I was devastated and shocked to hear of the sudden death of my friend, comrade and mentor of 25 years John Molyneux. My love and thoughts go out to Mary and his family and friends who loved him dearly. I’m shocked because he’s probably one of the best men I’ve ever known, a sentiment he’d undoubtedly challenge and reject, such was his disbelief in the idea of individual saviours or heroes.

John was a hugely important figure in my life and a sizeable part of who I am (Marxist/humanitarian) is due to him. I had the privilege of being taught by him initially through university, but also for many years after, every time I put a question to him! We often discussed whether social realism was the only genre in cinema which can be Marxist – it isn’t! As a teacher he was engaging, supportive and so, so clever and as a man more tolerant and kind than the fathead student I was at times deserved. He championed all struggling students, determined that they would succeed and it was entirely due to him (he’d dismiss this assertion too), that I got a fantastic degree result, one of my proudest achievements in a life of serial under-achievement! He and I nearly started a masters recently on sedition and mutiny in the navy. I say ‘he and I’ because although it was my masters, he had an awful lot to say about it. I think he was more excited about it all than I was. Rest in power John, one of the best men I’ve known. I will never forget you and the world is changed (which is after all the point), for you having been in it