After the war, he became a neurosurgeon and a political figure in France, who advocated for the political rights of Algerian Muslims.

Olivier-Maurice Clément (17 November 1921 – 15 January 2009) was a French Eastern Orthodox theologian who taught at St. Sergius Orthodox Theological Institute in Paris, France. He actively promoted the reunification of Christians (he was friends with Pope John Paul II), dialogue between Christians and people of other beliefs, and the engagement of Christian thinkers with modern thought and society.

Yasmine Belmadi (26 January 1976 – 18 July 2009) was a French actor of Algerian parents. He appeared in 13 films, and had completed his final role, in a television production, the day before his death.

Jacques Bar (12 September 1921, Châteauroux – 19 January 2009, Boulogne-Billancourt) was a French film producer who made more than 80 films.