Jean Beaudin has been active in filmmaking since the 1970s. His many achievements include directing J.A. Martin, Photographer (1976), one of Quebec’s most widely acclaimed films internationally. He also directed the immensely popular The Alley Cat (1985).
He joined the NFB in 1964 after studying fine art in Montreal and Zurich. He initially worked in the animation studio and subsequently directed educational films. He became increasingly drawn to fiction, but his first attempts in that genre were not entirely conclusive (Vertige, 1969; Stop, 1971). In the private sector, he directed The Possession of Virginia (1972), a B movie that weaves eroticism and the supernatural into a detective story. The film was not well received. When he returned to the NFB to make a few short and medium-length fiction films, his cinematic vision began to truly take shape. In such works as Par une belle nuit d’hiver (1974) and Dear Theo (1975), he was able to explore his penchant for intimate dramas… read more
Jean Beaudin has been active in filmmaking since the 1970s. His many achievements include directing J.A. Martin, Photographer (1976), one of Quebec’s most widely acclaimed films internationally. He also directed the immensely popular The Alley Cat (1985).
He joined the NFB in 1964 after studying fine art in Montreal and Zurich. He initially worked in the animation studio and subsequently directed educational films. He became increasingly drawn to fiction, but his first attempts in that genre were not entirely conclusive (Vertige, 1969; Stop, 1971). In the private sector, he directed The Possession of Virginia (1972), a B movie that weaves eroticism and the supernatural into a detective story. The film was not well received. When he returned to the NFB to make a few short and medium-length fiction films, his cinematic vision began to truly take shape. In such works as Par une belle nuit d’hiver (1974) and Dear Theo (1975), he was able to explore his penchant for intimate dramas. They demonstrate great mastery in his direction of the actors and a unique sensitivity for framing and subtle lighting. He went on to make a more personal feature film, J.A. Martin, Photographer, written in collaboration with Marcel Sabourin, who plays the lead role. In this contemplative film, the travels of a photographer and his wife (Monique Mercure) through the Quebec countryside at the beginning of the 20th century are the backdrop for a sensitive study of the couple’s relationship. It was critically acclaimed in Canada and abroad, and garnered several awards including the Best Canadian Film award, the Los Angeles Film Advisory Board Award of Excellence and the Cannes Festival Oecumenical Jury Award. Monique Mercure was also awarded the Cannes Palme d’Or for Best Actress. The photography work by Pierre Mignot, Beaudin’s faithful collaborator for his four preceding NFB films, also gained attention, earning him the Canadian award for best photography direction. Mignot then traveled to the U.S. to shoot films with Robert Altman.
Beaudin stayed on at the NFB and collaborated on a feature-length documentary about the 1976 Olympics (Games of the XXI Olympiade), a collective endeavour with Jean-Claude Labrecque, Georges Dufaux and Marcel Carrière. He returned to drama with Cordélia (1979), based on the true story of Cordélia Viau, who was sentenced to death in 19th-century Quebec following a notorious and questionable trial. His next film, Mario (1984), inspired by the landscapes of the Madeleine Islands, is composed of sumptuous images with dreamlike overtones. He returned to the Islands years later and teamed up again with Pierre Mignot to shoot Sans elle (2006).
After Mario, he directed a major work outside the NFB: the adaptation of Yves Beauchemin’s novel, The Alley Cat (1985). The film was co-produced with France and Italy, and was a huge success in Quebec. Beaudin departed from the minimalism and slow pace of his other films to target the general public, yet still succeeded in painting a vibrant portrait of Montreal and bringing the multitude of fascinating characters in Beauchemin’s novel to the screen. Beginning in the 1980s, he was also active in the commercial industry, directing ads and such primetime TV series as Les fillles de Caleb.
He joined forces once again with the NFB for Being at Home with Claude (1991), which likewise won critical acclaim. His subsequent films were met with varying success. New France (2004) did poorly at the box office.
Jean Beaudin is known first and foremost for his film adaptations of Quebec literature. In addition to the film version of The Alley Cat, he directed a six-episode TV adaptation of the novel. Although Cordélia recounts a true story, it was inspired by a novel by Pauline Cadieux. Mario was based on a novel by Claude Jasmin. Being at Home with Claude is an adaptation of a play by René-Daniel Dubois. Souvenirs intimes (1999) was based on a novel by Monique Proulx and Le collectionneur (2002) on a mystery novel by Chrystine Brouillet. —National Film Board of Canada
