Sunday, January 12, 2020

January 12 - François Girard


Happy 57th Birthday, François Girard! Born today in 1963, this French-Canadian screenwriter and film director was born in St-FélicienQuebec, Canada. His career began years later on the Montreal art video circuit. 

A filmmaker armed with both intelligence and unique vision, he managed to stake a claim for himself on the map of international cinema with only a handful of credits to his name. 

However, Girard is best known for co-writing and directing the 1993 Canadian biographical-anthology drama/histroical drama film ‘Thirty-Two Short Films About Glenn Gould’.  

In this episodic fusion of documentary and biographical drama, Girard explores the life of the eponymous classical Canadian pianist, who became one of the best-known and most-celebrated classical pianists of the 20th century.   

Through thirty-two vignettes, Girard brings about a series of brief, fictional reenactments as well as real interviews with those who knew the fastidious musician. He was renowned as an interpreter of the keyboard works of Johann Sebastian Bach. 

After distinguishing himself as a prodigy at a very young age, the enigmatic Gould (Colm Feore) grows up to dissect the accepted rules of musical theory, and eventually refuses to perform before an audience. He also becomes addicted to prescription pills. In real life, Gould passed from a severe stroke at age 50, just nine days after his birthday. 

Girard has been active from 1990–present. 

#borntodirect 
#FrancoisGirard 
@TheCDnAcademy 

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