Bernard Natan

Bernard Natan (born Natan Tannenzaft; 14 July 1886 – 1942 or 1943) was a French-Romanian film entrepreneur, director and actor of the 1920s and 1930s.

Natan worked in cinema from a young age, working his way up from projectionist and chemist to cinematographer and producer. He eventually acquired the largest French motion picture studio, Pathé, in 1929, just prior to the Great Depression. Pathé collapsed in 1935, and Natan was the subject of false and antisemitic accusations of fraud, and was ultimately convicted and imprisoned by French authorities. Natan was deported to Auschwitz concentration camp in September 1942, where he was murdered. However, Natan laid the foundation for the modern film industry in France and helped revolutionize film technology around the world.