Jean Beaudin

Beaudin, Jean
Jean Beaudin, director (b at Montréal 6 Feb 1939). After studying fine arts in Montreal and Zurich, Switzerland, Beaudin joined the NATIONAL FILM BOARD's (NFB) animation studio in 1964. There he belonged to a team in charge of educational films, but he was soon attracted to fiction. His first experimental feature, Stop (1970), was followed in 1971 by the erotic feature Le Diable est parmi nous, produced in the private sector. Beaudin then returned to the NFB, where he directed two shorts and two modest and personal medium-length films including Cher Théo (1975). He then directed his first masterpiece, J.A. Martin, photographe, about an itinerant photographer at the beginning of the 20th century, whose wife accompanies him on tour. The film won Monique MERCURE a best actress award at Cannes.

After an interlude for the collective production Jeux de la XXI^e Olympiade (1977), Beaudin returned to fiction with Cordélia (1980), a full-length period feature inspired by the true story of the murder trial of a woman, who was a probable victim of a miscarriage of justice. Once again, the filmmaker showed his talent and sensitivity. In 1984, he directed Mario, in the photogenic location of Îles-de-la-Madeleine, and in 1985 another adaptation, Le Matou, based on Yves BEAUCHEMIN's bestseller. This less personal film was also the subject of a television series. Beaudin then became the director of popular ongoing TV serials, and we can thank him for L'or et le papier (1988-89) Les Filles de Caleb (1990-91, based on the novel by Arlette Cousture), Shehaweh (1991), Miséricorde (1994), Ces enfants d'ailleurs (1994) and Willie (2000). At the same time, he shot several publicity films, but did not retreat from cinema. His work based on René-Daniel DUBOIS's play Being at Home with Claude (1992) marked an important milestone in the history of the link between theatre and cinema in Canada. He confirmed his place as a filmmaker of Quebecois literature by directing Souvenirs intimes (1998), based on a novel by Monique Proulx and a thriller based on Chrystine Brouillet's, Le collectionneur (2002). Beaudin's films are characterized by their professionalism, simplicity and visual beauty.

Author PIERRE VÉRONNEAU