Denys Desjardins
Denys Desjardins (born 1966 in Montreal, Quebec), is a film director, screenwriter, cinematographer, editor and film historian for more than twenty years. After completing studies in literature, film and communications, he directed several acclaimed films.
Denys Desjardins | |
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Alma mater | Concordia University |
Occupation | Director, producer, screenwriter, film historian |
Career
Desjardins received the Quebec Film Critic (Association québécoise des critiques de cinéma, or AQCC) award for best short film two years in a row for La Dame aux poupées (The Doll Lady) (1996)[1] and for Boris Lehman, filmmaker (1997), a portrait of Boris Lehman the Belgian filmmaker for whom life is a reason to make films, and making films is a reason for living. He then joined the National Film Board of Canada, where he directed Almanach 1999-2000 and My Eye for a Camera – nominated for a Jutra Award for best documentary in 2003 – as well as Being Human and Rebel with a Camera, which won him the Quebec Film Critic award for best medium-length documentary.
Desjardins has also produced and co-directed the short films Me Bob Robert and Peter and the Penny; the latter received the award for best short fiction film at the 2006 Festival Images en vue. Desjardins’ third feature-length film, The Great Resistance, was nominated for a Jutra Award for best documentary in 2008. His 2011 documentary (The Private Life of Cinema) follows the path of filmmakers who never gave up on their dream to produce feature-length fictions films and create a Quebec film industry.[2] With Joanne Robertson, he created a web production, Making Movie History: A Portrait in 61 Parts, to celebrate the National Film Board of Canada's 75th anniversary in 2014.[3]
Selected films
Year | French Title | English Title | Roles | Theme | Others | Awards |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1996 | La Dame aux poupées | The Doll Lady | director-screenwriter producer |
Mme. Boudreault shares her two-story cottage with over 400 dolls, which give her free rein to dream and explore her fantasies | cinematography: Hélène Choquette, Denis-Noel Mostert editing: Vincent Guignard |
Best short film, Rendez-vous du cinéma québécois [1] |
1998 | Contre le temps et l'effacement, Boris Lehman... | Boris Lehman, filmmaker | director-screenwriter producer cinematographer |
Friends, filmmakers, critics, and crew offer their understanding of Boris Lehman, Belgian filmmaker | [4] | Best short film, Rendez-vous du cinéma québécois |
1999 | Almanach 1999-2000 | director-screenwriter | ||||
2001 | Mon oeil pour une caméra | My Eye for a Camera | director-screenwriter cinematographer |
Nominated, Jutra Award for best documentary | ||
2003 | Moi Robert "Bob" | Me Bob Robert | director-screenwriter producer cinematographer |
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2005 | Histoire d'être humain | Being Human | director-screenwriter cinematographer |
[5] | ||
2005 | Pierre et le Sou | Peter and the Penny | director-screenwriter producer cinematographer |
Celebrating his 50th birthday, intellectually challenged Peter's family want to break open his piggy bank to find a rare and valuable American penny. | Co-director, co-writer, co-producer: Stéphane Thibault Co-cinematographer: Julie Perron Editor: Stéphane Lafleur |
Best short fiction film, 2006 Festival Images en vue |
2006 | Le direct avant la lettre | Rebels with a Camera | director-screenwriter | Best medium-length documentary, Rendez-vous du cinéma québécois | ||
2007 | Au pays des colons | The Great Resistance | director-screenwriter cinematographer |
Nominated, Jutra Award for best documentary [6] | ||
2008 | Back to the New World | director-screenwriter producer |
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2009 | De l'office au box-office | From NFB to Box-Office | director-screenwriter producer |
[7] | ||
2011 | La vie privée du cinéma | The Private Life of Cinema | director-screenwriter producer |
[2] | ||
2013 | Kapadokya | director-screenwriter producer cinematographer |
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2014 | Mes 7 lieux | producer | ||||
2015 | The War of the Blueberries | producer | ||||
2017 | The Zone | director-screenwriter producer cinematographer |
[8][9] |
References
- "La Plante Humaine wins best feature-film honors at Rendez-vous du Cinéma Québécois". The Gazette. Montreal, Quebec, Canada. CP. 10 March 1997. p. E5. Retrieved 9 July 2019.
- Perron, Éric (Spring 2011). "Denys Desjardins Producteur, scénariste et réalisateur de La Vie privée du cinéma" (PDF). Ciné-Bulles (in French). Association des cinémas parallèles du Québec. 29 (2): 28–35. ISSN 1923-3221. Retrieved 9 July 2019.
- Brownstein, Bill (7 June 2014). "Honouring 61 NFB 'Dreamers'". The Ottawa Citizen. Ottawa, Ontario, Canada. Postmedia News. p. E3. Retrieved 9 July 2019.
- Legrand, Dominique (15 March 2000). "Le documentaire sous le totem «Misère au Borinage» Le Centre du film sur l'art fête ses vingt ans Paul Meyer, artisan au regard aigu". Le Soir (in French). Belgium. Retrieved 9 July 2019.
- "Being Human/Histoire d'être humain". National Film Board of Canada. Retrieved 2011-03-18.
- Lavoie, André (20 May 2008). "Cinéma - Homme de parole(s)". Le Devoir (in French). Montréal, Québec, Canada. Retrieved 9 July 2019.
- Kelly, Brendan (18 February 2009). "Curtain rises on Quebec film festival tonight". The Gazette. Montreal, Quebec, Canada. p. D5. Retrieved 9 July 2019.
- Gajan, Philippe (2017-10-05). "Review: 'The Zone'". FNC. Retrieved 2018-03-20.
- Dugas, Dominique (2018-02-27). "The Zone: Film Review". Rendez-vous Quebec Cinema. Retrieved 2018-03-20.