# Jean Pierre Lefebvre

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French Canadian filmmaker (born 1941)

Jean Pierre Lefebvre Born (1941-08-17) 17 August 1941 (age 84) Montreal, Quebec, Canada Occupations Film director Screenwriter Years active 1965–present Spouse Marguerite Duparc (1960s-1982, her death)

**Jean Pierre Lefebvre** (French: [\[ʒɑ̃ pjɛʁ ləfɛvʁ\]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Help:IPA/French); born 17 August 1941) is a Canadian filmmaker. He is widely admired as "the godfather of independent Canadian cinema," particularly among young, independent filmmakers.[1]

## Biography

Jean Pierre Lefebvre studied literature at the [University of Montréal](/source/University_of_Montr%C3%A9al) and taught for two years at the Jesuit-run Loyola College in Montreal (now part of [Concordia University](/source/Concordia_University)). He began writing as a film critic, first for *Quartier Latin*, then for *[Séquences](/source/S%C3%A9quences)* and *[Objectif](https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Objectif&action=edit&redlink=1)*.[2] He directed his first film, a short drama, then three independent features. He joined the [National Film Board of Canada](/source/National_Film_Board_of_Canada) and made two films, including the 1968 feature *[My Friend Pierrette](/source/My_Friend_Pierrette) (Mon amie Pierrette)*, co-starring [Raôul Duguay](/source/Ra%C3%B4ul_Duguay) and produced by [Clément Perron](/source/Cl%C3%A9ment_Perron).[3] Lefebvre was then asked to head the NFB's French-language fiction studio. He began its *Premières Oeuvres* series, designed to make low-budget shorts and features. Four features and a number of shorts were produced within a year before the initiative was terminated, and Lefebvre left to form his own production company, Cinak, with his wife and editor, [Marguerite Duparc](/source/Marguerite_Duparc). He writes and produces all his own films.[4]

Lefebvre was one of the first Canadian filmmakers to receive international acclaim for his work; his film *[Don't Let It Kill You](/source/Don't_Let_It_Kill_You) (Il ne faut pas mourir pour ça)* (1967) was the first Canadian film to be invited to the [Cannes Film Festival](/source/Cannes_Film_Festival).[4] He proved to be successful again at Cannes when he received the International Critics' Prize for *[Les fleurs sauvages](/source/Wild_Flowers_(1982_film))* (1982) and his film *[Le jour S...](/source/Le_jour_S...)* (1984) was screened in the [Un Certain Regard](/source/Un_Certain_Regard) section.[5] His 1973 film *[The Last Betrothal](/source/The_Last_Betrothal) (Les dernières fiançailles)* won the prestigious Prix de l'Organisation catholique internationale du cinéma in 1974.[6]

*Il ne faut pas mourir pour ça* (1967), *[Le Vieux pays où Rimbaud est mort](/source/Le_Vieux_pays_o%C3%B9_Rimbaud_est_mort)* (1977), and *Aujourd'hui ou jamais* (1997) make up his *Abel Trilogy*; three feature films starring the recurring character of Abel Gagné played by [Marcel Sabourin](/source/Marcel_Sabourin).

In 1991, he was made an Officer of the [Order of Canada](/source/Order_of_Canada) "for his innovative and high-quality feature films".[7] In 1995 he was awarded the [Prix Albert-Tessier](/source/Prix_Albert-Tessier). In 2013, Lefebvre received a [Governor General's Performing Arts Award](/source/Governor_General's_Performing_Arts_Award).[8]

## Filmography

### Features

- *[The Revolutionary](/source/The_Revolutionary_(1965_film)) (Le révolutionnaire)* – 1965

- *[Don't Let It Kill You](/source/Don't_Let_It_Kill_You) (Il ne faut pas mourir pour ça)* – 1967

- *[Patricia and Jean-Baptiste](/source/Patricia_and_Jean-Baptiste) (Patricia et Jean-Baptiste)* – 1968

- *[My Friend Pierrette](/source/My_Friend_Pierrette) (Mon amie Pierrette)* – 1969

- *[Straight to the Heart](/source/Straight_to_the_Heart_(1968_film)) (Jusqu'au coeur)* – 1969

- *[The House of Light](/source/The_House_of_Light) (La chambre blanche)* – 1969

- *[Q-Bec My Love](/source/Q-Bec_My_Love) (Un succès commercial, ou Q-bec My Love)* – 1970

- *[Those Damned Savages](/source/Those_Damned_Savages) (Les maudits sauvages)* – 1971

- *[My Eye](/source/My_Eye) (Mon œil)* – 1971

- *[Ultimatum](/source/Ultimatum_(1973_film))* – 1973

- *[The Last Betrothal](/source/The_Last_Betrothal) (Les dernières fiançailles)* – 1973

- *[Pigs Are Seldom Clean](/source/Pigs_Are_Seldom_Clean) (On n'engraisse pas les cochons à l'eau claire)* – 1973

- *[Confidences of the Night](/source/Confidences_of_the_Night) (L'amour blessé)* – 1975

- *[The Man from the Movies](https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=The_Man_from_the_Movies&action=edit&redlink=1) (Le gars des vues)* – 1976

- *[The Old Country Where Rimbaud Died](/source/The_Old_Country_Where_Rimbaud_Died) (Le vieux pays où Rimbaud est mort)* – 1977

- *[To Be Sixteen](/source/To_Be_Sixteen) (Avoir 16 ans)* – 1979

- *[Wild Flowers](/source/Wild_Flowers_(1982_film)) (Les fleurs sauvages)* – 1982

- *[Le jour S...](/source/Le_jour_S...)* – 1984

- *[The Box of Sun](/source/The_Box_of_Sun) (La boite à soleil)* – 1988

- *[The Fabulous Voyage of the Angel](/source/The_Fabulous_Voyage_of_the_Angel) (Le fabuleux voyage de l'ange)* – 1991

- *[Now or Never](/source/Now_or_Never_(1998_film)) (Aujourd'hui ou jamais)* – 1998

- *La Route des cieux* – 2010

### Other work

- *L'homoman* (Short film, 1964)

- *[To the Rhythm of My Heart](/source/To_the_Rhythm_of_My_Heart) (Au rythme de mon coeur)* (Documentary, 1983)

- *Alfred Laliberté sculpteur* (Documentary, 1987)

- *Ensemble* (Video, 1988)

- *Sentiers secrets* (Video, 1988)

- *Laubach Literacy of Canada: The Changing Workplace* (Documentary short, 1989)

- *Atelier altitude* (Short film, 1993)

- *Il était une fois Sabrina et Manu* (Short film, 1994)

- *[L'Âge des images](https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=L%27%C3%82ge_des_images&action=edit&redlink=1)* (Series of 5 videos, 1994–1995)

- *H comme hasard* (Short film, 1999) (Part of the collective anthology project *Un abécédaire*)

- *[See You in Toronto](/source/Preludes_(film_series))* (Short film, 2000)

- *Le manuscript érotique* (TV movie, 2002)

- *Mon ami Michel* (documentary, 2004)

## References

1. **[^](#cite_ref-1)** ["Jean-Pierre Lefebvre – Northern Stars"](https://web.archive.org/web/20101127195725/http://northernstars.ca/directorsal/lefebvre_jean-pierre.html). Archived from [the original](http://www.northernstars.ca/directorsal/lefebvre_jean-pierre.html) on 27 November 2010.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-2)** Morris, Peter (1984). [*The Film Companion*](https://archive.org/details/filmcompanion0000morr). Toronto: Irwin Publishing. pp. [176–177](https://archive.org/details/filmcompanion0000morr/page/176). [ISBN](/source/ISBN_(identifier)) [0-7725-1505-0](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special:BookSources/0-7725-1505-0).

1. **[^](#cite_ref-pierrette_3-0)** ["Mon amie Pierrette"](http://www.nfb.ca/film/Mon_amie_Pierrette) (Requires [Adobe Flash](/source/Adobe_Flash)). *Online film* (in French). [National Film Board of Canada](/source/National_Film_Board_of_Canada). Retrieved 22 May 2011.

1. ^ [***a***](#cite_ref-cfe_4-0) [***b***](#cite_ref-cfe_4-1) ["Canadian Film Encyclopedia – Jean Pierre Lefebvre"](https://web.archive.org/web/20110726115536/http://www.tiff.net/CANADIANFILMENCYCLOPEDIA/content/bios/jean-pierre-lefebvre). Archived from [the original](http://www.tiff.net/CANADIANFILMENCYCLOPEDIA/content/bios/jean-pierre-lefebvre) on 26 July 2011.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-5)** ["Festival de Cannes: Le jour S..."](http://www.festival-cannes.com/en/archives/ficheFilm/id/1346/year/1984.html)

1. **[^](#cite_ref-6)** Charles-Henri Ramond, ["Dernières fiançailles, Les – Film de Jean Pierre Lefebvre"](https://www.filmsquebec.com/films/dernieres-fiancailles-jean-pierre-lefebvre/). *Films du Québec*, January 3, 2009.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-7)** [Order of Canada citation](https://web.archive.org/web/1/http://archive.gg.ca/honours/search-recherche/honours-desc.asp?lang=e&TypeID=orc&id=2890) (archived)

1. **[^](#cite_ref-8)** [Governor General's Performing Arts Awards – Award Recipients](http://ggpaa.ca/award-recipients.aspx)

## External links

- [Jean Pierre Lefebvre](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0498877/) at [IMDb](/source/IMDb_(identifier))

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