Norman Jewison (Life & Times)

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…).

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