As a tribute to Norman Jewison, who passed away in January, aged 97, we’ve unearthed a profile of the versatile director of In the Heat of the Night; Fiddler on the Roof; Moonstruck; and The Hurricane. Jewison was one of the most successful directors to come out of this country, and though his film career was entirely centered in Hollywood, he was always a proud Canadian, as this 1996 CBC profile for the Life & Times series shows. Directed by Bruce McDonald and shot by Peter Mettler, the film allows Jewison to tell his story while crossing Canada by rail, en route to the Vancouver International Film Festival, from his childhood in Toronto, his apprenticeship at CBC, and then his success south of the border.
Jewison was a versatile filmmaker who turned his hand to many genres, including comedies (The Russians Are Coming, The Russians Are Coming; Other People’s Money), drama (The Cincinnati Kid; Agnes of God), thrillers (The Thomas Crown Affair) and musicals (Jesus Christ Superstar). But he’ll be remembered for In the Heat of the Night and his other social conscience films, and for founding the CFC (Canadian Film Centre), which has proved a crucial stepping stone for many emerging Canadian filmmakers (Sarah Polley; Clement Virgo; Jeff Barnaby…).
Presented by
Bruce McDonald
Norman Jewison, Gordon Pinsent, Topol, Whoopi Goldberg, Clement Virgo
Canada
1996
English
Book Tickets
Indigenous & Community Access
Also Playing
Shepherds
Mathyas quits his marketing job in Montreal and goes to France with the romantic notion of becoming a shepherd. He's in for a rude awakening... Based on a true story, Deraspe's stirring film plays spiritual uplift off against some 3000 sheep and a donkey.
Secret Mall Apartment
The stranger-than-fiction true story of a group of artists who built and furnished a hidden apartment inside a mall, remaining undetected for years. This is an absurdly fun and surprisingly profound film about gentrification and art.
That They May Face the Rising Sun
John and Kate have moved from London to a farm in Ireland, to the bemusement of the locals. This lyrical Irish reverie taps deep wells of feeling in the stuff of everyday life.
The Hermit of Treig
In this rather special film, Lizzie MacKenzie trains her camera on octogenarian Ken Smith, who has lived more than four decades off-the-grid on the shores of Loch Treig, in the Scottish Highlands. This cheerful hermit is a personable storyteller.